2/6/10 - I can’t say why I love this hat so much. I’m not a bug person at all. But when I saw Linda wearing it, I just thought it was the cutest darn thing! I really liked the idea of doing the scarabs in a bright blue colour, since I used to have a scarab necklace that I wore all the time that was made from turquoise. It took me awhile to figure out which blue yarn I wanted to use for the background, but as soon as I saw this skein of Traveller I knew that was the yarn I’d use for the base. Both yarns are uber-soft. I’m hoping that going up in needle size will allow me to hit the correct gauge, since this is usually done in sport weight.

2/7/10 - Apparently I can’t divide…I was doing math in my head for how many stitches should be on each DPN that I was casting on with, and I somehow wound up with 4 extra stitches. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that until today, when I was already past the braid and into the pattern. I don’t want the hat to be too loose, so I ripped it out completely. I feel like an idiot doing that for only 4 extra stitches, but since this is a heavier weight yarn and I’m using bigger needles, I just don’t want to take any chances. The braid is a bitch and a half to do but it looks sooooo fantastic! It’s already my favourite thing about the hat. The colours look gorgeous together. I can’t wait for this to be finished so I can wear it!

I did have a tragedy with my DPNs. I’m really very disappointed - one of my DPNs broke on the first stitch. These are Bryson rosewood needles and I recall that I paid a pretty penny for them. This is my first time getting to use them and on the very first stitch snap - the tip of one came right off! So I am none too please and have once again decided that KnitPicks Harmonies are the only needles for me.

2/11/10 - I love hats! I totally forgot how much I love hats. I mean, it took less than a week for me to finish this, even with working on other projects. I’m a little uncertain how the hat looks on me…I kind of want someone to compliment me on it quickly so that I feel better about it. But I love LOVE the braid - that is so damn cool, it makes the hat.

2/17/10 - Well, when I blocked the hat it loosened a little, which I expected since it was colourwork. Unfortunately, it is no longer perfectly snug the way that I like it, so I’m brainstorming with myself to figure out a possible solution.