Mea Culpa

or My Bad, whichever you prefer.

I admit it. I almost never, well, really, never make gauge swatches. I agree with the Yarn Harlot who said in one of her books that sometimes the item itself can be the gauge swatch: a pocket, a sleeve, whatever. I say that the item itself ( if I actually bothered to check gauge on the item itself) can always be the gauge swatch, and since I usually knit wraps and scarves, I haven't been caught at this omission....until now.

I promised younger daughter that I would make her this hat:

and I did. But the pattern (from One Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites) called for size 6 double-point needles. I don't have size 6, but I do have size 7, and, I thought, how much difference could the extra half millimeter in needle circumference really make?

So when my daughter called and asked how she could shrink the hat - could she wash it? - I knew the jig was up (whatever that means) and I had been found out. I didn't admit what I had done, just told her to gently rinse the hat in coolish water in the sink and allow it to dry.

I sure hope it works and the hat fits. Otherwise, I think I will be frogging the whole thing, buying size 6 needles, and knitting it again.

Rats.