Bacon and a Sneak Peek--Le Slouch, Deux?

What other excuse could we have to eat deviled eggs? (Bacon.) Funny how they are called "deviled" when we, in our family, tend to eat them only at Easter time. Hmm. I just looked up the definition and it means something to the effect of "to season heavily," but in my case, does adding just a touch of mayonnaise, mustard (and Bacon) count? I think not. I mean, look at them: They could actually use more bacon. (Except that I ate the rest of the bacon on hand and then it was too late.)

In fact, my sister gave her little boy a taste and he declared deviled eggs with bacon a smash. Literally. (Give me a break, friends, I'm all out of steam.)

 Any rate, here is a sneak peek of a cap/beret that I have re-designed. It used to be "Le Slouch," but I was never happy with the way the seed stitch decreases had a tendency to make the cap a little bunchy and pointy at the top. Not to mention it was a free pattern and that created even more of a mess.

When you are a designer or a knitter, free patterns are great, but they do create a lot of customer service work--if you are on the designer end and answer emails. I am not too keen on the reason why, but this particular pattern that I just re-designed and am having edited at the moment (and knit, most likely, in another fiber so it is multi-seasonal) was a living nightmare. Well, I'm sort of exaggerating on the living nightmare part of it, but wow. The pattern, I think, had one error in the beginning which was fixed, but after that, I woke up daily, plugged in the computer, and would have a number of emails waiting for me each morning. Most of them containing questions regarding all manner of things, including:

"If I substituted a yarn that I found in my great, great grandmother's stash, which happens to be a different color than yours in the picture, and it doesn't have a ball band, can I use a size 2 needle--I only have size 2's--and knit a size larger and come up with the same size that you show in the picture on the back and except for the color come up with something that looks exactly the same...except for the color?"

And then I would write back: "There is a gauge listed on the pattern, if you can manage to get your gauge swatch to match mine with your size 2's, then go for it."

Then the the next morning they would write back: "I'm leaving for a vacation in an hour. Please write back with the pattern written for size 2 needles immediately. I want to take it along with me on my trip. By the way, do you think I have enough yarn?"

Me: "You didn't indicate how much yarn you have."

Then, 2 minutes later: "I'm leaving in 15 minutes and you haven't sent me the new pattern."

Anyway, I re-worked it to be top-down so you can try on and make sure you don't run out of yarn (if you knit to gauge). I also solved the wonky decrease-in-seed-stitch problem so that columns of stockinette stitch separate the shaping units so that it doesn't get bunchy. Is "bunchy" a word? Anyway, it looks a bit like the original, but hopefully, this one won't inspire the questions and help the last version required.

P.S. I have many more scenarios that this pattern inspired. When I took the free version down, I had hell to pay. Seriously. I thought knitting was supposed to be relaxing. (But I'm happy with the revision and once I knit it up in another fiber or blend, it'll be available.)

Double P.S. A couple days before Easter, I sent Girlfriend into the guest room to look for something and she dragged back a big pink box with her Hello Kitty Sewing Machine inside. With wide eyes she asked: Is this for me?