Saturday, December 8, 2007

Hat Question and more

Has anyone out there in Blogland made a simple, rolled-brim hat? How long did it get before it stopped rolling? Here's mine:



It measures 2-7/8 inches with the roll, and 5-3/4 inches unrolled. So the rolling part is almost 3 inches long - almost half the length of the hat so far! Am I supposed to put a rib row or two in there to make it STOP ROLLING ALREADY? Because I would like to 1) start the decreases someday, and 2) avoid looking like I'm wearing a life ring on my head.

The yarn is Ironstone Colorchanges color #561, which Looking Glass Yarns calls "Jabberwocky."

Here are the Mumma Smittens:



I like them, but they are a little "floppy" feeling when worn. If I made them again, I think I would do a 2x2 rib cuff, and maybe only cast on 32 stitches instead of 36. That's surprising, because I only cast on 30 for my son's Smittens. You'd think I'd need a lot more for an adult pair (or maybe his are really floppy too).

Look what followed me home on Thursday:



It had been a rough week, and I needed a little yarn therapy. Plus a #6 circular needle for the hat. (Trying to knit an adult hat on 4 dpns? Not fun.) This is Arucania Nature Wool, worsted weight, color #28. (What is with the numbered colors?) I can't find #28 on their web site, but the color's pretty accurate in my photo (surprise). Sorry it's blurry (no suprise there), and please ignore the dust. (I do.)

As for the needle, I ended up getting my first Addi Turbo. You can see its pretty shiny tips in the hat photo above. I'm not exactly Lily Chin with it, but it is easier than shuffling rubber bands every time I start on a dpn, which is what I was doing before I got the Turbo.

And, hello? Why did I not post this funness sooner?



This is my amazing Hand Dyed Yarn Swap gift from Celena. I can tell she put a lot of thought into it and thought about my other interests like quilting and the Make-a-Bag site. Here's what she included, clockwise, from the upper right:

1. Nice Impressionist card - "Pond Lillies" by Allott Fuller Graves

2. Vertigo chocolate-caramel pop. Celena recommends letting it melt into a cup of coffee. It may not last that long.

3. THE YARN. My stupid flash makes it look more red, but it is a lovely deep purple-burgundy with indigo and navy blue. Can't wait to ball it up and try it out!

4. Pink Frosting body butter by Simple Pleasures. Alas, this is not edible.

5. Cute stitch markers that spell out YARN.

6. Thick stack of green quilting squares! All kinds of patterns; two of my favorite motifs are showing - leafs and stars.

7. Underneath it all is a green canvas tote, perfect for groceries or craft stash. Not sure of the dyeing method used on the tote (batik maybe?) but I love it.

Celena is planning another swap for January, so come join us!

Speaking of dyeing, the Winter Knitty is up and has another comprehensive article on dyeing with food colors. This is a really easy and inexpensive way to try dyeing your own yarn or fleece. Try it!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have no idea when a roll brim hat will stop rolling. Maybe it will roll less when it is on a head? Just a guess, I really have no idea :) Love the colorway you are using for the hat. Love the smittens.

How are you liking the Addi? I have a few and they work pretty good, and the cord isn't as stiff as othes (like Susan Bates, Boye, Clover), which is a good thing in my opinion :)

Fiber Chic said...

I plan on using that new Knitty article to dye all of the colors for a sea scene--thanks for pointing it out to me!

f. pea said...

yep, you need to put in a row of seed stitch to make it stop rolling. the colors are great!!

Celena said...

coming in a little late here but i've been away from the computer for a while ... i have knit several rolled brim hats and have never had to knit a row of anything to make it stop. maybe it's the particular yarn?? also, i think it may roll a little less when it's on your head.

btw, i'd love to see a pic of what you're knitting with the yarn i sent you. it's always fun to see how the colors work up versus what i had in my head.

and you are right ... i ABSOLUTELY need more knitting time! lucky for me i get to knit during the first twenty minutes of physical therapy while they wrap my ankles with heat.

happy knitting!