is what became of this.
i took a pattern & modified it, changing the fair isle design, making the earflaps smaller & adding boings to the top. what you see in the pic is the 2d version of the hat. the 1st one was too small, so i had to rip out 2/3 of it and reknit to add an inch & a half.
then i blocked it. this is the first time i've blocked a knitted piece. blocking involves wetting the piece and laying it out on plastic to dry. blocking is highly recommended because it 'sets' the stitches, evens everything out & makes the piece look better. more professional.
a note about blocking: i was pretty excited about this hat until i blocked it. the stitches did not 'set'. on the contrary, i had to coax them back into line & even tho i was careful not to wring, pull or twist the wet wool- the hat is too big now & looks like a helmet. plus the fluffy soft character of the yarn that gave it a blurry effect is gone.
more professional my ass.
the hat is still pretty damp because it's been humid this weekend, but unless something drastic happens in the next couple days of drying- like the hat shrinks back into shape & the yarn fluffs back up- i will probably not be blocking again.
