More Berets? More Beads? Nooo it's a Tam with beads

Over on Rav we are having a MKAL for Diana's Tam. It comes with video instructions, is done on a standard with lots of things for our newbies to play around with.

If only life was that simple, wouldn't it be loverly. So, problem we had and this isn't just this, but many, times, there will be things that just don't quite work as planned. You follow the directions and pffftt, as soon as you blink it doesn't work. One way to check on Rav for handknitting is - how many people have actually knitted and finished it, without incident. If everyone is saying nothing but "finished" you are on a winner, it's fine. But machine patterns are so few and are between, machines and yarns can vary so much.

But back to problem solving a pattern. Well our Knit-a-Long is going and we are finding that the fabric and band is too loose or big, it's come out too slouchy for some. Then we have a maths problem with the band, it's 12 sts too short. So some of us decided to make adjustment and start the short rows on needle 12, making two stitches each segment out or making the crown two stitches less and keeping the short rows commencing on 10. The problems with the band .. hmm, I thought, how about I try a 11.11 rib, which will reduce the distance the yarn has to travel to still get 199 stitches needed and make it tighter.



So this is what I decided to do, after one false start:
Crown: Cast on L21/R22, on T5 not 6 and as the yarn was a little drab, add 3mm pink glass bead every 3rd stitch starting on stitch 11 from the left.
Band: Cast on 198, L75/R75 = 100 on front bed and 98 on the back bed (of the Passap) 1R N/N T1, 5R CX/CX T3, 20R N/N T3.
Joined by 3 needle bind off. Next time I'd use sew as you go to join instead.

All in all a lovely Tam, with some very small modifications to make it just right. Very happy with it.