Success and Failure

It as been a week of success and failure. Perhaps you have already read about my failure of a hat. Well, here are the details. I enthusiastically set off to knit the Brangolina hat for my friend Joann, an avid celebrity fan.
I had a pattern, but from the beginning the yarn was the problem. I did not want to use the Lion's Head acrylic suggested. I felt alpaca or cashmere would be a better gift. I visited two yarns shops and one suggested either Blue Sky Bulky or Catalina chunky. The other unequivocally said Catalina chunky.
These are very different thicknesses. To give you an idea, the suggested needles size for the Blue Sky is 15 and the suggested needles size for the Catalina is 10. The pattern called for size 11 needles. I feel that hats should be a bit solid, not lacy. If you look at the cover of US weekly below, you'll see the hat is not lacy and delicate.

I knitted a swatch of the Blue Sky and it was too thick. The swatch was stiff, unbendable. But, two, count 'em tow salespeople at reputable shops had suggested, nay insisted I use Catalina chunky. Here is the result - judge for yourself. Look at the holes in the Catalina hat.

It is a big lacy, slouchy mess. It just pours over my head onto my shoulders. I will frog this Catalina monstrosity and buy a skein of something rated for 12 or 13 size needles. You may be asking, why not use size 6 or 7 needles and the Catalina - because it would not have the same bulky look at the hat Angelina is wearing.


Now for the success. First here is the same hat knit with the two shades of red. The one on the left is Blue Sky bulky in Geranium and the right hand hat is Blue Sky bulky in Red.



And lastly, here is a pic of Asher wearing one of the hats I knitted for the baby shower months ago. His mom says he has worn it almost every night of his two weeks of existence. Excellent.