FO: Blue Aran Toque

Pattern: Irish Moss Toque
Yarn: Cascade 220, Blue Velvet
Needle: Knit Picks Options, size 6 & 7
Started: January 12, 2010
Finished: January 18, 2010
Mods: Knit the brim extra long, changed cable crosses
Ravel It!

This was the third hat I knit for the 2010 Hat Trick. I love cables and really fell in love with the design when I saw it on Ravelry. I also liked the idea of folded brim as I sometimes have trouble getting hats just the right length. They either don't cover my ears or slip down and cover my eyes. I haven't worn this one out yet, but I think it'll avoid those problems.

The blue yarn really makes the cables and seed stitch pop, which I totally love. What I wasn't totally excited about were the decreases. They're not evenly spaced over the pattern, so they almost formed corners on the hat where they began. Blocking helped as does actually wearing the hat. The yarn stretches to fit my head and the 'corners' go away.

I made two modifications to the pattern. First, I knit the ribbing deeper than called for since I need to lengthen most hat patterns anyway. Even though the brim is folded - and therefore longer than normal - I didn't want to end up with a really small fold. Second, I changed the way the large cable crossed on row 1 and row 13. It just made more sense in my brain that way, it makes the cable look more 'woven' which is what I like.