FO: Another Hat Bites the Dust

The aran watchcap is finished but for some weaving -- you can still see the needles holding the last crown stitches up top. I'll knock that out later today, and then this one will officially go in the FO column. Dreamsweaver, that speedy little prodigy, finished her red version of this hat almost two weeks ago. Hers was knit very loose, and mine was knit with my usual death-grip tension, and I hope to have side by side pictures soon to show you the difference gauge can make. The two hats are equally beautiful, but different. Hers has a lacey, feminine look to it. Mine is definitely a boy hat.

But the best part of all? She learned how to do cables and how to read a chart, and even though there were moments of frustration, she has one textured knitting project under her belt now. The first one always feels hardest.

Anyway, here are the FO stats:

Pattern: Aran watchcap from Charlene Schurch's "Hats On!"
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, one full skein. There are maybe three yards leftover.
Needles: Size 3 Addi Turbos. This is a small needle for this yarn, but I wanted a sturdy hat.

Comments: Great, easy pattern. The finished hat is dense enough to keep winter wind out, but doesn't have that bombproof, inelastic feel you sometimes get when you drop down a few needle sizes. The fabric stretches but doesn't drape, if you know what I mean.

If I had to do it all over again, I might use size 4 needles instead of 3s. Also, I would do the crown shaping differently. The pattern has you do 4 rounds of p2tog and nothing else. I might work some preliminary decreases into the seed stitch panels first, maybe also in the cables, and then do the final rounds of p2tog. Or perhaps in k2tog or ssk to avoid the purl bumps on the right side of the fabric.

All in all, though, this was a good knit. More interesting than your usual hat, but still a hat -- easy, speedy and fun.