Project No. 9: Knit Cap... I mean, Scarf—Part 3

[September 26th, 2007] With my new knit cap finished but about three inches short, it was time to improvise. I picked up my trusty friend Stitch-N-Bitch, The Knitter’s Handbook, by Debbie Stoller, calmly looking for instructions on how to add stitches from a cast-on row. I was basically going to try to increase the height from the bottom edge of my beanie.

I found the information on page 82, under “Pickup Lines.” Once again, the furriness of the yarn made it impossible to see anything, let alone from where in the stitch I was picking up. I ended up with thirty-something stitches back on my needle instead of forty-two. This was sure to present a problem, but I charged ahead and knit for another four inches. I bound-off with my heart in my stomach; I could tell from looking at the thing that there was no way it was going to fit on my head.

I did manage get it on, but instead of a beanie, I was looking at a beret. A really bad, raspberry, beret. The irony of knitting is it takes about 30 seconds to rip out what takes ages to create. After ripping I was back to the beanie and I had two options: rip the whole hat and start over, knitting for about eight inches before I begin to decrease, or make an entirely different project.

I decided my gorgeous, monsterly Muppet yarn was not destined to be a cap. Having been on my head only once, it was stretched out, flat, and lifeless. Sort of an anti-Muppet. So I let the ripping commence.

I didn’t think for long about what to make. I’ve made plenty of scarves, and I’m much more likely to wear a scarf than I am a hat. I cast on fifteen stitches then knit across each row until I was almost out of yarn (six hours, thirty inches). I bound off and knew I made the right decision.

I’m not giving up on the cap thing, but next time I won’t pick such an extravagant yarn for an improvisational project. I’ll go for something sleek, more beginner-friendly, and definitely not so hairy.

Next Week: Red’s Urn