Am I first?

So - a circular gauge swatch without knitting circular -

1 Cast on your 20 or so stitches on a circular
2 Slide so that the FIRST stitch cast on is at the tip of the left needle
3 carry the yarn thats hanging at the FAR left behind the work LOOSELY and knit across
4 Repeat this slide and knit until its long enough to take off of the needles and measure.

The hat is cute! I think you can swatch in the round by knitting a row, then carrying the yarn loosely at the back and not turning the work (right side faces you at all times), start knitting the next row. Like you were knitting it flat and forgot to turn it around and purl. When you're done with swatch, take it off the needle. cut all the strings across the back, and lay falt to measure gauge.

Flat, not falt, and April is one minute faster and much more clear than me.

Cute hat! I can only make hats that need to be sewn. I do have circs somewhere that I bought for purse-making, but I think they'll be ok for hats too. Now just to stop making afghans so I can try hats on circs!

And, pantyhose were invented by the devil, or some sick bastard that hates women. I gave them up 30 years ago.

Okay, a few things...

Love the hat - must make one...where/what is the pattern?

Where is your SnB group? I am in the valley as well and would love to join for some knitting and chatting...if there is room. Please email me the info(if possible) at darcimcgrathATyahooDOTcom

I love Unwind and am very jealous of your GC. Have fun this weekend.

You learned to crochet? I'm so proud of you! And the hat looks fantastic! Woo hoo HOO!!

Pantyhose = devils work. Give it up for good. (though don't throw away as apparently they might be good for dying unspun wool if you ever get that addicted to the fibre thing)

If men don't get the joy you feel, maybe you need to consider dating women. No pressure. Just a suggestion. Though I have heard there are men who get it (and the one I live with is even coming to a fibre festival with me; well coming along and then going off cycling or something; but supportive).

Yes, buy more circular needles. I still don't know what people in California and Florida need hats for though (except to keep the sun off which isn't the kind you make).

I actually had a man want me to knit on my addi's in front of him....SO HE COULD WATCH!
OOOOhhhhhh.....didn't know it was such a turn on!!

Are your circs made of bamboo? Man, I only just found out you can get addis in bamboo and I so need some cos addi turbos are made of metal and they hurt my hands, though they are very slick. I've found a local pusher, oops supplier in Oz now, so I am happy.
Your cats reflect their slave, except on the pooping scale I hope. LOL.
Pantyhose? Aren't they what you tie things up in the garden with? I have to buy cheap ones on occasion just so's I can put my thumb through them when putting them on and then use them in the garden. I guess you're a southern gal and haven't gotten over pantyhose yet.

I so hear you about the pantyhose. That's why little ol' white-legged me bought some of that self-tanning lotion. If you buy the really dark stuff, it looks as fake brown as pantyhose.

Congrats about the hat! :) You're not the only one who has to frog something twelve times to get it to come out the right size. There are days I feel like the Queen of Swatches.

You know, if you ever get tired of making hats, there are some lovely fairy penguins who require jumpers. No kidding. Here's the URL: http://www.tct.org.au/jumper.htm#Tasmanian

Yay on the hat! Hiss on the hose! They are evil. Completely. But if you start jogging, I will too.

I solve the problem of pantyhose by not wearing dresses. hehe I wonder if I can talk the family into letting me wear pants to my brother's wedding next May. Of course there is the whole I need to loose like a thousand pounds before I even think of an outfit for the wedding. LOL

Congrats on the hat. I need to make a few for the kid for next winter. I don't bother to make them for myself. I've got a fat head too. hehe Seriously, my head is HUGE. hehe

I think your gauge problem with the hat had to do with the fact that you're becoming more comfortable with knitting and your tension is getting looser. Thus the mushroom shape of the hat.

La's sure-fire way to get to sleep. Take one glass of wine with one 10mg benedryl 1/2 hour before bedtime. Jen introduced me to this, it's called "Narcolepsy". Make sure you have AT LEAST 8 hours to devote to sleep. I don't recommend doing this more than 2 nights in a row.

Hey, I sleep beside a man who snores like a bug bear. How the hell do you think I do it? Repeat after me: Benedryl is my friend.

