FO Friday: Hats hats hats....okay, only two hats....

Happy Friday :)

I've got a two-fer today so let's get started :)

Pacific Waves Hat (link to Project Page)

Pattern: Pacific Waves Hat, still unpublished by me

Time Frame: started April 3, 2016; finished April 15, 2016

Yarn: Twisted from Yarn Hollow in Ganesha

Needles: US #4 (3.5 mm) 16" circular and US #7 (4.5 mm)16" circular and DPNs

Size: Newborn/0-6 month

Modification(s): Since I used DK weight instead of worsted, I cast on for the 0-6 month size, which turned out to be perfect for the newborn size. I also made changes to my original decreases, which I like better, so those will probably make the final cut, if I ever get around to publishing this.

Thoughts: This is either the 3rd or 4th instance of this hat and I've made changes each time...but I think I've got everything worked out. So, I might have to write some directions for both worsted and DK weights but other than that, all should be well. With that said, you may have noticed that the ends aren't woven in and I have a couple of stitch markers attached to the hat. This is the only photo I have as it was gifted to Little Man's teacher. After it was dry, I had some repair work to do (the yarn was frayed in a couple places so I needed to reinforce it, hence the stitch markers that mark where I needed to do this) and then I finished weaving in ends, wrapped it up, and off it went. Oops.

Creeper Hat (link to Project Page)

Pattern: Creepers All Around! by Tracey McDowell

Time Frame: started April 28, 2016; finished May 4, 2016

Yarn: Merino VI Solids by Trendsetter Yarns in Black & Citrus (less than one skein of the black and less than a half-skein of the citrus)

Needles: US #5 (3.75 mm) 16" circular and US #7 (4.5 mm) 16" circular and DPNs

Size: Medium

Modification(s): The original pattern calls for worsted weight yarn but I used DK. As a result, I needed to do the medium size to make up for gauge issues. The small size is for kids, the medium is for teens/small adult heads, and the large is for, well, large heads. So, because I was using thinner yarn, I needed to make a bigger size. It worked out really well. I used the length measurements for the small size (well, to be honest, I was in the middle) to accommodate the yarn, as well. I also changed the crown decreases, which you can find in my project notes. Basically, I went to a common pinwheel decrease instead of what the pattern had. Oh, and I reversed the colors. It's what I had on hand and it worked out very well. And one more thing...I was supposed to do an increase after the Creeper faces were finished, to accommodate the crown decreases but since I changed the crown decreases, I didn't put them increases in. I didn't need them.

Thoughts: This was my first colorwork project...meaning the kind where I work two colors in the same round and it doesn't make stripes. I was extra-conscious of my floats because I didn't want them to be too tight. My gauge may have suffered a little bit but I think it worked out fine in the end.

The right side is the inside, where the floats are, while I was knitting. It was fine.

I don't know that I'm necessarily going to make it again but the pattern works fine. She has a couple different variations for the faces so I might make a different one. We'll see what happens.


Also, modeled by Little Man:

I hope you're having a lovely Friday, even if it is Friday the 13th :)