My First Sockhead Hat, Plus a Few Knitting Lessons

There are so many knitting patterns out there that have become classics, and the Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure is definitely one of them. It is a simple hat with ribbing, stockinette stitch, and just the right amount of slouch. The pattern is a free download on Ravelry, and Kelly has designed many wonderful patterns. There are still several of her hats on my knitting wish list.

Sockhead Hat Pattern:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sockhead-slouch-hat

The pattern calls for 437 yards of fingering weight yarn. I chose Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in the Fjord colorway and knit mine on US 3 needles. I made a few modifications along the way. I worked 3½ inches of ribbing and knit only 6 inches before starting the decreases.

Those small changes made all the difference for me. I only used 214 yards of yarn, and the hat is still plenty slouchy and fits perfectly. I am really glad I decided not to make it any longer.

The Madelinetosh yarn was wonderful to work with. It relaxed a little after blocking, but not more than I wanted. It also became even softer than it felt in the skein, which hardly seemed possible.

  

Another finished object around this time was a crochet mandala. I used the African Flower motif by Heidi Bears for the center and worked the rest using scraps from my stash. It was a fun way to use leftover yarn, and I had several other scrap yarn projects going at the same time.

If you are not familiar with Heidi Bears and her amazing hexagon designs, they are definitely worth checking out.

Heidi Bears on Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/designers/heidi-bears

A Couple of Knitting Lessons

Not every project is a success the first time, and these two certainly taught me a few things.

Color Affection

I was so excited to cast on the Color Affection shawl. I chose three beautiful colors of Malabrigo Arroyo: Reflecting Pool, Regatta Blue, and Indiecita. They looked gorgeous together in the skeins, but once I started knitting, the Indiecita completely disappeared among the blues. Instead of providing contrast, it simply got lost.

After several rows, I decided to rip it out and put the project aside until I could order another color. I was leaning toward a sandy neutral that would let the blues really shine. Even though the colors did not work together the way I had hoped, I absolutely loved knitting with Malabrigo Arroyo. The colors were rich, and the yarn felt wonderful in my hands.

Basic Bolero

Another project that did not quite work out was the Basic Bolero from the Winter 2013 issue of Love of Knitting magazine.

I fell in love with the design as soon as I saw it and even bought yarn specifically for it. My gauge matched perfectly, but once I started knitting, something just did not seem right. It looked too small and a little awkward, even though the math checked out.

Looking back, I think I was trying to tackle a sweater before I really understood garment construction. I eventually decided it would be better to learn with a simple top-down sweater first. That way, I could better understand shaping and fit before returning to this project.

Sometimes setting a project aside is the right decision. It is not a failure; it is simply part of the learning process.