Having sworn of socks on anything other than DK/worsted weight yarn, I have a little bit of a sock yarn stash to burn off.

Ok I only have one skein.

It’s really pretty and I bought it while visiting Sheri at the Loopy Ewe. a few months back. She’s supper cool by the way.

But the purchase was totally a moment of weakness.

It’s ~400 yards of sport weight. The label says it’s “Jubilee” from Misty Mountain Farm in color “Ocean Wave.”

Leave it to me impulse buy, yet another skein of teal yarn.

Anyway, so I have sock yarn to burn off.

I’m thinking of making an enterlac style dubblemossa. These are the hats where they’re basically a long enclosed head-sized sausage, that you fold in on itself and it covers your ears. Usually they’re stranded. I want to do one with enterlac. the yarn’s soft and it will be awesome.

No more questions now, I’ll write a pattern at some point. Maybe.

So like any dutiful designer I did a guage swatch, mostly because I’ve never knit with this yarn or anything like it. Super-wash can be a little funny, and after enacting the following scene a few times I thought it was a good idea

tycho: So here (Tosses yarn) I’m thinking of making a hat. FellowKnitter catches: Oh this is pretty, what kinda hat. tycho: A sort of enterlac/watchclock/dubblemossa sort of thing. FellowKnitter looks quizzical tycho: So I’m thinking of casting on, about 128 stitches using US size 3 needles, how does that sound? FellowKnitter: That’s a lot, did you do a gauge swatch. tycho: No. I’m asking you. FellowKnitter: Don’t be a dumbshit, do a gauge swatch tycho: whatever, grumble.

So I did, and I got the very nice gauge of 8 stitches to the inch. Multiplied it by 22, after measuring my head (23.5 inches incase any of you want to make me a hat) and cast on (provisionally) 176 stitches. It was a pain in the ass.

I knit two rows.

I measured the gauge: 6 stitches to the inch.

Now before you say, tycho, it’s only two rows over a provisional cast on, how can you be sure.

The texture of the knitting was completely different.

When I took it off the needles, the (16 pound) cat could have stood inside of it.

Now here’s for the irony. 6 stitches per inch times 22 inches equals. You guessed it 132. Which is damn close to my original suggestion.

Just saying. Use your head and don’t succumb to peer pressure.