The faith I talked about yesterday has evaporated. My brim is still huge, despite numerous additional decreases. I’m about 20 or so stitches away from this thing staying on my head, and I’ve already got ruffle action going on. SO, I am going to frog and try again. But before I do…..

I took a picture.

This is my attempt at a self portrait, in the mirror, without a flash. (Hence, I’m yellow). Notice the camera? I will once again thank cousin Elisa for donating it to the Poor Miss FInch cause. THANKS!

It is difficult to see the diagonal pattern on the top here, but you can see it on the left, underneath. Please note that the hat is going all the way around my head and still being stretched out like that.

To recap: this is the Bottom’s Up pattern, downloaded from ChicKnits, that I am knitting with the yarn I received for Mother’s Day. I am foolishly messing with the pattern on my first attempt by adding a diagonal stitch. I swatched, it was the correct gauge, and now I have a bucket hat brim for an elephant. Aside from the size issue, I’m loving the way this looks. Today is going to be insane, so I think that tomorrow I’m going to head to a LYS (Skeins! in Bellevue in fact) and pick up a good contrasting color. I want a stripe right above the brim on trial #2. I think it will look better that way, and if not, I’ll frog again. I really don’t mind. Yet. This is constructive frogging. Constructive frogging means that I have learned something. For instance, I have learned that I want the brim 12 rows tall. I have learned that I prefer the look of K2tog decreases before knitting the purls over P2tog decreases at the end of the purls. I have additionally come to the conclusion that my swatch lied to me!!!!!

Question for those of you experienced with cotton yarns: Does blocking cotton have the same effect as blocking wool? Looking at what I’ve got, I’d like it to lay a little smoother.

I have begun the diagonal Bottoms Up, and so far, it is going well. I like the diagonal pattern and it is fun to do. I am at the stage in the pattern, where I’m making the brim longer, before the final decrease to start the head bit, and I’m not sure how this is going to work. It is HUGE! I don’t think that decreasing 10 more stitches and switching to one strand of yarn is going to make this thing fit my head. My gauge swatch was correct, so I’m continuing on faith. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try more decreases. I am having a lot of fun with it.

Here’s a close up. I hope you can see the pattern.

I’m not sure how I feel about the sheen on this yarn. It’s kind of weird.

And now, since I have quite the back up of photos, and no gallery to put them in, here’s another hat photo. I made two and sent one to my sister.

This was one of my first attempts at breaking out and creating something unique.