WIP: Dad's Hat

I tried, I really did. Still, after all these years learning to knit and after measuring a hat he had adjusted to his head...I still failed to make the "perfect" hat for my Dad. It looked ok off the needles and waiting to be wrapped, but once on his head it was too tight at the band, not tall enough, and too poofy at the top. *Sigh!*

This time, at least, I got him to hand it over for a re-take. When I cast on I had crocheted a chain then knit into is, presumably so I'd get the perfect circumference. When faced with froggin, I was anticipating being able to snip the chain and pick up some live stitches. Much to my surprise, when I snipped and pulled gently I found that instead it left a "cast on" row of knitting, not live stitches at all.

Bad photo, yes, but I do need some visual "proof" of me frogging the edge of the hat.

I sat and painstakingly pulled out all the stitches very gently, using a tiny crochet hook, then picked up and knit stitches around. It is looking ok, but I can see where the new section begins and that bugs me. I'm not really a perfectionist when it comes to my knitting, but this is bugging me majorly.

I love my Dad and years ago I knit him a hat that promptly became a long running joke with him and my Uncle Jim...it was huge. The ribbing stretched and could've fit about two grown men in it. I have, for these past dozen or so years, wanted to fix that mistake and make him a good one. My Dad is a constant support, even purchasing my first item sold on Etsy (a knit and felted hat) and proudly displaying it at his work still to this day. He's the kind of Dad who used to have every school photo of me (and some earlier) in his wallet.

Well, I guess I'd better get back to working on the "almost right" one and keep wishing for "the one to equal my love"...maybe for his birthday in November.