Impulse Knit

Since Christmas, I've had some roadblocks on the knitting front. I've started Cookie A.'s beautiful Marlene socks from the latest Knit.1, which are amazing but for some reason I just keep making mistake after mistake. So I'm frustrated there. Then I sat down last Saturday and finally seamed together the 3 pieces of my Ohio sweater and my worst suspicions were confirmed- this cardigan is just too small. I'm devastated, because I was seriously in love with the hourglass cables and I had put so much damn time into that thing. But it's a new year, and I'm not going to fool myself. I am not going to waste good yarn on something that I won't wear. So last night I started Ingenue from Custom Knits. I did not finish a single sweater for myself in 2008, but I hereby declare that 2009 will be different!

But before I started Ingenue, I got a hankering to finish something quick and satisfying. I saw the fun little slouchy copycat hat on Ravelry, so I picked up some off-white Cascade 220 from the stash and whipped it up over the course of a couple of nights.



The pattern is quick and simple. I watched Ysolda's long tail tubular cast on video to learn how to make a nice cast on for 2X2 rib. The video and her instructions were excellent, but I'm not totally satisfied with the result. I will keep searching for the perfect 2X2 rib cast on.



I probably wouldn't have chosen this color, as it doesn't really flatter my pasty winter skin, but this was an impulse knit and I needed to start it NOW. I really like the mock cable rib- it is so darn easy and looks great. There's one big thing about this hat that I'm not crazy about at all and that is...



the little coin-sized flat part in the back. I kind of messed around with the instructions, but it only made it more obvious that the mock cable pattern disappeared. I'd change that if I were to make it again.

But hats are fun. I actually recently received an updated picture of a hat I made back in September- it's an action shot of the sailboat baby hat. If you ever doubt that baby hats are worth it (because babies won't wear them, because babies don't need hats, etc.), I challenge you with this:



Little Ava is rocking that hat like a freaking pro. She doesn't care that people think she's a boy because the hat is blue (damn our heteronormative society!)- she works it.