hats, hats, hats

I've been in hat-making mode lately:

I finished up the 2nd snowflake hat

made another umbilical cord hat for a friend's grand baby

and I started another hat for my niece, in light blue of course.

I'd originally planned to use a different yarn even though I didn't think it was quite the right shade because I'd used the same brand (Cascade Bollicine Baby Night) to make her several pink hats. She is, after all, related to me and is very particular about the shade of blue she likes [that's a UNC vs. Duke reference for all you non-basketball fans]. My sister said she liked it but she wasn't too excited so I'd been looking for something else.

On a recent trip to Williamsburg, I went to the fabulous yarn store Knitting Sisters with my mom and found Plymouth Select worsted merino in the perfect shade of blue. I sent her a piece of it and my sister emailed me today that she said: "Let's write her back and say I like the blue. Please make the hat". So cute. I'm on it.

Problem Child II

After I reknit the ribbing on a smaller size needle (size 2!) and had about 5 " inches done, I decided I still didn't like it so I went to Ravelry to see what other hems had been used with this yarn (why I didn't do that initially I have no idea). I found the pattern Grapevine, by the same designer as Peasy, and that several people had added the lace trim to the hem and sleeve cuffs which looked fabulous, so I cast on yet again - hopefully for the last time but the way this project has gone who knows: