Monday, August 1, 2022

The Big Tangle

As you know, I've been whining a lot lately about not having any yarny projects to work on. I finished niece's birthday gift. Then I did the Autonomy headscarf thing (for abortion rights). And in between I keep plugging away on the Calash scarf

Now (the time after summer school but before the new school year starts) is the time to really get some projects going so I have things to keep my hands busy in the evenings. And I finally started on something new.

The whys of this project take a bit of explaining. It's been in the planning stages for a while, but I haven't yet mentioned it on the blog.

Remember the octopus hats? I had started on them about this time last year (and I wrote all about them on the blog). I got a nice picture with the three nephews modeling them after Christmas. And I thought nothing more of it.

Then, my sister-in-law texted me. She wanted one, too. Could I make her one? Of course.

But, I got to thinking. She's not really an octopus type. I suggested that perhaps she would enjoy a different sort of hat. After going back and forth, she admitted that she wished that a unicorn hat existed. 

I knew there had to be one. It turned out there were several.

I took screenshots of the pictures from the various patterns. I sent them to her. She chose the one she liked best

And it turned out I was very familiar with the designer of that hat. Yup, it's the same designer that designed the octopus hat.

So, why didn't I start on SIL's hat right away? (We had this conversation back in April.) Because she wanted to pick out the yarn, and she was going to send it to me.

I waited. And I got busy with other things. SIL texted me at the beginning of June to ask if I had gotten the yarn. Nope. She realized that she had never ordered the yarn. She told me she'd get right on that.

Not last week but the week before, I was contemplating what to work on next. (Okay, so we're talking not quite the end of July. So, another month and a half since the last time SIL said she would send me the yarn she wanted.) And I knew that SIL was never going to send me the yarn. It was time to figure out how to start the hat.

Looking at SIL's color choices, I realized that I probably had the yarn already on hand. I did. So, I ordered the pattern and pulled out the yarn I'd need. 

I jumped right in.

Which... was kind of a mistake. 

I did not take pictures. I don't think the pictures would have done it justice.

Let's just say that I probably should have taken the time to rewind the clump of yarn into a nice ball to crochet from. I thought the yarn would come untangled as I crocheted. Nope. Starting the hat only made things worse. Sigh.

I started the project on a Thursday. It was Monday before I spent more time crocheting than I did untangling. 

But then the hat part took shape. 

It kind of looks like an old time football helmet with the ear flaps. But this is just the base on which the accessories go that make it look like a unicorn.

The next step is ears...

These get attached to the hat. I think the mane comes after that, but I'm not sure. (I find that reading the pattern doesn't make a lot of sense to me without yarn and hook in hand. If I do each instruction as I read it, things tend to work out.) 

I'm not using the top-of-the-line cushy expensive yarn for this. So, it's kind of a practice run. I'll keep you posted as I progress on the thing.

14 comments:

  1. Well, I like the colors. I can't wait to see the finished project.

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  2. She picked a really cute style! It sounds like you know her well. I am still waiting for some things from relatives, who said they were "sending them!" They do probably exist though, just misplaced.

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    1. In SIL's case, I'm pretty sure she never got around to the ordering. She meant to, but it slipped her mind.

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  3. Years ago, I would have jumped right on that pattern. It is cute.

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    1. There are so many great themed hats nowadays. I won't wear them, so the only thing that stops me from making all of them is that I have no place to store them.

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  4. Replies
    1. The octopus was more elaborate, and I made three of those.

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  5. It sounds (and looks, from the etsy pic) like it will be amazing! Love that she chose dark colors. Who said unicorns have to be white and pastel-y?

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    1. She likes dark. It's going to be interesting when it's finished (which will be sooner rather than later).

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  6. What a cool idea to make a unicorn hat. I love the color combination you chose.

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  7. I LOVE that unicorn hat. Looking forward to seeing how you're progressing with this project.

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  8. This is quite a fun hat, and it's a great fact that you already know the designer's patterns. I hope the yarn issue will get better, and that you will enjoy crocheting the Unicorn hat. I love the beginning so far!

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  9. Love the idea of the unicorn hat and the colour combo looks great. I'm glad you finally just bought the yarn yourself. It will be cool to see how it will turn out.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I always knew I'd have to get the yarn myself. I just waited until I was ready to start the project.

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