It actually looks like it will fit. You thinking it is too small? Take it off the needles now (ok, so you will have to cast on again) and see if the cast on fits a normal head.

The cast on might have the right amount of stitches for the hat but you may have cast on a little too tightly. Try casting on with a size or two larger needle than you will knit the hat. After the cast on, switch to the smaller needle.

Love you blog - I check in on you and the comments several times a day! I lived in the Bay Area but now ahm in the south - North Carolina and have picked up the ya'll word.

You know, Laurie - I think your circular needle might be deceiving you. They always do that. I've got a 50 inch circumference piece on a 29 inch circ at the mo, so it looks narrower than it really is. Take it off the needle and thread a (long) length of yarn through it to get it nice and flat, then measure it. You'll probably find you were bang on gauge and it looks perfect. Plus, are you doing the 2x2 ribbing shown in the pattern?? That will pull it in a lot and make it look narrow, but the fabric will be very elastic and give a good fit.

Your hat will probably be okay. The cast on row can look deceivingly small, so you might want to knit an inch or so, then measure it.

I am doing the ribbing in the pattern, so even though my official hat gauge is done on size 11 needles, the ribbing is supposed to be done on needles 1 or 2 sizes smaller... so I went with size 10 1/2 for the cast-on and ribbing since I don't want the hat to be super tight for Shannon.

So, ya'll are thinking the circs make it seem deceptively small?

I agree. Knit a little bit first and it may be fine. All the math teacher you ever had are saying "I Told You So" right about now . . . I guess it makes up for their abysmal salaries.

my head is 23.5 inches around. i'm either some sort of circus freak or a genius.

Plus, ribbing stretches. Like crazy. I made a ribby hat that I was convinced wouldn't fit my CAT, but it fit my big-headed son just fine. :)

I think it will be fine, Laurie. Plus the ribbing will stretch. Once you get about 4 inches into it you should be able to tell better. If it REALLY does look too small at that stage you can frog it, but it really doesn't look like you will have to, to me anyway.

Beware! Beware of the tricky circular needles. I had the same problem and I re-cast on for what I thought would be a slightly larger adult size hat -- it was so huge I had to turn it into a felted purse!

By the way - I just discovered your blog and I think it is hysterical!

It may be fine. Two things. If you're re-using the wool from the swatch, it may be stretched out, giving thinner stitches. It will need to be wetted and dried to go back to the full size.

As everyone says, circular needles are deceiving.

You need multiples of 6 because it's a knit 3, purl 3 rib pattern.

You make me want to take up knitting cuz everyone who comments about your knitting is so sweet and helpful. I love you knitters! =)

Sorry. That last comment wasn't anonymous. I just forgot to put in my name.

HOnestly I think you'll be fine. As everyone else has said with ribbing and deceptive circular needles you'll be surprised at how big it actually is. Knit some more on it, go on, you know you want to.

Sorry. That last comment wasn't anonymous. I just forgot to put in my name.

Aha! Ok, so this has been very helpful. Plus, I called Shannon and she saw the pic of the hat pattern and has now decided she wants a roll-brim hat instead, which is fast and easy, so woohoo! I also made her measure her head, and she's 21 inches.

Now that ya'll mention it htough, I think I had this same problem with my last hat, thinking it looked small on the circular needles.

And yes, Valerie, I agree!! Knitters are the best people on the whole Internets!! Thank ya'll for all the help!

You are so sweet knitting a hat for your friend. I knit a hat for my husband and you don't know a big head till you've seen his. I totally agree on the big head=big brain theory, cause he's like smart! Good luck :)

Where can I get a pattern for an EASY (note the emphasis on EASY) to make roll-brim hat? I've never made anything other than a rectangle, and it's time to branch out! Thanks...

i love the orange hat! I want a cute orange hat. I bought myself one at Banana last winter (which totally violated my don't-buy-it-if-you-can-knit-it rule but it was on sale for 6.95 so whatever) that was bright orange and cabled but sadly it had a giant pompom on top (like, almost as big as my whole head giant) and braided strings hanging down frm the sides that made me look like I had Raggedy Ann braids, so really, although I pretended it was cute, I looked like a jackass. Don't put giant pompoms and braids on your hat, is my advice.

As everyone has said, have faith in the MATH -- just because you hate it doesn't mean the numbers lie. This is knitting, not accounting.

I gave one of the girls Teen Knitting Club for Christmas because I liked it so much! Great projects in there.

They might just be scrunched up on the needle. I was thinking you would find it too big because I think usually hats are made slightly smaller than the head circumference. That way it can stretch a teensy bit and stay on. Don't quote me on that though...

I'll add in my two cents (Canadian - what's that worth down there?!) - it's true: circs are deceiving. Trust me - after many unneccessary frogging sessions for sweaters knit in the round, I learned to trust the math and my gauge. Don't forget that the cast-on row will tend to stretch out a bit once you've worked the first row of stitches.

Chiming in with another vote of - it's the cicular needles! I recently finished a hat that lookied tiny while on the needles. Once finished however it was so large it fit me perfectly. This was a problem as I have BIG head and the hat is for someone with a normal size head. If only I could be a good knitter and swatch.

