So here's what happened. I wanted to make hat stranded with two yarns that I recently picked up at the new Yuzawaya in Osaka, to bring with me on our snowboarding trip to Hokkaido. But Christmas knitting took longer than expected, and sure enough, I didn't have a chance to cast on until just a few nights before we left. Then I miscalculated and cast on too many stitches and the hat was way too big. Instead of taking the time I needed to recalculate and start over, I just started decreasing for some makeshift earflaps and it turned out great!

For added warmth, I knitted a lining but let the front roll up naturally before picking up those stitches. The result is a cloche-type hat with small earflaps. It's thick and cozy but doesn't flatten my hair, which is always a concern. I love my new hat, but now that I'm back home it isn't really cold enough to wear anymore. Maybe in February!

Posted by Molly at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have been stalled out on a lot of big projects that I want to start these days because I don't have the right sized needles. I have this huge mess of circs and dpns, all bound up nicely into the needle holder that my mom made for me, but they are still very poorly organized. The Japanese sizes and the American ones all mixed together... ugh. One of these days I am going to get them all together and input all the data into that handy ravelry chart. Until then, I will move forward with the less desirable mish-mash system.

While I was waiting for some new yarn to arrive I decided to cast on for some smaller items that I have been dying to make. It is just getting cold here, and while winter is no where near here yet, my office is already freezing. I started Calorimetry in the hopes that it would double as a "headband" that I could wear to work, to keep my ears cold in the frigid office. The whole thing took me about two days to complete, not counting the time I was waiting to find a button.

Look at this baby! I never would have picked this flowery button for that yarn if I hadn't brought the headband with me--but this button jumped out at me and it turns out that it suits the knitted fabric pretty well. The headband might be a little thick to pass as indoorwear at work this winter, but it was so fast that I could easily whip out another, smaller one when it starts to get REALLY cold.

Posted by Molly at 07:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

This Saturday, I decided that I wanted to start and finish something that I needed. And voila! A new hat.

Specs (I have to do this from now on since I refuse to write anything down):
Yarn: Noro Kabuki Tamu, Col No. 2, 1 skein
Needles: Japan size 13 (6 mm)
Pattern: None, really. Cast on 72 stitches and made it up as I went.

The hat is a little more purply than it looks in the picture, so it matches my Ene's shawl nicely! It was freezing cold last week and I decided that I really needed a new hat that was more stylish than my earflap hat and that wouldn't give me severe hathead on the way to school. So yesterday I did an experiment. I styled my hair, wore the hat for 40 minutes while I made my french toast, and then surveyed the results. See for yourself.

Before, during and after. I can make some pretty scary faces when I'm trying to be expressionless, huh.

Overall, although there is definite hathead in the last shot, I am pleased. I didn't knit the cap too long to try to preserve my general hair shape, and I think I succeeded. This week it's going to be in the 50s, though, so of course I won't be needing this anymore. Typical!

We will be back to our regularly scheduled knitting soon.

Posted by Molly at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)