FO: Stained Glass Doubleknit Hat

Yarn: 1 skein Koigu KPPPM P113 and 1 skein Gems Opal in black
Supplier: Lakeside Fibers in Madison, WI
Needles: 16" US 3 circular needles and US3 DPNs
Pattern: my own

I bought the yarn for this while I was on a research trip at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Although I had seen Koigu in person once before, this skein was the first one I ever bought. I liked it in the skein, but knitting it up I totally understand everyone's obsession with this yarn. This particular colorway reminded me so much of stained glass windows that I really wanted a pattern that emphasized that characteristic. Thus this pattern was dreamed up.


Yay I finished my stained glass inspired double knit hat! Some might have seen this in progress at the Boston Knit Out and Crochet Too's Blogger Table. This is not only the first real item that I have designed for myself, it is also my first double knit project. It definately has a few issues with evenness of tension that would have been improved with more skill, but I know that it will probably turn out better next time. I also chose not to care about worrying about jogless joins, but I think the pattern doesn't emphasis the lack all that much. If you were so inclined you could certianly do it though.

I am pretty happy with it, although I have run into a snag writing the instructions on the decreases on the top. They are a little less elegant than I might have wanted, but I really like the way the pattern gathers towards the crown of the hat. That isn't to say that it is weird or haphazard, it just lacks the simple elegance that my favorite patterns and mathematical proofs have.

Being double knit of course it is reversible. The more koigu side strikes me as a bit psychodelic at the moment, but it the grey winter twilights it may appeal to me more. Who knows.
I ended up with a little bit of each skein left over, more of the Koigu than the Gems Opal due to there being slightly less yardage on the Opal (pesky different linear densities!). On the glass head (why doesn't everyone have a glass head in their livingroom?) this looks a bit short, but my head is a little smaller and it covers my ears, which is what I wanted. The circumfrence has no negative ease for me, and maybe a little positive ease, which makes me think it would fit most people, as I have a small head. If you weren't fussy about how it messed up the decreases at the very end you could increase or decrease the circumfrence in approximately on inch increments.

I know Rosieglasses mentioned being willing to test knit this pattern. (Anyone else?) I probably will not have time to finish writing even a rough draft until next weekend at best, but maybe as late as the following weekend depending on how insane work stays.