Peaked.

Hats are always my go-to, easy, quick, take-a-break-from-the -big- project knitting.  To date, in 2011, I think I've knit six of them.

This weekend, I knit two Peaked Caps from Sally Meleville's latest book Warm Knits, Cool Gifts.

 

This is one quick knit.  Perhaps not a One Hour Hat but darn close. Knit with bulky yarn - I used Indie by Sirdar, and on large needles - I used 10 mm, this hat is  a 'done before dinner' project.

A few tips regarding this pattern.  When starting the decreases for the crown, the pattern DOES say "work 8 (9) stitches"  but my brain  read knit 8 (9) stitches.  It took a few rounds for the needle to drop before  I realized,  " Hey this doesn't look like the picture".   A short 'rip' and I was back on track.

The hat is knit first, then stitches picked up for the peak which means the cast off row is the outer edge of the peak.    This requires a very loose cast off  to allow the peak to achieve maximum peak-ness.  The peak on my first hat  under achieves.  Knitting the second hat, while working the cast off row, I inserted three extra stitches spread evenly across the row.  A much perkier peak.

 And lastly, I always, always, make increases or decreases one stitch in from the edge.   Even though the pattern called for the decreases on the peak to be worked at the edge, I used my superior knitting knowledge (Superior to Sally Melville? Really, what was I thinking?)  and worked the decreases one stitch in from the edge.  It didn't look that good.  With hat number two I followed the pattern as written.  Much better!  Hmmm.  I guess Sally's been doing this for a while.

A great little hat.  Perhaps not warm enough for dead of winter, but for sure, warm enough for spring.