Oh, and I'll take Soba....and Bob...and the other two. So, if I were to really do that, just how long do you think it would take MY hubby to file for divorce?

Ain't that 6-month waiting period a bitch?

Oh, and my head measures 23".

Could it be that LAWYER's invented PANTY HOSE???

And, hey, did you post this or was is Bob, trying to sell all of the other cats?

"Coincidentally: For sale by owner, several lovely and RARE cats, GREAT source of free poop! Your miles may vary. $1700/per cat OBO."

Note the secret way of spelling BOB at the end? Huh?

Good job on the hat! It looks great.

Pantyhose were thought up by men, along with most women’s shoe designs. It’s a conspiracy to cripple us so we can’t run away from them so fast.

There are 2 ways of getting perfect hat gauge:
1) Make a bunch of swatches and a bunch of hats until it finally clicks.
2) Start the hat at the top, and keep measuring and/or trying the hat on the intended wearer (or some kind friend with the same size head) as you go.

Note that these are not mutually exclusive.

What a coincidence-- my mom also spent the morning acquiring billable hours at the divorce lawyer. She was agonizing over what to wear, afraid to look too sexy for fear the lawyer would think she was "only seeking alimony to drink it away". Stay strong and throw away those pantyhose! We're all behind you.

Happy belated birthday also, and cool hat!!!

Yes, pantyhose are the devils work.
As such, I refuse to wear them.

hat - so cool!
I can crochet, but cannot knit worth a darn. However, I did just buy Knitting for Dummies in the hopes that I can learn how. If that doesnt work I may try to find some sort of class or something at an LYS.

Oh, CAP, I'm so happy you've come over to the crochet side of the force! Goody! Now maybe you'll start reading crochet blogs and then you might come across mine and then you might leave a comment and then I'll squeal with excitement!

One hates to be a one-sided blog stalker!

I just love your blog, CAP! I am guaranteed to laugh every day and I love that. I think you must be just like me except with more words. And more wine!

xoxoxo

Panty-hose=devil, all the time. Hate 'em.
Congratulations on the crochet! Don't get it myself, so double congratulations!
And the guy will *totally* be begging to give you diamonds if you tell him about the whole S'n'B night at once! He'd probably even offer to be your winding slave! (Gosh -- give the poor guy a break, huh???)

Yaay crochet! I just learned too. Pantyhose sucks. The hat is great. Hats all around :)

Great hat, CAP! I'm still learning with scarves and I am working on a handbag thingy to felt. Must admit, I love my circular needles!

I'd say ditch the hose, but if you ever see the asshat again, aka Mr. X, they may be of use to tie around his neck....tightly. Promise me that when he comes to his senses and realizes that you WERE his creativity that you won't take him back. You deserve SO much better!

Pantyhose were created both by lawyers and whoever invented swatches, which are also lying bastards. I know I've not commented before, but I luuuuuuuurve your blog. You go! With wine! Because I'm drinking some now! Also, I am from Arizona, which persists in believing in some sort of West Coast vibe, but I now live in Texas, which is naught but TEXAS. Also, you make darling hats, and you are adorable. I wish I had your bright, mischevious smile and your ruddy cheeks. All I get when I get drunk is falling down and crying about world peace. Cheeks would be nice.

Oh, and I have three cats. It's a gaggle, though, not a herd like yours. I am possibly controlled by Sobakowa. I'd blame the massive yarn purchasing there, if I could.

Panty hose do suck. This is why my suits all have pants.
And billable hours = why I'm going to law school :)

When I first moved to LA, I got laughed at for wearing pantyhose. Apparently the women here all go bare-legged all the time. So don't worry! And don't buy pantyhose ever again*. They are works of the devil.

*Um, unless you have to.

You may want to consider investing in some Denise Interchangeable needles (or some other brand of interchangeables). They are wonderful to have. You can make your own size of circular and you've got a huge range of needles sizes to choose from. Very cool investment. I use mine all the time (I'm somewhat lacking in the needle department).

Oh, and my aunt lives in Longview. What a coincidence. That's where you said you're from, right? I believe that's where my parents are going this very weekend.

heh. i had my mom measure my dad's feet for socks and the conversation was similar except i think she really did measure while he was sleeping. it's a bit strange since he knows he's getting socks.

love the hat.

