Less than 70 degrees

I think this might be the first day since Spring that the temperature didn't go above 70°. Normally I hate to see the warm weather go, but more and more I'm finding that I rather like the month of October: gorgeously colored leaves, apple picking, pumpkin carving, and, of course, knitting. I sadly neglected it during the abnormally hot and sticky Summer but now I'm wishing I sucked it up and at least finished a hat.

Since I have little to show, here's a failed attempt from last year:

Ravelry project page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/lgleo/lucky-7-hat

Ravelry pattern page: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lucky-7-hat

Pattern: http://knittywhipped.blogspot.com/2008/01/free-patterns-one-and-all.html (scroll down a bit)

Modifications:

Crown rounds 1 and 13: changed k2tog to ssk to match the direction of the cables.

Detailed project notes:

2009.12.06 CO 84 sts on size 5s; worked 10 rounds; tried it on; it fit ok, but stretched too much leaving non-wind-resistant gaps; ripped it out.

2009.12.07 CO 96 sts on size 5s (enough for 8 cables). As expected, this is too loose. Need to figure out a happy medium that still allows the ribbing to flow into the cables.

2009.12.08 Trust the pattern. Back down to 84 sts and size 7 needles. Yeah, typically ribbing is bigger that most else, but the sts seem even enough in the pattern photo and it fits ok. Plus, I’m impatient and really want to make this now with this yarn. After 18 rows of ribbing, I finally finished the left overs from Evangeline and began the second skein.

2009.12.11 Finished up through the noggin; on to the crown.

2009.12.13 Finished all but the last row of the crown, put in a lifeline and pulled tight, tried it on, and didn’t like it. I guess either my row gauge is way off or I have a bigger head than I realized because withOUT folding up the ribbing it fits. I want to fold it up for extra warmth. Ripped out the crown and will try adding another cable repeat.

2009.12.14 FROGGED I’m not happy with the fit so I’m stopping now because I know I’m not going to wear it. It’s short and tight. After following the pattern as written, if I fold the ribbing up I’d lose ear coverage. If I fold it up and pull it down, it’s tight and stretched and won’t be any sort of wind resistant in the upper half. It’s not a bad pattern and I like the hat, it’s just not what I was looking for right now.

I checked out others' projects and they seemed to run into sizing issues, too. It's a nice hat and I'll probably try it again someday (maybe with chunkier yarn?), but it's not going to be warm like I wanted. Of course, neither is the lacy beret currently on my needles, but that's another post...