Read The Instructions

Since I started to knit, my most "interesting" creations have come from not really reading the instructions. I've discovered that knitting patterns are a lot like math problems. To get the right answer, you read one line at a time, do one thing at a time, and don't jump around. Now discovery and application are two different things, so once again, I launched a project assuming I knew what to do and ... well, here goes.

Last week I used lunch as an excuse to stop by to see my sweet, new friend Cruz. While I was there, Mama Laura mentioned that she was having a hard time with baby caps because they were all too big for his little punkin' head.

"I'll make him one," I volunteered happily. Yeah ..... not too bright...

I went online looking at baby hats and we agreed on this one.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fixation-newborn-hat

Before Cruz was born I had found this wonderful yarn on sale at Michael's http://bernat.com/product.php?LGC=bamboo . I found it in water (blue) and rosehip (pink). It is so soft and pretty, and perfect for a baby cap, but maybe not THIS baby cap.

Problem one involved using bulkier yarn and larger needles than the pattern calls for, and GUESSING what that means to the number of stitches you should use.

Problem two, the reason I had not learned to knit a cap before was because I had no idea how to knit in the round. I quickly realized I was going to have to learn how to knit with four needles. Four. F O U R needles. Hello You Tube, I'm back.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEXlHPcE9QU  Thank you Stitch Diva and here we go.

So far so good. Stitches on four needles ... check. All stitches pointing the right way ... check. At this point, I'm feeling pretty good!

But while I was working on it, I found this little hat.   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/close-knit-tiny-baby-hat

How adorable is that?? So the second "modification"comes in. That would be problem number three.

By this point, I was beginning to think that it was clearly a little large, and maybe I should have actually read the entire pattern instead of just "guesstimating". (That was always my problem in math class too.) I forget which numbered problem I'm on, but it doesn't matter.

Last night I knit my last stitch and clearly this was just wrong. I mean ... that's really bad. Who's gonna put that on a baby? ARGH!

But Amy G to the rescue, she took one look at it and said, oh you can just flip this here and sew that there and an idea developed.

First step was to turn the border up and stitch it to the cap to create a little cuff.

Still ugly, but give me a minute.

The next step was to get rid of the cone.

I flipped the top down and stitched it to the cap.  But that is still not really cute, so it needed sprucing up a bit.

So I dug in the "button bag" and came up with this.

And just for fun, I added this!

Another mistaken creation.
I think reading the instructions would probably be easier. Next time ... really!


















Jeannie