Awesome, awesome, awesome pics!

I agree; knit a few inches first. Cast on rows always seem too short.

I think I'm going to crash the Farmers Market Stitch n' Bitch tomorrow night, if you all don't mind... I saw an open invite in your comments last week. I get out of work at 7, so I should be by about 7:30... Look for the nervous chick walking in late while clutching a maroon knitting bag.

Alana - check out "The Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits". They have some very simple patters for hats, scarves, throws, and lots of different sweaters all on relatively large needles.

math sucks. seriously. and I HATE that I knitting requires math--not cool. I have a multiplication table chart in my knitting bag 'cause I'm such a math loser.

GREAT orange hat color!!

at least you do swatches

If the hat doesn't fit you could have your hairdresser thin your locks a bit. I'm just saying.

never mind about the hat..what are those sticks your using?I've never seen knitting needles like those before...and drew has a good point ...as always

Ellen -- When I'm done with my hat I'll post a pattern. Shannon wants a roll-brim now, so I can take pics fo you along the way, too.

LAINA!!! I am so excited to meet you tomoorw night!! Look for me, the dork with the freakishly small orange hat on the needles!!

Cara -- Latern Moon ebony straight needles, those on the swatch are size 11. I *love* Latern Moon needles, they're smooth like butter and feel amazing in your hands.

I agree with everyone else, circulats are deceiving. I finished a spiral sarcf which on the needles looked to be 12". whn it came off, it was more like 48" Knit a few inches to get waay from the cast on.

BTW, if the great ugly kitty bed thingy is so ugly, why do you expect the cats to use it? And why do you want to see it in your room? Donate it and start over with beautiful yarn. the cats deserve it.

Kathy in Mpls, where we know from cold. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 48. I am still wearing my sweaters.

Laurie:

My cast-ons always look too small too. Then, after knitting 3 or 4 rows, it magincally expands. I'v questioned my math, and have had it mock me. Learn from my mistake. This is what I would do: knit those first 3 or 4 rows. If it still looks too small, thread a long piece of yarn through your live stitches, take them off the needle, and try it on.

ok, then...am I the only dork who LOVES knitting math? Yeah, my head circ is 22.5....what of it? ;-)

Me too, Laurie! I'm so psyched!

So... where exactly in the Farmers Market is it?

So you're a mathtard too??? It's nice to know I'm not alone!!!!

Laina! It's at the corner of 3rd and Fairfax. Do you know where The Grove is? I didn't know either, Jen showed me. But it was there... 3rd & Fairfax. Can't wait to see you!!

The cast on row is ALWAYS narrower than the object. Estimate at least a third bigger once you get a few inches on that baby.

By all means get S to measure her head, but after that - trust the math. Trust the math - they're going to take away my english degree if I say too much of THAT.

Thanks, Laurie. I know where the farmers market is. It's just quite big... do you all sit outside? If so, by which store? Or is there a room where you meet? Thank you :)

Oh! OK, hah hah ... I had never been there so I was like, "What is this Farmer's Market of which you speak?" LOL

You go inside and on the bottom floor are food places and shops, and the top floor is just an eating area with lots of tables and chairs. Everyone meets up there. Also! They sell beer and wine at the places downstairs, and the food smelled awesome. Mmmmm... nachos....

My post made no sense. Boss calling me. Gah.

Everyone meets upstairs above the food court :)

It's lunch time; what the heck is the boss doing calling you??? Tell them to go away. You're blogging :)

Thanks for clarifying. I'll see you then!!!

another reason for multiples of 6: most hat patterns have you do the decreases at the top at 6 points around the head (as in divide total stitches by 6, place marker at every that many stitches, decrease one side of the marker ever second round). Keeps it from being too square, I think.

Keep going, it'll be fine.

Woo hoo! Swatches and pictures and little captions. Then the stories about drunken crack heads. What is not to love here? Just start knitting, odds are the hat will fit. You should know pretty early on.

Laurie! You are fabulous and hilarious. Keep on going with that hat! They always stretch more than you think they will. I've made several too-big hats but never a too-small hat. And, as many have said, the cast-on often looks small. It's a good idea to cast-on with a bigger needle so that it can stretch a little more. I failed to do this on my first circular sweater--the body was great, but the cast on edge was so tight that it cut into my belly and led to a little oozing out the sides. Who needs that?

So the furthest I have ever gotten with "knitting" I use the word loosely, is 4 popsicle sticks and toilet paper roll. I envy you and your knitting ability, I tried being cool four years ago and bought the yarn and the neeedles, looked up a website "knitting for complete idiots" and I still could not do it. I am sooo jealous. Thanks.

A couple of thoughts:
1. You did the swatch on different needles, and that will affect your gauge a bit. Most people knit differently on straights and circs. It might not affect something small, like a hat, but it might.

2. I'm a bit concerned that the math didn't take stretch into account. I usually do the gauge times the head circumference minus ten percent or so. Otherwise, the hat's too big, especially after washing when the wool relaxes and blooms a bit.

