My Red Hat

I also like big, warm winter hats that cover my ears. I attempted to make one in the past, however I wanted a hat I could wear in other times besides Christmas. When I happened upon some Rowan Big Wool at my local yarn store, I had to pick up a ball of red, specifically the color known as Bohemian. I was determined to fulfill my dream of having that large red warm hat. Armed with the book The Next Big Thing, which had an appropriate hat pattern, I completed the project in a short afternoon's time.

This hat was really easy to make. Not only were the yarn and the needles large, but the pattern was just a simple rib. I measured my head, knitted the largest pattern possible, which seemed like the best choice for my head, but underestimated the amount of stretch that I would find in the wool. It was a little too big.

I wore the hat huge like that for a few weeks, then decided that I was going to shrink it. I tried hot water, which didn't work. So I tried hotter water. Then I tried boiling water. None worked, for some reason. Then I read online that if you felt a garment, it gets 20-25% smaller. As of yet, I had not felted anything. Frustrated, I popped it in the washer. It felted! After felting it, I dried it on my head. Now I wear it often. I'm not sure if I liked it better before or after I felted it. The yarn did a good job felting, but I think it would look better if I used a different pattern. It's thicker now, of course, but now it looks more beanie-esque.

As of yet I have no pictures of me after the felting. Stay tuned.

Update!