A Cabled Hat Saga and a Question about Husbands

[Pyroteca]

About 3 weeks ago, DH asked if I would be willing to knit him a cabled hat to match some of his scarves that I have made for him. Feeling pleased that he had actually asked for something, and having the absolutely perfect ball of wool, I commenced work on the hat.

 

I had to frog said hat twice before getting it right on the third try. I knitted diligently, with every spare moment (no small task for the enterprising law student) and at last finished a most beautiful cabled hat.

 

There was, however, one rather small problem...though my hat was knitted to the correct gauge, that gauge was not correct for my husbands somewhat larger than planned for head...(he is 6'6", so I normally have to adapt the pattern)...the hat fit like a beanie...a very small beanie...and looked ridiculous...and no amount of stretching, pulling, blocking, etc. was going to fix this particular problem...

 

So, it was off to the yarn store to procure some more yarn. Of course, they didn't have the exact yarn that I had used the first time, (we will get to why there was no recycling of the original yarn in a moment) so I bought some substitute yarn, adapted the pattern, and then began knitting the second hat (now in progress).

 

Well, low and behold one of the websites I frequent had that perfect yarn from the first hat on sale last Sunday, so I thought "aha...I shall try out the modified pattern, and if it works well, I will make him a second hat with that other wool..." So, I ordered the wool, ordering extra just in case.

 

I received the package today, and was so excited. It had taken longer than expected for the package to arrive due to an item being out of stock. I opened the package, and to my utter amazement, they had sent me the wrong color of yarn...and not just one ball was the wrong color, both were the wrong color...

 

So, the logical question is, why not just recycle the yarn from the first failed hat attempt into a new hat? Well, my DH has decided that as with all rejected attempts at things (squares the cat has chewed holes in, malformed sock monkey patches that turned into a one-eyed sock bear and a very interestingly patched afghan) he is deeply attached to the too small hat, and will not let me frog it to knit a new hat. He says that as with all things I make, it was made with love, and he loves it, and does not want me to frog it. He has even gone so far as to wear said hat around the house when it has been cold.

 

So, after a very long story about a very ornery hat, does anyone else's DH do this...refuse to allow the rejected projects to be recycled or otherwise disposed of, or is it just my DH?

[Dextersmom]

What a sweet husband! I don't make things for my husband as he is too hot-natured. Your husband sounds like a dear!

[alibra]

Awww, I think that is the sweetest thing, you are a very lucky lady to have such a sensitive man.

[Elle]

I feel your pain! My husband is the same way, he loves EVERYTHING I give him, and what's worse, it's not just the things I make for him, even if I just BUY it and give it to him, it becomes some sort of sacred object in his eyes. I bought him a pair of Rayban aviator sunglasses, real Raybans, not the knock-offs, and he is SO fiercely protective of these sunglasses that I'm almost sorry I bought them! Same thing with his acoustic guitar and his Zippo lighter! He has a habit of misplacing the Zippo around the house, and while I KNOW it's there (he didn't take it out of the house, so it HAS to be here SOMEWHERE), he goes into an absolute frenzy if there comes a time when he doesn't know EXACTLY where it is! I buy and make him things because I love him, and I won't stop doing that no matter what, but I have to admit that there have been times when I have actually said "I'm sorry I bought/made the darn thing! I HATE it when you can't find something of your's!" He then says "Well I get upset because YOU took the time to make/cared enough about me to buy (whatever it was) and I don't ever want anything to happen to it!" I love it that the things I buy him and make for him mean as much to him as they do, however sometimes I feel like it's at the cost of my own (and his) sanity!

[RoseRed]

That's so sweet! Probably annoying on your end but sweet. That he wears it around the house is just love in action.

[tiffer93]

That is a very sweet gesture from your hubby! I think that I would be thrilled if my significant other did that. The only 2 things I've made him so far were a beanie and a guitar strap so I was lucky that they worked out the first time.

[Elle]

That is a very sweet gesture from your hubby! I think that I would be thrilled if my significant other did that. The only 2 things I've made him so far were a beanie and a guitar strap so I was lucky that they worked out the first time.

 

I'm working on a guitar strap for DH right now. A friend of our's was in the process of purchasing a shotgun for HER sweetie, she was making monthly payments on it at a local pawn shop. This girl is like a daughter to us, she's such a sweetheart, she deserved better than the guy she was with. She FINALLY woke up and decided to give him the old heave ho one morning, but when she went to the pawn shop to try to get her money back on the shotgun, the shop owner told her that unfortunately, he couldn't give her any of her money back, but she COULD use the money to purchase anything in his store. She looked around and found nothing that she wanted for herself, and lo and behold she shows up with an Ibanez electric guitar for DH! She knew that we were trying to save up money to get him one, and she used her pawn store credit to get one for him! I found an amplifier on Ebay for (are you sitting down?) $4.25 (!!!!!), I bought him a new set of knobs for the guitar (it's flawless except it was missing its tuning knobs). I even got him knobs that go to 11 because one of his favorite movies is Spinal Tap. And now I am in the process of crocheting a guitar strap for him! I'm using #10 cotton, a #7 hook, and single crochet in the back loops to make it ribby, and the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise I should have it finished before CHRISTMAS! It's slow going with the thread and the small hook, but I want it to be a nice, sturdy strap because an electric guitar is heavy! He also has an acoustic that I bought him 10 years ago, but he plays that sitting down for the most part (he has been playing guitar for 35 years), but he has been asked to be in a band with the electric, so he's going to need a strap. I thought I was the only one who would crochet something like a guitar strap! I'm SO glad to find someone else!

[tiffer93]

LOL Elle! Lord no, you aren't the only one. I would love to see yours when it is finished. I'll have to drag out my camera in the next day or 2 and show mine. It was one of my very first projects and the pattern called for wool and for it to be felted. Well, all I had on hand was good ole RH and of course no felting that stuff! I just kinda winged it through and measured as I went along. It's wonky as all get out (IMHO) but the other half loves it nonetheless!

[Pyroteca]

Thank you all for the nice compliments to my DH. Yes, I am very lucky and I know it. I dated a guy who had absolutely zero appreciation for my crocheting and knitting, and it is so nice to be with someone who appreciates it and who will willingly - no coercion involved - wear the things that I make him, even when the hat is woefully too small. That really is true love.

 

I also think it is great that there are others who make things for their husbands. A handmade guitar strap sounds so neat. My uncle played guitar (and owned very loud pants) back in the late 60's to early 70's. Alas, I don't think he plays much anymore, but still a fantastic idea.