Does this make my head look small?

Now I’ve had a little problem with hats of late that only a few people know about. I was going to knit the hat designed to go with the 198 Yards of Heaven Scarf. Actually I did knit that hat but when I bound it off it was huge. There was no way it would fit anyone I know. When I put it on it flopped immediately down to my nose, below my nose actually. Said hat now resides in a bag awaiting frogging. Or maybe a winter wind will blow a cold and shivering soul onto our farm who is in dire need of a really big, and very pretty beret/tam.

Some day early in the new year I cast on for a little beret for myself. I can’t say what day it was because apparently I forgot to add it to my Ravelry project folder. The pattern is the Tweed Beret from Interweave Knits (Winter 2006 issue). It’s really quite a fetching pattern and I chose a lovely stash yarn, a dark blue/black 100% worsted weight wool from Earth Arts. The yarn (along with eight other single skeins in a variety of colors) was bought several years ago when I went to that holy mecca known as The Taos Wool Festival.

On my way out the door today I grabbed the blue beret for car knitting. Only five rows of stockinette stitch remained and the drive into Tahlequah was enough to complete the hat, or so I thought. I finished binding off the hat while Chris was inside Tractor Supply Store and quickly flipped down the visor mirror to try it on. It fit – sort of. It didn’t drop down to my nose at least but it was large enough that it wouldn’t stay in position as a proper beret should. Bobbie pins would be required.

I knew I’d never remember to keep bobbie pins on hand. “What the heck” I told myself and pulled the binding out and ripped back several rounds and put it back on the needle (yes there are perfectly good times to frog!). I decreased enough stitches on one round to make it fit and then reknit the last five stockinette stitch rounds on the way back to the farm.

The hat looks like it will fit fine now and is currently blocking with a large dinner plate inside. I love the ease of this pattern and see a few more in my future (there are plenty of choices to chose from if I decide to use the  rest of the Earth Arts yarn. What was I thinking – nine skeins?)

By yardage calculation I used 80% of the skein, which is approximately 157 yards. Next time I knit this pattern I think I’ll make diameter a little smaller so it’ll fit my small noggin – I mean my petite head.