The Thing I Said I'd Never Do

Yeah. It got me.

Spin in Color Kit - Ashford Spindle plus 4 oz. hand-dyed fiber -
from Pancake and Lulu
A Christmas present from my boys,
who like to hold my yarn while I knit and call it "helping you make yarn."
Maybe someday they actually can
(help me make yarn, that is).

I have a LOT to learn (as evidenced by that big fat single you see in progress there), and sadly not much time to learn it (this picture is actually from January, and I haven't done much since then).
But I love it enough that I'm hooked.
Completely.

Again with the Zeebees

The Zeebee is the perfect hat. If you can get the fit you want on the first try.

Or the second.

Or the third.

Or, how about the fourth?

[nope, not even then]

The first time I started a Zeebee for Little Buddha, I was 7/8 done when I ran out of yarn. This yarn, from Pancake and Lulu, was what inspired me to do a Zeebee in the first place - it just seemed to scream for garter, and I thought one skein would be just enough for it.

When I ran out of yarn, I ripped and decided I could make it work with less height and smaller circumference. Only I made so much less height that by 1/4 of the way in, I realized it would be way too short.

I ripped and tried again, deciding to keep the height but go with a smaller circumference. For an unknown reason, I cast on even more this time than the first, making for an extra-long hat. After 1/4 of the hat was done, I realized that I would definitely run out of yarn. By this point, I was fully into other projects, so I set it aside. In the meantime, I contacted Pancake and Lulu about doing a custom order of one more skein that would coordinate with the original [and also in the meantime I completed two other Zeebees, mostly without incident]. Aimee very kindly agreed and I received it a couple of weeks ago. It was as yummy as the first, and I immediately picked the project back up.

I ripped back to the cast on row and started again, alternating skeins. What I should've done was check my Ravelry notes. Because there I very clearly noted that my 3rd attempt was going to be too long. I didn't look at those notes0 until I was nearly done with a hat that is most definitely too long. After four tries on the same hat, can I really make a fifth (and final?) go at this Zeebee?

[shown here with needles still in, as I only partially seamed it to try it on him]

Yes, I will give it one more go. Because first of all, the Zeebee? A perfect hat (once you get it right). And second of all, Pancake and Lulu? A perfect yarn. I adore the colors and I love working with it. I most definitely feel the Pancake and Lulu Love (Ravelry link). This pattern and this yarn really serve each other well. Case in point:

In the meantime, Little Buddha will have to settle for his $6 acrylic hat from Target. At least he wears it with flair: