At the start of the month, I cast on for the December Lights Tam from IK‘s Holiday issue. I was feeling quite clever, as I’d reduced the pattern from eight yarns to two by pairing a skein of Koigu KPPPM with a skein of solid black.
I was a bit fretful about gauge. Not that I actually measured my gauge—just that I worried about not knitting the piece too tightly, as I have been known to do with stranded projects.
So I knit and knit and just tried to keep things loose. Nice and loose. Loosey-goosey.
The pattern looked lovely in the colors I’d chosen. The hat did seem a trifle large, but I kept telling myself that would work out in the blocking.
Note to self: blocking does not make things smaller.
I dipped the finished hat into a sink of cool water, and it grew and grew and grew like some 50s mutant exposed to radioactive waste.
Here you see the result: an absolutey lovely hat that is big enough to eat—well, maybe not New York, but at least one or two of the boroughs.
I’ve worked my story out, and feel I’m dealng with this set-back rather well. I wasn’t knitting a hat; I was knitting a reticule. A pretty, pretty reticule. Now all I need to do is line it and add a drawstring.
And before you ask, no, it’s not felt-able: the black yarn is superwash.
well… it will make a really pretty bag, won’t it?
It’s very pretty. I’m so sorry that it isn’t the right size. That’s one of the reasons I can’t bring myself to do intarsia. It would kill me if it didn’t turn out right which is about 1/2 of my projects lol
I think you need a reframing on this hat, because it is perfect for someone with long dredlocks. Very beautiful.
But it’s so pretty – and it will make a beautiful bag!
Oh – but it’s so pretty..maybe a little trip through the dryer could shrink it back down for you? I’ve had superwashes expand on me and that helped..I know it sounds crazy…
The very same thing happened to me with the Red Light Special Hat. I ripped it (very painful) and will try again. Your hat is beautiful though.
Superwashes all relax out and grow in water, in my experience, and need just a moment–usually a minute or two will do–in the dryer for them to snap back to size.