Cable Hat Knit Along

Well, here we go, let's get started on that hat band. I've a feeling I'm going to need all the hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves I can get made. Look what the weather is fore casted to give us next winter.
http://www.longrangeweather.com/Long-Range-Monthly-Weather-Forecasts.htm The worst winter in years and years. Likely something similar to the 1977-78 winter. I've some bad memories of that year. Some good ones too for that is the winter I met Kirk. So if you are anywhere near Wyoming, or anywhere else in the Northern USA, let's get knitting folks.

Since I want to add an overlapping flap on the cabled band, I cast on with waste yarn because I haven't decided what button I should make for this hat.

Just in case you don't know, waste yarn is nothing more than yarn you don't mind cutting away and putting in the garbage because that is what will happen to the blue yarn.

After a few rows of knitting, I ended by finishing on the knitting side so as to add the green color by purling with it and that puts me ready to start the Knit Pick pattern on the RS, or knit side. Confuse? Me too. When the band is done, then I will go back and take off the blue yarn, picking up the green on my double point needles and knit in the opposite direction as before, adding a button hole with the overlapping flap.

But if you wish, just follow the free pattern below and skip my add on's or add some of your own and let us know what creative direction you're headed in. This is a sharing project.
    http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Ring_of_Cables_Hat_Pattern__D50615220.html

 Truthfully, before I began the band, I did do a bit of a swatch. Not the full 24 rows but just enough to know if my gauge equaled the 20 stitches per 4 inches the pattern called for with a size 7 needle. But there was a hitch. I used a 6 instead because I don't have size 7 needles.

I've been slowly buying Knit Pick double point needles and cables for the past two years in the smaller sizes and now I need larger sizes too. That's this years goal. The size 6 needles gave me too many stitches, the size 5 needles just right but when I knitted up a few inches of cable it looked too tight. Yup, I'm a good ripper. Back to the size 6 needles I went knowing it is better to be a little bit loose than tight while doing cables.

Until this year, I've made the same knitting patterns over and over with a tweak here and there to change them so the needle sizes didn't change much. It's how I sewed most of my kid's clothes too. Doing something new takes time, something I didn't have much of when our kids were small. I sewed much of their clothing, knitted hats and mittens or spun yarn from wool fleeces as I sat at the table helping the kids with their homeschooling books. Besides that, we raised a garden and livestock too.

 How did I do it all, I can't figure it out. But looking back, one thing I've come to realize is that when I sewed and knitted, most of the time I did the same basic thing over and over just adding a little extra something to make it different and new. 

This led out oldest daughter to think her mother actually knew a whole lot more about knitting than she does. She's since been enlightened and has taken up the task of teaching her ole mother a thing or two since she has far surpassed me in knowledge. Her goal this year is to teach me to read a pattern. So when I say I'm taking you along with me, I mean it literally. I'm not leading, we're walking side by side. You are probably a step, or even much more, ahead of me.

I'm cheating a bit though, because the upper hat part is nothing new but the band I've never done and I'm actually reading the pattern do do so stretching my abilities without becoming too uncomfortable. That's what life is about, growing. Of course I can't completely leave the pattern alone so thereby, I'm adding the flap and button.

If you are a beginning knitter or just want an attractive hat that is relaxing to make, join me. You might just get a good laugh or too. This is row 3 shown in the above picture.

 Best not done when you have so... much help. LOL The best picture of all is on Facebook, at The Calico Bush. Share your photos there and comments too on your favorite and worst places to knit.

 The second cable begins like this.

And then progresses to this.

Even if you aren't a knitter, check out The Calico Bush on Facebook for a smile or a laugh. I've some crazy ideas of places to try and knit and I love a challenge.