My father went to Florida on the business trip this month, and he brought me back a sea bean, a beautifully heart-shaped brown bean that comes from the rainforest’s Monkey Ladder Vine. It’s called a “seaheart” sea bean. It spent several months or years at sea, being smoothed by the ocean currents as it traveled from Africa to our shores.

Used Long Tail Tubular Cast-On, as shown by Ysolda Teague, versus the more difficult Italian method pattern called for in the pattern. Also, I am free-skeining.

Oh, and brilliant me bothered to learn and cast on the more difficult 2x2 ribbing, only to realize that the pattern wanted me to do 1x1 ribbing. ::headdesk:: I am so not undoing this cast-on, which means I must sloooowly tink back. Sigh.

Well, after dropping a stitch at the join and then hating on the hat for a day, I went back to it. I must finish this WIP! Even though the sparsely written pattern is driving me batty.

The pattern is pretty easy, except not very well-written. It shouldn’t be listed as an “easy” project because then beginners like me will just be confused by things the pattern designers thinks are understood. Guess what? They aren’t.

Otherwise, I’m almost finished. Unfortunately, I need DPNs to finish this last bit because the hat is decreasing toward the tip. And I don’t own size 10 DPNs. Ugh.

Size 10 DPNs given to me by the lovely yohopaulie. Now I can finish my hat!

I finished it. And it is a little tight. But I still love it. I am so glad I wet-blocked it, because it looked a little funny before I did that. Now, it looks great, and I’m going to wear it out! If it gets cold out again. :D