This Isn’t Going To Work

Okay, I have to admit defeat. This hat at this gauge and with this yarn….is not going to work. RIP first attempt at my Iris Hat.

I am flat going to run out of yarn on this project. My needles are too small and the stitch count is too high. Not to mention that I can’t get this brim over my head. It’s weirdly to dense and small. All around failure.

I ran over to my LYS, which is closing, and grabbed some US 10s on a 16 inch circular cord so I can frog this hat and restart. I will:

  • Use bigger needles
  • Modify the stitch count down
  • Reduce the height of the folded brim
  • Possibly consider a straight cast off and go for the cat ears look?

Good news, is that I haven’t wasted that much time and this should get up and going quickly again. Thank goodness for bulky yarn. I am not even going to rewind this. I am finding the other end of the yarn and knitting the new hat from the old hat, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dewberry Hat

My mom’s trip is bearing down on me and I need to get these last hats done! I already had the Iris Hat on the needles and I also started this second hat in Malabrigo Mecha in a color called Dewberry.

I am sensing some doom on my other hat. So for this one I cast on fewer stitches to make this bulky skein go farther. I think I am at 70 ish stitches for a vanilla stockinette beanie. I am waffling on folded brim or no folded brim.

I really should finish the Iris first so I don’t make the same mistakes twice. But where is the fun in that! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Iris Hat

I had an awful no good dog of a morning the other day at work. And over my lunch I had to run into a store for a birthday gift. And there was a yarn store right next door. So I wandered in and grabbed some dopamine.

I picked up two skeins of Malabrigo Mecha which is a singles in a bulky weight. This color is called Iris. The idea was a soft and super fast hat. I am going to my friend’s for a little girls trip and I want to give away more hats. I had the yarn store wind the yarn so I could get off the races.

I am using my US 8s as I don’t feel this bulky is really that much different than the heavy worsted I have been using. I may live to regret that decision but so far this skein and color is working up beautifully. I am hoping for a folded brim hat and powering through with a LARGE sugar free iced coffee.

Happy Knitting!

Chiefing Along

I have had singular focus the past couple of days on this Chiefs Hat #7. I’m already fully chugging through the main hat body

I did stop and install/sew on the patch for the brim. Also weaving in the ends for the color changes on the inside! I hope future Rachelle really enjoys the work that past Rachelle did for her, lol.

Just a few more rows of yellow to get to 20 rows and then I will install the decrease in the final red color stripe. My yarn cakes are shrinking rapidly so I am hoping I get all the way there!

Happy Knitting!!

Finished Friday: 2025 Chiefs Hat

The 2025 Chiefs Hat is done and fully complete with the decal installed!

Pattern: My own vanilla “recipe” for a beanie with 72 stitches (because I can’t count) with a folded stockinette brim

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Sauterne and Sealing Wax

For sure this hat is snugger and smaller than my standard adult hat. It can fit over my large noggin but I can feel the squeeze. And that showed in the yardage used with a total of 189 yards of yarn. I think that is like 0.9 of a full skein so I for sure will be fine for my second hat with this yarn.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Chiefs Hat #7

I was a little miffed with discovering the issue with my 2025 Chiefs Hat and the wrong number of stitches. And I was done with with the red color from that hat so I set aside some bedside time to cast on the next hat.

I counted twice and this hat for sure has 88 stitches. Duke was less than helpful in the cast on as he was in charge of napping. I am using US 8 needles for this yarn. It’s still Malabrigo worsted and therefore a singles. The sharper tips of the metal needles are nice so I can get the full strand on every stitch.

Happy Knitting!!

And Now The Chiefs Decreases

I blinked and my 2025 Chiefs Hat was at the brim.

For no good reason that I can explain, I went with larger and chunkier stripes that my previous sports ball hats. The folded brim is roughly 30 rows tall and then the main body is like 20 rows tall.

It does mean that I don’t have as many stripes as before and I’m not using the two colors in an equal/balanced manner. I still think I will have enough leftovers to flip the color sequence and make a second hat.

OH! And I discovered something putting in the needles for these decreases….I in fact made this hat with 78 stitches and not 88. No wonder this hat went so crazy fast. This hat will just be smaller and tighter than my others. I guess that is what I get for lack of attention, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Finished: A Hat For Jenn

The Hat for Jenn is off the needles and onto the hat form!

Pattern: My own 88 stitch beanie working in stockinette with a folded brim

Needles: US 8s

Yarn: Thelittlewolfknits Opti base in the color Prophecy

This hand ended up using 86 grams or 187 yards of yarn. I tried for a big brim and a tall hat as the recipient has a lot of long hair. I spent a lot of time admiring my stitches post blocking as they came out so even and balanced.

Now I need to dig out some tissue paper and a mailer to get this sent off to it’s recipient. I will have to text her to verify her address as she has moved. I am still going to try and be sneaky.

Happy Knitting!!

Jenn’s Brim

Jenn’s beanie has quickly reached the brim stage. This teal is such a bright pop to the dark winter moody vibes.

Cozy winter weekends and dark nights have fired the mojo for this hat. I am still coming out from cold germs so my brain finds this stockinette very soothing. This brim is the result of about three cups of tea and four naps. I really want to work on some more complicated things but I need the fog to lift first.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: A Hat For Jenn

I have my second worsted skein from Thelittlewolfknits in my stash. That dyer is a Pigskin Party KAL sponsor so this yarn gets me extra points in the game. I also had this thought that my friend Jenn would love this yarn. She is ALL things teal.

Over a cup of yummy coffee, I started a basic beanie. My typical 88 stitches on a US 8 needle. I do NOT feel like ribbing this hat so stockinette it is. Jenn also has a March birthday so I could make this an early birthday present. She doesn’t know about this plan and I kind of like the idea of a random surprise gift in the mail!

Happy Knitting!!