Coruscate
The pattern for the Coruscate hat and mitt set is (finally) out. This was my first slouchy hat, and you watched it grow and watched me figure out how to block it to achieve proper levels of pouf (it turns out that the secret to blocking success was a giant but short bowl). I finished these way back at the end of November, and have been using them ever since. But it was only yesterday that I had my lovely friend Lauren over to model them for me. They look much more stylish on her (on me, they look warm [...]
Testing Call
Another hat and mitt set up for testing over on ravelry. These are going to be called Coruscate (to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes, to be brilliant or showy in technique or style). I really do need to start coming up with names when I cast on. I keep naming them only once they're done, and then I have to go back and add the tags onto all the old posts. It's not terribly efficient. Remember, you've got till tomorrow morning to leave a comment on the previous post to be entered to win the [...]
Not A Jellyfish
I think I (scandalously) neglected to show you an on-the-head pic for the blue poufy hat. Bowl shots more or less work for round hats, not so much for poufy hats. We took a little stroll through a local park on Christmas and got pictures of the red hat and the blue hat and The Boy's hat. Apparently my hair is pretty much exactly the same color as leafless willow branches. Who knew? I'm still having some internal qualms about how to wear a poufy hat...my inclination is to send it off to the side, but the proper way seems [...]
Uncharacteristically Productive
Finished things have just been falling off my needles. I blame the hats. They themselves are quick and easy, and they lead to mitts which are also quick and easy. The basket that usually holds the half dozen or so projects in various stages of completion currently holds a mere two works in progress and a stack of things awaiting a photo day. (Having a knitting site and selling patterns means that you don't just have to finish a knitted item before you can use it, you have to finish it and photograph it. This can be very taxing if [...]
Unreasonably Helpful
I went ahead and added the elastic, and it made a huge difference. I used Dritz Thin Beading Cord Elastic which I found at my local Joann store for all of $1.59. I ran four strands of it through the knit stitches on the inside of the hat's ribbing at the brim, one each at the first, third, fifth, and seventh round of stitches. It took all of five minutes and it has totally improved the hat beyond all reason. It is now just the right kind of snug...not tight enough to leave marks on my forehead, but not loose [...]
Much Better
So it turns out the secret to pouf success (or at least to less obvious pouf failure) is rather extreme blocking. I first blocked the hat on a plate. This led to the aforementioned jellyfish incident. The crease or line made by the edge of the plate was too close to the top of the hat, which made the band at the brim far too thick. It was not flattering. I think the theory was sound, and it might have worked with a larger plate, but I didn't have one handy. The second attempt involved a giant mixing bowl, much [...]
Let’s Try That Again
Over the last few days I made what I hoped would be a poufy hat. Before doing this I analyzed patterns for several other poufy hats to determine the general methods for creating pouf and to get a sense of acceptable pouf proportions. Following these guidelines, I knit the hat. Somewhere along the way something went horribly horribly awry. Either I was wrong about the potential for me to look reasonably non-dorky in poufy hats, or I totally forgot how to make shapes from knitted fabric, or (and I'm hoping it's this last one) blocking poufy hats is a bit [...]
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