3. Circs never make it look like it really is. The stitches scrunch up a bit, so it'll look smaller. Trust me on that: I tried to make a sweater for my hubby, and it looked fine on the circs but ended up measuring over 5" bigger around when I took it off to measure (was wondering why it was taking so much yarn).

Let us know how it goes. :)

We just did a head-measure-a-thon at the office and while my big head comes in a 24 inches, my co-worker Liz beats me at 24 and a quarter! Yikes. Kristy is a 23". Frances is also a 23" medulla -- but a 23" in denial (she swears our ethernet cable measuring device was faulty and she's really a 21" head). And go figure -- none of us can determine a hat gauge if you paid us!

(Thanks for linking to my blog. You are the coolest. Really. Even with your crack-pot, cousin-lover neighbors!) :-)

You are an absolute riot! I love your blog. Keep entertaining the masses

ok...i just measured my head thinking that if 21" is considered normal, then i surely must be like 18" or something...i babysat a four year old whose baseball caps i honestly wore...i still can wear my five year olds toque in a pinch (toque=hat in canadian)

oh and my other thing...what need do you guys have for toques in california? up here in the frozen north, i can understand why you'd be knitting a toque...you'd probably get another use out of it before summer really officially gets here...but down there? i just don't get it and besides now i just think you're all doing it to be cool like us...to which i say....OF COURSE!

oh and by the way, my beanie head measures at 21"...was i measuring it wrong?

Your pattern looks like you will be doing some ribbing. When you knit in a ribbing pattern, it makes the garment stretchy. I think if you knit a couple inches of the ribbing it will be fine.

Knitted stitches are bigger than just the cast-on stitches. Trust me on this one. Knit a couple of rows, and you'll see how much your work expands. Also, items grow once they're off the needles.

Just to chime in with the masses, circular needles are deceptive as my "best friend" (well, she is) kept asking me incredulously "That sweater is for YOU? Oh, knitting stretches." Harumph.

Knitting math is fun! Much better than work math.

Just to chime in with the masses, circular needles are deceptive as my "best friend" (well, she is) kept asking me incredulously "That sweater is for YOU? Oh, knitting stretches." Harumph.

Knitting math is fun! Much better than work math.

Hey!, we have the same size head. Have you ever seen that Seinfeld episode where Elaine complains about a bird flying into her head because it's so big?

Ahh, good times.

man, you are popular!! goodness. i was going to say the same as everyone is telling you. knit the next couple of rows and put it onto a piece of yarn and measure if you are nervous...if you checked your guage, it will be right.
i have a book recommendation for you, also being a new knitter, it was amazingly helpful and has really neat tips, it is called "knitting in plain english" it has really funny stories in it, as well, and ways to fix somewhat major mistakes, which no one else seems to tell you. like they don't make mistakes. anyway, check it out, you will love it. i hope you are feeling happier. you make so many people smile. i bloglined you!! i may even add your bloggy to my links!

Not that you absolutely need to go out and get some for this hat, but if you had a set of Denise Interchangeable circular needles, you could put one of the long cords on this to stretch it out to its real size to see. Because, as people are saying, you can't trust a circular needle for something's size because all of the stitches are bunched together in there. Also, don't go just based on the cast-on row. I've noticed that my work always widens a bit once I get to the second row - and, yes ribbing is very stretchy.

Good luck with the math. Don't listen to your inner-math-hater. You CAN do it!

Try this it does the math for you, but I'm sure it's the circulars.
http://www.thedietdiary.com/knittingfiend/Hats/Hat.html

Hi Kathy in Mpls. It's Julie in Mpls. Yep, I have a sweater on today. 38 degrees?! What's up with that?! Wish I were sitting outside in California!

Love your blog, Laurie.

j

laurie! are you a-comin' tonight to s-n-b for surely?
I will only be in attendance if you promise to be there...

xo

c. (also a math-tard, but will put up with
simple computations in order to knit)

oh, and bring jennifer, too!!

i'm not goign to read all 61 of these comments so someone else has probably told you what i'm going to say heree. FYI a LOT of the time when you cast a hat on it looks tiny but you get about 10 rows in and find out it's actually quite large. keep knitting - don't make the decision based on the cast on.

same thing w/ socks - i cast on, i think no fucking way is my foot going through there. some 30 rows later i try it on and it fits just fine.

I have so much admiration for all you knitters here! Since my sister taught me to knit 2 years ago I have completed exactly one project, my fuzzy blue scarf with one end that spreads out into a bell shape (not on purpose). I still love it though; the scarf that is, I’m not so sure about knitting yet ;) I have started many a project since then and all of them are still sitting there abandoned. I have circular knitting needles I never learned to use. Part of the problem is I don't have knitting buddies to go to when I run into problems and I end up throwing the tangle of yarn aside in frustration and disgust. Maybe I need to go to SnB for some inspiration and guidance.

BTW – was that picture taken from the AON center or nearby? The view looks very familiar.

Shannon -- Yes! I took the pic from an undisclosed downtown location very close to where you are mentioning LOL ;)