No Hat Left Behind

I had good intentions, really I did. I decided to knit my sister a hat for Christmas. I've never made a hat, but she's really not a scarf gal. And she has a hat that she loves! After looking at some knitting magazines in, oh, about September, she commented on a hat. So I searched forever looking for a hat pattern that looked like the one she has that she likes (crocheted, probably) & found a great free pattern on Bernat (I'll add the link if I ever figure out how!). Anyway, the pattern called for Bernat Galaxy yarn. I saw the yarn & thought it was pretty enough, but it didn't come in an color I wanted to use. She owns a black jacket & a red jacket & she already has a pink hat, so I was trying to find something that went with her jackets & she didn't have. So I opted for Caron Charming in Jubilee. It seemed to be the same weight, it called for the same size needles, no harm in switching out yarns, right? Or at least that's what I've read....

I had minor struggles with the pattern but after a few phone calls to my knitting buddies I figured it out. It came out quite smashingly, I thought. Except...
It was too small. It was WAY too small. Many people that saw it questioned my sanity - I mean, didn't I notice when I was knitting it that it was only big enough for a small child???? Well, no, because you knit it flat & sew a seam and HEY it's my first hat, people! Well, my niece is 4 & she doesn't have a knitted project for her auntie, so I figured I'd improvise & give it to her. NOPE - it didn't even fit a small(ish) child! But she got a cabbage patch baby doll for Christmas, so she's the lucky receiptent. Which kind of worked out since I knit that poncho for her sister's doll. Now my other niece decided she wanted a hat knit out of the same yarn that I used for her poncho into a hat for her cabbage patch doll. Uhhhhh, yarn size substitution / pattern resize anyone? I don't think I'm ready for that. But i'll make her a hat for some doll she has - I just have to figure out what!

So the bad news? My sister, my own flesh & blood doesn't even have a knitted project! My goal is to knit something for everyone in my family & now she is the odd woman out. Good news? I guess now I can actually find out what she wants, what color, let her pick her yarn, etc. My teacher laughed & asked cautiously "Oh, now you are letting people pick what they want you to knit?" Apparently that is a no-no in her book. My answer to that is - sure, my rule is that if I majorly screw up your gift, you get a freebie!