Hat Problems

 

  I have found a mistake in the pattern.  The second to largest size tells you to cast on 94 stitches, but you won't have the right number to work the 3x3 ribbing.  The rest of the numbers 67, 78, 84, 90, and 96 work for the ribbing.

  I'm also questioning the gauge on the band.  The ball band says I should be getting 19.5 stitches per 4 inches with size 8 needles.  In the colored yarn sections I am getting only 17 stitches and I'm up to 18.5 in the plain white section.  I have no idea what I'm getting in the sparkle yarn sections.

  It's always fun to match your nails to your project.  The hat is mostly finished, and it is a hat.  I'm not the happiest with how it came out.  I didn't stick to the pattern because when I tried to, I ended up with a one-inch gap at the top.  I took out one more plain row and did a row of k2togs and then a plain row.  I repeated that until I was almost out of yarn and used my small tail to cinch it closed.  I'll get a picture of it once it is done blocking and has the pom-pom on top.

  I started the crochet pattern and ran into problems straight away.  We will ignore that I won't like how gathered the top is.

  This one started with the novelty yarn too, even though the picture showed me otherwise.  I chained around a knitting needle so I could find the chains and I had hoped that the single crochets would stand out enough for me to see them.  They did not, all I see is a fluffy strip.  I think all three of these will have to be knitted since I do not have the skill to crochet them.  I have seen pictures of other people's projects where they did it in crochet, so it can be done.

  The pattern tells me to work in half double crochets after the brim and I wanted to see if people just worked into the top in the front two strands, or something else.  I did find a link to the pattern, and it seems they have a newer version out.  They took off the largest size but didn't change the gauge.  From the pictures on the website it looks like I'm either working with too tight of a gauge or there is a chain one that they didn't include in the pattern.

  The knitted hat was similar in that the newer version knocked off the largest size, but they also have a new gauge listed and changed a bunch of the cast on numbers.  Both still have the super gathered crown I don't like.  The changes don't account for the yarn variations, so I don't know if I will even be able to get the new gauge on the thicker ones.

• Jazzy Knit Hat Pattern (PDF)

• Jazzy Crochet Hat Pattern (PDF)

  While it's nice to know that I'm not the only one having problems, I feel like they should have had it all tested more to avoid having to keep changing the pattern.  Right now they are on version four of each craft.