Latest Knitting Obession: Hats!

I was in the middle of working on the "L" for my niece, when I got this sudden "urge" to knit another hat in the round! I had bought some Brownberry TLC Essentials on sale at Hobby Lobby, so I started making the Roll Brim hat from the Big Book of Hats and Scarves. It's the same pattern as the pink hat that is in the pictures.

It's a really easy pattern; in fact, it is so easy to memorize that I am now on my *second* brownberry hat, and I am not even bothering to count any more. I just look at what I am knitting and I can tell what to do next -- I really like that!

I've worked out to start the hat with 16" circulars (#7). The pattern calls for 64 stitches. You begin with approximately an inch of stockinette, which is intended to roll up and be the roll up brim. *Then* y0u work about an inch of K1, P1 ribbing. Then you do an increase row -- 8 increases from 64 to 72 stitches.

At that point, I switch to longer needles -- 24" circulars. I find that the 16" ones are very tiring for me. I have very large hands -- I am a tall person -- and those 16" needles are just too short. But I tried it first using the 24" ones, and they are too long until the increase -- after that, they work fine -- and what a *relief* to me when I have switched.

Then, with this hat it is clear sailing for 30 or more rounds of stockinette. That is my Prayer Time.

After that comes a section of decreases that are very straightforward: K7, K2tog, repeat, then a Knit row, then K6, K2tog, repeat, etc. with a Knit row in between each decrease row, and each decrease row, fewer 1 few knit stitch between the K2tog decrease. So it is easy to remember.

I can do several of these decreases before I need to switch to the 16" needles again. The pattern calls for switching to dpns, but I haven't done that. When I can no longer do the decreases on the 16"ers, I just end the hat there -- and it seems to work fine.

The pattern calls for bulky yarn. The brownberry yarn is worsted -- a 4 instead of a 5. I went down 1 needle size, but kept the same amount of stitches. I would be happier with the opening at the bottom just *slightly* bigger -- it feels small to me. But I don't know how to adjust the pattern.

I finished the first brownberry hat while waiting for guests to come. I have in mind to send these hats to soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan. I got such a kick out of making it, and my Mom wanted to do a puzzle together and I wanted something to work on while we were doing it, so I started another hat!

I will post some pictures tomorrow. Meanwhile, I have a good start on Brownberry hat #2. I can see this becoming a real Obsession. Unfortunately, the letter cloths for my niece are languishing at the moment.