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December 10, 2006

Head to Toe Knitting

Last month when the spectral butt of holiday gift giving parked itself on my couch, I decided to knit hats for almost everyone on my list. Sis got one last year by request to match the scarf I knit the year before that; she'll get slippers. Maybe. So I'm knitting hats. This one, in progress and showing off my very own hand crafted stitch markers, is a beret for my grandniece.



After trying to invent a beret pattern based on an accident of increasing in another hat and failing to get acceptable results, I googled for beret patterns and found this beret pattern generator. Plug in your gauge, head size, and floppiness factors, print, and knit. Did I do a swatch? Do I have grandniece's head size? No and no. I used the gauge from the yarn band and a head size from a chart for toddlers (she's 4) and plan to include a crocheted cord to thread through little eyelets cunningly disguised as increases just above the rolled brim and tie in a cute bow. Not my idea; it's part of the pattern. The yarn? Machine washable pink acrylic that's soft enough. No way would I give my niece-in-law's daughter clothing that needed special handling; she has 2.8 kids and doesn't need any more chores. Got the yarn at a pretty good estate sale last weekend for two bits.

Last post I showed you my first pair of socks. My second are knit from Fortissima Colori/Socka Color self-patterning yarn. Can you see where the pattern changes?



Though they don't look identical in size, they are just suffering from impromptu post-washer pseudo blocking (aka being tossed on top of the dryer to dry). If I stand with one foot slightly behind the other, they stripes will line up. The pattern is generic with the K2P2 ribbing extending down to the toe. Like some people, my toes aren't pointed, so I do rounded-tending to-flat toes.

Before washing, this yarn seemed hard and not very cozy to me, but now they're OK. They look good with my Birkenstocks, especially my new blue Arizonas. If I ever knit socks for someone else and they aren't handy for fittings, I'll do a ribbing-intensive design because they stretch so well.

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