Hats for Charity - The May 5

Project: Hats for City Union Mission from local AT&T Telecom Pioneers.

Personal Goal: Make 48 hats in 2008.
Hats made in May: 5
Hats made Jan. thru May: 24

Cap #1 is a ribbed cap knit in dark green Bernat Soft Boucle. I switched to stockinette stitch to work the decreases on the top of the hat and finished with an I-cord that is tied into a top knot.

Cap #2 is a "Formula" hat made in half double crochet. The light green yarn is a fuzzy bulky yarn of unknown brand. The dark green accent stripes are the last of the Bernat Soft Boucle.

Cap #3 is a "Formula" hat made with 1 strand of purple Lion Brand WoolEase and one strand of tundra Red Heart Symphony for a bulky weight hat in half double crochet.

I had a about half a skein of the purple and when it ran out, I switched to a smaller crochet hook, increased the number of stitches and crocheted the brim with just one strand of the tundra Red Heart Symphony. I like the effect and most people will never know it's like that simply because there was no more purple.

Cap #4 is knitted in magenta Red Heart Symphony. I used size 8 needles and worked in the round, magic loop style. The turn up brim is knit 2, purl 2 ribbing and the body of the hat is stockinette stitch.

Cap #5 is a "Formula" hat made in half double crochet with magenta Red Heart Symphony. The accent stripe is tundra Red Heart Symphony. For a little variety, I crocheted a flared brim on this hat.

Most of the Red Heart Symphony I'm using is left over from crocheting bunny slippers for Christmas gifts in 2006. I bought one skein when Hobby Lobby had Symphony on sale for $1 a skein last fall. I was wishing I had bought more at that price. After making a few hats, I'm wishing I had less of it.

Red Heart Symphony is very fuzzy and used by itself, it's hard to see your stitches, especially in crochet. If you have to rip back to fix a mistake, patience and perseverance is required. When the Symphony is combined with a strand of plain worsted weight or bulky yarn, it is easier to crochet with, but less frugal. Live and learn. I now know to not stockpile boucle or super fuzzy yarn for hat making.