An Olympic Decision....
This hat has been nothing short of an adventure (of international proportions?)....
- The dark blue cotton liner took many tries because traveling with the slippery yarn often meant lots of dropped stitches.
- Initially, when I saw the pattern, I liked the idea of light colored snowflakes. (this idea was echoed by others who said that's what they'd do too) My plan was to reverse the colors but the pattern chart used a dark blue and white color and in my tired-after-a-day-at-the-hospital stupor I simply followed the chart (meaning dark colored snowflakes, a light colored background). I noticed what I was doing several rows into the chart, so I ripped it out and vowed to re-start the chart with the reverse yarn colors.
The same thing happened - I found myself blindly following the chart. (The picture is the hat in question, a single repeat away from completion.)
- (already mentioned was the pattern misplacement that almost disqualified me)
- the latest problem? it's too small for me. And the stranded knitting looks like a beginner's attempt. Which is fair because I am, essentially, a beginner, but that's not the look I'm going for. Once I had time to sit down and knit for awhile uninterrupted the stitches became even and the tension was less wonky. Blocking might help even out the tension, but I don't think it can make it big enough to fit my head.
I've mentioned this to a few people and come up with my options for this project. [It is my Olympic project, and right now it meets all of the criteria for personal challenge in the time allotted. I could continue to balance the timing of the Olympics with the finished project....]
1.Continue as I am, with this needle size and yarn and end with a hat that is child-sized and could be donate'able.
2. Rip it out, possibly find a new color of Heilo that will provide more of a contrast (cream? yellow? light green?) and start over with larger needles and a commitment to sit and knit for long stretches at a time. (possibly finishing the whole hat in time for the closing ceremony.)
3. Put the whole project aside and knit socks.
(the hat with an almost finished sock (koigu kpppm color P122; picot edge with a heel flap - it's a mere five rounds from being finished but I had to get the picture when I could (read roommates not seeing me take pictures of not-finished-yet-knitting. They support my "hobby" but don't need another reason to think I'm crazy.) and the hat. The dark blue is the cotton liner that will be flipped up to the inside in the finished hat.)
Whatever I do, I need to decide fast if I think I can get this done by Sunday.
- The dark blue cotton liner took many tries because traveling with the slippery yarn often meant lots of dropped stitches.
- Initially, when I saw the pattern, I liked the idea of light colored snowflakes. (this idea was echoed by others who said that's what they'd do too) My plan was to reverse the colors but the pattern chart used a dark blue and white color and in my tired-after-a-day-at-the-hospital stupor I simply followed the chart (meaning dark colored snowflakes, a light colored background). I noticed what I was doing several rows into the chart, so I ripped it out and vowed to re-start the chart with the reverse yarn colors.
The same thing happened - I found myself blindly following the chart. (The picture is the hat in question, a single repeat away from completion.)
- (already mentioned was the pattern misplacement that almost disqualified me)
- the latest problem? it's too small for me. And the stranded knitting looks like a beginner's attempt. Which is fair because I am, essentially, a beginner, but that's not the look I'm going for. Once I had time to sit down and knit for awhile uninterrupted the stitches became even and the tension was less wonky. Blocking might help even out the tension, but I don't think it can make it big enough to fit my head.
I've mentioned this to a few people and come up with my options for this project. [It is my Olympic project, and right now it meets all of the criteria for personal challenge in the time allotted. I could continue to balance the timing of the Olympics with the finished project....]
1.Continue as I am, with this needle size and yarn and end with a hat that is child-sized and could be donate'able.
2. Rip it out, possibly find a new color of Heilo that will provide more of a contrast (cream? yellow? light green?) and start over with larger needles and a commitment to sit and knit for long stretches at a time. (possibly finishing the whole hat in time for the closing ceremony.)
3. Put the whole project aside and knit socks.
(the hat with an almost finished sock (koigu kpppm color P122; picot edge with a heel flap - it's a mere five rounds from being finished but I had to get the picture when I could (read roommates not seeing me take pictures of not-finished-yet-knitting. They support my "hobby" but don't need another reason to think I'm crazy.) and the hat. The dark blue is the cotton liner that will be flipped up to the inside in the finished hat.)
Whatever I do, I need to decide fast if I think I can get this done by Sunday.
posted by Kristen at 8:06 PM
10 Comments:
I think the blues are very pretty together (and I don't particularly like blue!), so I'd keep these colors. I guess the question is - do you want to gift this hat? Or have you been imagining it on your own head? Of course, I know you don't have a lot of spare time (I'm a librarian at a med school - I can't believe you knit at all!), so maybe it would be easier to just finish it as is and move on!
Anyway - it's lovely. And if you want to read about someone else's 'learning experience,' stop by my blog and look at my mismatched socks....
I would suggest sticking with those colors (but I'm a sucker for within-color variegation). If you think sitting and knitting for long stretches between now and Sunday is realistic, go for a hat that'll fit you. If that's not going to happen, I'd suggest declaring this hat a learning experience to donate or give to a small child.
I vote for finishing the hat and donating it - then you can make another one for yourself with your new and improved techinque.
Everybody wins - you get a medal, a kid gets a warm head, and then you'll get a hat that shows off your skills.
Definitely carry on with the hat, block the h*ll out of it and if it still doesn't fit, donate.
By the way, it's lovely.
Go for gold!
Oh, finish the hat and donate it if you can't get it to block out big enough ... consider it practice knitting.
And I love the sock.
I say finish the hat, learn from your mistakes and accomplishments and donate it so you never have to look at it again then knit yourself one :-)
The hat really looks great and some kid will love it I'm sure!
You already know what I think. :)
I'm so glad to see you'll have enough yarn to finish the sock! That is a good thing, indeed.
I'd finish and donate it, and then make another for yourself, since it would be better after all the experience you got with this one.
I love those colors. And the pattern. Where is the pattern from? You know my vote.
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