Feedback needed.
My brother is a sophomore in college and I asked him recently what he’d like me to knit him. He said a hat would be nice, and that “the more unique the better”. This is what I came up with. (Don’t worry; he never reads the site so it won’t ruin the surprise.) I based it on this pattern for an “ear flap hat”. Instead of using the provided zig-zag design, though, I decided to try my hand at doing some fair isle knitting. So I laid out a design using the name of his university in their school colors. It came out pretty well! Slightly wonky shaped, but I figure some blocking this weekend (i.e. me wearing it around the house a lot) will square it up. Now I’m wondering… Should I put a pompom on top? He said “unique.” Would any of you guys actually wear a hat with a pompom on it? Is this whole discussion moot because it’s so dorky he’d never wear it regardless? Please advise. (I’ve set up a poll to register your thoughts on the issue.)

Funky Hat: Last week I figured it was time to try something new with the knitting, so I settled on this funky (yet easy) hat. It’s easy because you don’t do any increasing or decreasing; you just basically knit a tube with a circular needle and then close off the top (like a square). Then that bit kinda flops over. It’s also got twisted rib brim and little braids that hang off the back corners. (I’m going to put beads on mine as soon as I can get to the bead shop this weekend.) Since I’ve still got tons of Gryffindor yarn left over (hint hint – anybody want a scarf?), I decided to do it in Gryffindor stripes. Pretty cute, huh? The only flaw was that I grossly overestimated the diameter of my own head, so it’s not a very snug fit. But at least I know now, right?

     

And before you say anything, Sis, yes, I know I need to pluck my eyebrows. I’ve just been too busy with the craftiness. 🙂