Woo hoo! That orange and pink hat is adorable. I love that color combination. Once upon a time I had a website in those colors.

Sorry about the lawyers. I hope this whole mess is done soon.

Hah! I beat the evil pantyhose demons by looking totally crap in every skirt ever made!!!! That'l show 'em.

I think it was said best in Steel Magnolias:

Dolly Parton: These thighs haven't left the house without lycra since I was 14 years old.

Olympia Dukakis: You were raised right.

I like pantyhose. Not on days w/a heat index of 100F, though. Otherwise, I find them necessary to keep my permanently post-baby backside (when did I go from having a butt to having an ass?) from jiggling all over the place. They also keep my feet from sticking to my shoes. I just hate that feeling.

I guess I'm just contrary to all your readers - on politics as well as 'hose. They're both fundamentally imporant foundations.

If there was any doubt that you are a southern girl, it should be erased since you posted about PANTYHOSE.

Darlink - you don't need a man - or men, although that's a whole nother story (and lots of fun). It's just a story that men invented so we would keep them around. Once you accept that, they're ever so much more fun.
Your divorce will be final, eventually. When? I don't know. Enjoy being single. Really.

I think you're making wonderful progress. Did you notice you didn't talk about the porn or the vibrators at the latest SNB? :)

Pantyhose are not meant to be worn. EVER. If you start to feel the need, pull a pair of pants out of the closet instead.

Pictures of Stitch 'n Bitch make me sad! I miss going every Thursday!

I was getting a bit worried about liking pantyhose until I saw Stephanie's reponse. I, too, like the ability to squish in parts that I would rather not have jiggling all over. I think the brand you buy is really important for the not sagging in the crotch factor and not running if you have a single hangnail while trying to put them on.

Spanx are good, as are JC Penny brand "Sheerest Support" -- despite being support hose, they don't look like granny pantyhose.

I've done swatches for circular knitting by casting on a set of stitches, knitting a row, and then cutting the yarn. To do the next row I slide the piece back to the other end of the needle and then starting the next row, again as a knit row.

Plus: no long floats to distort the swatch and all rows were knit, as in circular knitting.

Minus: having to cut your yarn so you can't reuse it.

I will only really do this for a sweater, where casting on seven thousand and sixty seven stitches to make the round make it sort of imperative that I don't screw up too badly. For a hat or sock, I usually just assume the first couple of inches are going to be my gauge swatch. If it works, great, I'm on my way. If not, it's not that much to frog.

1. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done on the hat...very cute.
2. I miss you guys at SNB! While you were fondling bags and eating cake, I was sucking ass in my acting class. ; (
3. Tell Crystal I LOVE her hair curly!
4. Tell Natalie the blue hair is too cute on her.
5. Um...what kinkiness is going on where you can refuse to want to measure your head? I need to read up on this.

Let it be known that tonight I *really* needed a giggle, so I cracked a beer (first time that's happened in forever) and headed straight here. And you delivered, as always. The cat picture cracked me up, and your dad's comment about his noggin, well, I about died. And, hey, the hat looks great!

The most attractive trait a woman can possess is that elusive one called Grace. Which you clearly have in spades.

Hi! Fellow knitting blogger here who just had to drop a line and say hi and how much I enjoy your posts and the "about me" section you have. Though what you write about is not that funny sometimes you do put a great edge on it and seem to be taking it in stride and that's really admirable. Lord knows I could use a lesson in "taking things in stride"! :)

Keep bloggin' and keep knitting! I'll be stalking you! :)

Not pantyhose,my dear..wear your skirts long enough & then wear knee highs.....

TTFN

Purl - your blog kicks ass. Thanks for the laugh I get every morning. Tea, check! Anti-depressants to keep me from mouthing off to the boss - check! Crazy Aunt Purl update - Check!

Its all good.
Suz, who woke up to yet another pile of kitty yak this AM. oh joy.

*weeps*

Not being a knitter, that was greek to me. Or calculus.

I'm going to have to get Jo to interpret it for me.

Beautiful hat!

This is the funniest blog I've seen yet. I'm thinking maybe you should've frogged the MAN before you frogged the hat.