California, Caps, Hanging Upside Down and Tapping Fingers.

Being a California resident, I never know what people in other parts wear on their heads.

All I know is, that people here will wear whatever they can on their heads for any reason at all. Like 72 degrees. Or for waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Girlfriend, when I went to pick her up at school yesterday, was wearing her water bottle on her head. I kid you not. (Balancing was more like it, but I had to squeeze that fact in.)

I am always surprised when I go to other places where cold weather during winter is the norm. I see all manner of colorful and inspired stuff. 

That is why I decided I needed to break out the needles and just cast on for something textured and different from my norm. Usually, I stick to stuff that I can wear to the gym during the summer, say, a nice stockinette slouch cap for a gig on the Stairmaster. Or, oh, a jaunty beanie to wear at the cantina when there's a cloud over there.

But seriously. I have no clue, folks. But I'm trying.

This one is an attempt and something that looks a little like polka dots but it is more like honeycomb. I'm using Madelinetosh Pashmina and another Madelinetosh that I have to identify that is in the same weight. I knit this much in about four hours. It's an easy and fun slip-stitch pattern. Right now, I'm trying to figure out the best way to close the top. This is bottom-up. 

Maybe that is why I'm having such a hard time figuring it out.

I'm not a fan of hats that have texture or color work and then the designer cops out at the crown, just sticking stockinette or stripes on top where are all the shaping happens.

Knitting top down, sometimes, feels like hanging upside down.

In real life, I don't like hanging upside down.

In this other life, I do.

I think it is sometimes easier to start at the top and work the design in as I increase. It's kind of like backing into math. I have a weird math brain. I tap my fingers when I do math. I touch my fingers together as if to count, under the table when no one is looking.

I'm too lazy to re-design this to be top down.

So I will try to figure this out.

Goodnight.