I'll post new pics when it's finished, but for now, I have a few quick thoughts on the variations I'm including;
- Afya Ibomu must be an *incredibly* loose crocheter because I always have to go up a hook size or two to match her gauge. The pattern calls for a 5.0 mm hook. The hook pictured is a 6.5. (BTW, I got that hook in a long-ago January sale haul, blogged about here.)
- The pattern also calls for starting with 4 sc, joined into a ring, which is then crocheted into. That's a pretty common start for hats or any pattern crocheted in the round. However, that still leaves a small hole in the top of the hat. I guess that's not usually a problem, but I have an afro, and nothing ruins your daily cute like having afro popping through the top of your hat via a coin-sized hole. I much prefer the magic loop technique because you can close the hole, so that's what you see here. I'll draw it all the way closed when I've finished the hat.
- Last thing for now...the stripes and color combination. The original pattern doesn't include striping instructions, so I'm just winging it by switching colors when I feel like it. I don't know how I feel about the color combo just yet though. I wanted to try something new, and had some pretty gray with a slightly pinky taupe undertone. I don't have enough for a whole hat, though, so I decided to match it with a light floral yellow. In theory it works. In person it looks...okay. We'll see what happens when the hat is finished, I guess.
