Half Done

The band is done and notice how the one side is straight and the other ripply. The straight side I figured out is where you pick up the stitches to make the body of the hat.

This means you end on the purl side with your yarn ready to pick up stitches with your crochet hook.

 One little problem though, the pattern says to pick up 88 stitches but I did 90  because I wasn't about to start over figuring this was close enough and ...

 ...when I reached this point, I tried the hat on. The hat was too... small. This wouldn't be such a big thing except I have a really small head. I can't see a baby wearing this hat. Plus, I didn't like the transition between the green and the brown, I did a green stitch, a brown stitch etc. row to try and smooth the way but it still looks to blunt between colors.

 So... ripppppppp. Yes, I'm related to a frog for I do the rip it, rip it, really well, remember the hat band a half of it four times.

Starting over, I added 12 stitches, making it now 100 stitches picked up. I did three rows in the every other color instead of one to smooth the change between colors.

This made a much smoother transition. Wish now that I had of made a one row band of green in the middle of the brown, but I'm NOT ripping again, I'll never get done.

I'm nearing the decreases stage. Yeah!!, I'm nearing the home stretch. I'm still thinking the hat might run a bit small. I really do need to order those size  7 and size 8 needles from Knit Pick. I love their nickel plated ones. The yarn glides so nicely across them. Okay, and off sometimes but then it is me we are talking about here. Not the best knitter by a long shot.

How is your hat coming along?

I can see this hat in snowflakes. Now that I have the band figured out, I think I might just try that but first I have to finish this one.

Now head to Facebook and see where else I've been knitting.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Calico-Bush/339573436081232