Working on Caitlin's earflapper hat...

Since I'm making up the design element as I go, I found I needed to "frog" the blue heather yarn and start again because I realized I can make interesting stitch patterns even though I'm not doing a fair isle design like I did on the others. The multiple strands of using multiple colors, while nice and cozy in the North would be far too hot for her.  

I told Aidan when I was getting started: "Caitlin lives in San Diego so I'm not going to put the colored design in her hat..."

Before I could continue he responds: "She can't have a design in her hat because she lives in San Diego??"



Example of Stockinette Stitch - all knit stitches



I'm trying to hurry because this is clearly the only time of the year it would even be a little bit comfortable to wear.  It may be this hurrying up business which is making me start to think this may be a bit of an evil hat. I have knitted almost two inches around the perimeter... about three times now. The first time, I realized I could be knitting a pattern into each color just by changing the stitches. Since I'd done about an inch and a half of stockinette stitch before trying a strip of purls, I took it all out and started again. I am including a picture showing stockinette stitches for the benefit of my non-knitting friends.




Example of Garter Stitch - knits and purls



The next time, for some unexplained reason, I thought it would turn out too large for a full-size female head, so I reduced it by a couple of stitches. After all, I am using a larger needle size than the last time I knitted the "women's" size (which is the one that went to my three year old niece Zoe). After a couple of inches, I came across Aidan's (larger size) hat and popped it onto my own head. Gadzooks! It just barely fits me... pretty much like all the other times I've tried it on.  What was I thinking!? I really don't know.  I figure Caitlin's head must be close to my size. I ripped it out and began again, once again in the same size as Aidan's.

This afternoon, I noticed something very strange. Wait a minute... those earflaps are backwards. What in the world...? Took me a few minutes to figure out what had happened. Sometime this morning, maybe when I first woke up, maybe when I got out of the shower, not quite sure which time when I picked it up to put in a few stitches (yes I'm kind of weird. I carry my knitting around the house with me. After all, there are those few moments... waiting to really wake up... waiting for the water to get hot in the shower... waiting to... well, you get the idea) I started knitting backwards. Yep, it was during the strips of purl rows, and when I picked it up backwards, I continued backwards in the opposite stitch. I know - it's even weirder because it's being knit on circulars. Well this wouldn't do. I ripped it out again. This time I didn't have to go to that bottom edge though, I was able to catch it where I had turned by mistake. 

I am now knitting this hat with a great deal of respect. After all, I can't send an evil hat to Caitlin, she's a sweet girl! And I think it's paying off...