I have made my husband " 2 " hats this weekend for hunting in that horrid bright orange hunters wear in the winter. Well, both hats turned out TOO BIG!

I took the pattern I used to make my neice a hat since it tuend out great, I just made it the large size for him. I used 2 strands to make it nice and warm. ( Hunting is in COLD December and they hunt our hill. )

So why would hat turn out too big? The yarn has hardly any stretch to it. It's a cheaper yarn. :-( WINTUK.

Susan

Did you decrease your number of stitches when you doubled the yarn? If not, that could account for it being too big.... sorry that happened!

Did you decrease your number of stitches when you doubled the yarn? If not, that could account for it being too big.... sorry that happened!

UH OH... I didn't even think of that. UGHHH! NOw I didn't decrease when I made Lauren's hat. BUt the yarn I used for her was soft and thinner. I guess I just have to use thinner yarn for him. BIUt then how will he kleep warm?

Susan

It doesn't have to be thick to be warm. But you could still use doubled yarn, just decrease the CO sts by however many it's too big. (Put it on him, pinch it together so it fits and count how many sts in the pinched together part)

Suzeeq,

I have a lot of yarn ordered. Some from E-Bay anmd some frm JoAnn's/ I think I'll wait to get some good yarn and then start over. I hate that cheap stuff. :-(

Thanks!

I think I have turned in to every Yarn Shop's DREAM. I can't stop BUYING yarn...

If you really want him to have a warm hat, try using wool. It's amazingly warm and waterproof as well.

I don't know if you can find it in that lovely hunter's orange though.

Good luck!

Susan

White or off white yarn and orange Koolaid.

I find acrylic to be almost too warm to wear though.

if you're still having trouble with the sizing, why not knit a little swatch, measure how many stitches per inch you're getting (I like to measure out over a few inches, and then just divide to get the per inch). Measure how big you want the hat. Then just multiple that number, by you're sts per inch. This should give you how many stitches you need to cast on.

Susan, I'll bet you could find the bright orange in the Cascade 220 line - I swear they have every color under the sun!

PS - I also help pay my LYS's rent, along with KnitPicks' electirc bill, WEBS' phone bill........:teehee:

If you use your gauge to figure out how many stitches you need based on the size of the head in question, use an inch or so fewer stitches than it seems like you'd use for the head. That way it will be snug and have a good fit. That is how I like to do hats anyway.

That's a good rule - an inch less, or about 80% of the full head measurement.

Here's a double knit hat in Cascade 220. Real wool, real warm, not too pricey. http://alison.knitsmiths.us/pattern_double_knit_cap.html

One of the Elizabeth Zimmerman books mentions a technique for a double knit hat that's really two hats in one. I don't remember the exact directions but I believe you knit a hat from top to bottom, in the round. Then you and keep on knitting until you have another hat that's knit bottom to top. The whole thing looks like a long football. Tuck one cap into the other and there's a double-warm reversible hat. You could certainly do one side in hunter orange and the other in a "respectable" color, for when he comes down off the hill.