White Christmas

I have been very busy these past few days.  Very busy.  My fingers are gaining their knitting calluses again, and my wrists are cramping terribly.  These minor drawbacks are fine, though, as long as the productivity pays off.  I think it has....

I think the design turned out well.  One thing I'm especially proud of is that I planned out (almost) the entire thing before making it!  I have found in the past that the easiest way to make a colorwork pattern is to use an Excel spreadsheet, so that is exactly what I did this time.  The way the fair isle works out determines where the pattern increases and decreases, so that was also planned beforehand.  A few things about this pattern, though:

1.  I do not know what the twisted color-thing is called just above the ribbing.  I found it once and read how to do it....a long time ago.  Now, when I decided to do that on this hat, I couldn't exactly remember how to do it....and I didn't know the name so I couldn't look it up.  I tried every kind of description/name to get it to pop up on Google.  No luck.  So....I kind of figured it out by experimentation.

2.  The ribbing is shorter than the original plan.  I knit it a little over 3 inches and then got sick and tired of it.  I decided it was probably long enough, so I stopped, folded it over, and knit the two ends together as I had planned.  (In the knitting world, this is NOT the right attitude to take.  Whoops.)  Thank goodness, I like it better being shorter.  I think it would be too long otherwise, don't you agree?

3.  They don't like the points.  My mom and my sister, I mean.  I was given constructive criticism to avoid doing that in the future.  Which, I know, makes sense.  So at least there I ought to modify the pattern.

4.  This was not supposed to be a hat for me.  The hat was SUPPOSED to be a Christmas present, but I think it is most suited for myself.  I kind of wish it could have worked out as a present, but it's alright.  I have a new hat now, and I won't complain.

I only wish there was snow to match the hat.  I have been dreaming of a white Christmas (which may or may not be possible) for the past week, and I just wish it would snow a ton.  Oh, well, I'll just dream of it for now, I guess.  And wear it on my head.