Hats! Hats! Hats!

Hello everybody! (Hello Dr. Nick!) How is everyone lately?

I have finished my hat trio. Mom decided she didn't want one after all (and good bloody riddance, I say; she's always finding some snide comment or other to make), so the Norwegian Star Hat odyssey is complete. The pattern is very, very well written and easy as cake to follow. I have two gripes about it, though. One, it is too big. Too deep, I mean. I had to mod the decreases on each of the three hats, and if I hadn't, they'd all be covering our noses. Second, I prefer it when sizing is done by different stitch counts as opposed to gauge. I have one, count it, one 16 inch circ, so I couldn't exactly go to my needle closet and hand select the one that would give me *angelic choir* Perfect Gauge. But that's a personal thing, not the designer's fault at all. But the pattern is fabulous, mostly, and I would suggest it to anyone who wants to learn colorwork or just wants a nice hat. Hell, the fact that it appealed not only to me, a 19 year old woman, but also to my 17 and 16 year old little brothers (a hard crowd to please, am I right?) says something about the design. I'm very pleased with the finished products I got, although the colors that Kevin and Chris chose are not really to my... taste. *ahem ahem* Well, I think I'll wrap this little trio up with some photos and facts.

Hat #1:

Recipient: Me
Recipient's Head Size: 21.5 inches around
Gauge: 5.5 spi
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted (purple) and Universal Deluxe Yarn Worsted Tones (blue)
Needle Size: 7 (4.5 mm)
Comments: Fits well, modded the top decreases as detailed in an earlier post.

Hat #2:

Recipient: Kevin
Recipient's Head Size: 22.5 inches around
Gauge: 6 spi
Yarn: Universal Deluxe Yarn Worsted Tones (blue), Bare Sheep Yarn Company Abby (green&blue) and Caron Dazzle Sport (pink)
Needle Size: 7 (4.5 mm)
Comments: Added a repeat to make up for tighter gauge/room for Frampton-esque hair. Turned out too big but recipient liked it. That flippy brim bit is his doing; probably did it during blocking. Top decreases modded in the same way as Hat #1.

Hat #3:

Recipient: Christopher
Recipient's Head Size: 21.75 inches around
Gauge: 5 spi
Yarn:Sheep Shop Yarn Company Sheep 1 Yarn (orange) and Lion Brand Wool-Ease (red)
Needle Size: 7 (4.5 mm)
Comments: A little too big, but he prefers it that way. The Sheep Shop yarn is an aran, and there was just a little too much difference in weight between it and the Wool-Ease for me to be entirely comfortable. Also, put too many rows before the start of the colorwork. Should have done less like in the other two. To compensate, decreased faster.

Overall, I am thrilled with how the hats came out and I'm really glad I did them. The one ply yarns (Mal and Sheep Shop) worked better, I think, than the plied one, but that could be just personal preference. I'd recommend the pattern to anyone looking to try colorwork and is already familiar with circular knitting and making hats. And I know, the little brothers; hide your daughters, right? They've turned into handsome young men while I wasn't looking. I want to get a picture of them together in their matching hats one of these days.

Next on the docket is glommits for the Boyfriend, he of the long, thin hands. I'm hoping to get gauge with the one set of non-sock DPNs I have, because there's no way I could Magic Loop a whole project. So fiddly. Then, I have to find something to do with the other half skein of Malabrigo I have. I understand that it pills like a sonofabitch when knit into gloves/mittens, so I'm thinking a short cowl or neckwarmer, if I could eke it out of a half a skein.

Otherwise, I've been watching Heroes, Season one, which is fantastic. I don't plan on watching the other seasons, though, because my understanding it that the show went entirely downhill. I don't think even the utter hotness of Zach Quinto could save me.

That's panty-melting good, even when he's being evil and is covered in blood. Gay? Not in my world. Nuh uh, not. at. all. Of course, this is the Quinto I fell in love with, much to the dismay and creeped out-ed ness of Boyfriend, the lifelong Trekkie:

...*slumps in a dead faint*

Ahem, so where were we? Right, Heroes. First Season: Awesome.

Of course, I do realize that I should be talking about books, considering that it's in the name of the blog, but I didn't realize that knitting would preclude reading, so, that's that. It's my blog and I'll talk about what I want. Nyah!

Okay, I'm done talking about what I want. At least for today.