faux-fixie finished!

Alright Aliterations! I made a square hat, ostensibly for the baby shower gift, inspired by the fixie, and with some guidance from The Joy of Knitting Companion, and, I have to confess a partial-fanny gauge swatch. It ended up with about a 17" head. God help the mother of a newborn with a 17" head. It fit La-la pretty well.

When I realized it was going to be huge (for the second time - first try was 44 stitches around, second try was 36), it was too late to frog. So, it's my first Dulaan hat of the year. I cast on with 28 stitches and it's almost done now. Here's the catch. Like a hat for a 17" head was bad enough, I'm knitting gifts for a newborn in a sick house. I have a sinus infection and La has a cold, but I think it turned into an ear infection today, so I'm going to get the just-in-case antibiotics filled tomorrow a.m., and it looks like another girls day home. I'll wash the hat before I give it to the mom. Promise.

On the plus side, this did turn out to be a stash-busting project. The last time I went to do anything in this yarn, I ended up having to buy a new skein of it because I ran out in the middle of my stash-busting project.

Faux Fixie Pattern:

I used some stash "Baby Clouds" yarn and 16" US 10 1/2 needles, which apparently gets 2.12 sts/in.

Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches that works for your gauge and head size. Join in the round and work in k2p2 rib until hat measures 6" for an infant, 8" for a toddler/preschooler or 10" for a school age kid. Kitchener the top closed. Weave in the starting end. Make and attach two pom-pom's for the corners.

For all of you snow-bound and/or sky-watching types, here's a picture of the winter sky in Florida. I think this is from Friday morning and it's from my phone-camera. I do have some pics on my film-camera of everyone in their winter clothes to brave the 50 degree weather. I'm not sure what's in the foreground of the picture. It might be the roof of the mini-van.