Another hat done, and Harold watches TV

I turned the TV on after eating, to watch whatever while I was cat-lapping, and for lack of anything else catching my eye, I turned to Animal Planet's Big Cat Diary, which I hadn't seen before. During a segment when the mother cheetah called her babies to come eat, and they called back "where are you? where are you?", I was surprised that they sounded more like bird chirps than the meows of the domestic variety.

Then I noticed that Harold, who never seems aware of the TV at all unless it makes a loud noise like knocking on a door, was staring at the screen as if it was speaking directly to him. He didn't take his eyes off it for the rest of the show, watching lions and leopards and then commercials with impatience (he wandered away during one commercial, but came back as soon as the show started again). It couldn't have been more clear that his interest was caught. I almost felt bad for not having turned it on for him before. Live and learn.

I finished the baby hat at lunch.


Seeing as I started it Sunday, it was a pretty quick knit, and unlike the previous attempt, it looks to me more like a baby head size. Although it isn't actually that much smaller. I think I feel this way because the ribbing pulled the bottom in the way it's supposed to, while on the first one, it just sat there.


Ribbing isn't supposed to lie flat. Probably a reflection on the inelasticity of the yarn, not that first pattern, but I still don't want to make another one of that until I learn how the top is supposed to be done. It irks me, that pattern.

Anyway, I like this rainbow hat, and will make another and send them off to the twins. No exact pattern, but guidelines if you're interested:

Cast on 60 stitches on US size 10 needles. I actually started on DPNs, but switched to a circular when I realized it would fit around that. The yarn is Katia Marathon Print, 75% acrylic and 25% wool.

K2P2 rib until there's an inch and a half (or to taste).
Knit until piece measures about 4 and a half inches.
Start decreases, alternating decrease rows with plain knit rows. Since I had 60 stitches, I did knit 8, K2tog, then a knit row, then knit 7, K2tog, etc. When I got to just knitting two together, I stopped interpolating the knit row, as it was sufficiently pointy. I got down to three stitches and did a few inches of I-cord, bound off, then knotted it (twice, since I actually did almost 6 inches of I-cord and that was too long).

Fini!