Hookin' on Hump Day: 12 Times a Frogged Hat

My friend Kellen told about a job posting for a newspaper blogger. I told her I would apply as long as she would be my accountability buddy and made sure I kept up with a blog. Then she brought up the idea that we should have a Facebook group where some of my closest friend (kindly) harass me into starting a blog.

Then she made the group. And it worked.

Background: I'm in recovery for this debilitating disease where if someone awesome tells me it's their birthday, I don't say "Happy Birthday." Instead, I offer to make said person a hat. I sought treatment to moment I realized this was causing an endless project queue and when people were asking me about hats I had promised years ago. There has been some progress, but I'm a long way from cured.

Even more background: In September, I quit a soul-crushing call center job and started my retail experience as a cashier at Target. With the recent data breach and our performance being measured by how many people we get to sign up for our store card, this job has become it's on special brand of soul-crushing.
I have amazing co-workers, though. Some of us have bonded over our experiences at the call center. One of these amazing co-workers is Christine. She was the GSA in charge of me for my probationary period.

One day at work, I learned it was her birthday. Her boyfriend (who work in the store as asset protection) bought her the Bullseye plushie as a present. I ran into her in the break room and I just couldn't resist. I offered her a hat.

I asked her what color she'd like, she said purple was her favorite color. But then she changed her mind and said red (to go with our work uniform). And in that instant I said, "I'll use both. RED AND PURPLE GO GREAT TOGETHER. WHY AREN'T WE BEST FRIENDS RIGHT NOW?"

That was in December.

I've taken so long because the first pattern I found didn't work to well with alternating colors. And then I started to regret my fiber choice as well. Like winter in the South has been pretty tame, but now it's pulling out the big guns. I wanted Christine to have a hat that could transition from Southern winter to Southern the rest of the year. (There's really no difference. Wild card weather all day, everyday.)

I appropriated some wool that wasn't committed to a project just yet. Dyed it with some Kool Aid. In a Crock Pot. With this method of dyeing, you can smell when the dye is just about done.

Several failed pattern attempts later, I finally buckled down to finish it today. I had her try on a half-hat to see if it'd fit. It did. Then I decided the perfect finishing touch: A few repeats of a lace or shell pattern before working the brim.

That section of the hat got ripped out at least 12 times. Tonight.

After settling for an easily doable granny square pattern, I wound up with this:

 

 

I'm okay with it. To be honest, I had a slouchy hat in mind. Tomorrow we'll find out if I decide to rip it once more.

My name is Karla and I can't imagine how many things I'd actually get done if yarn didn't get in the way.