Updated Sock Monkey Hat

Do you ever have projects that you're just not happy with?

Even though you've done everything "right" according to the pattern... there's something about it which leaves you cold?

I'm sure you must have had this happen - I can't be the only one, can I?

Remember the Crochet Sock Monkey Hat from last week?

Something wasn't right about it...

Mostly it was the eyes. I knew that they were too dark on the face, and didn't POP enough....

But I had tried a whole bunch of different buttons, including a variety of light ones - and none of them made me happy. The wooden ones I ended up using were the best of a bad bunch!

I tried adding a cream crochet circle behind the eyes, to give them some lift - but they were a disaster. They made him look like some freakish kind of alien monkey (not that there's anything wrong with that - it just wasn't the look I was going for).

So I sat with it for a while... and ended up going back to those crochet circles, but this time I made them in a really light gum leaf green colour. That way they weren't so stark against the face, and it set them apart from the muzzle.

I'm much happier with them now!

And thanks to Loren's suggestion, I've also added an extra stitch at each end of the mouth, to turn it up slightly into a smile.

Here's how the face looked before:

And how he looks now:

Not a HUGE difference, but I find him much more lovable!

Scrappy Sock Monkey Hat

I don't use patterns much these days. Usually I just plan what I want to make and start hooking. Sometimes it works - and sometimes not... but I like it that way!

On the rare occasions when I do use a pattern, I tend to start out with good intentions to follow it all the way through - but somewhere along the way I get all distracted, and end up doing my own thing.

The other day I was trying to help someone out with a pattern they were struggling with, and it seemed that the easiest way would be to grab my yarn and hook, and test the pattern out for myself.

To be honest, I don't love this one. There's nothing wrong with the pattern itself, it's just my project which is leaving me a little cold. I think it's the eyes. They don't POP as much as I'd like them to. In fact, they kind of get lost in the scrappyness of the hat.

Maybe it's just that I don't have an adorable model to pose wearing the hat for some photos. This hat is a size 0 - 3 months... and my Little One is almost two and a half years old. I did try it though. Just in caes it MIGHT have fitted her! 

Not. Even. Close.

Anyways... the pattern is from Sarah Zimmerman at Repeat Crafter Me. It's called the Crochet Sock Monkey Hat and is written for all sizes, from newborn to adult.