Use what you have ~ ties

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I thought it would look best if these hats had ties. The only directions I had for ties called for double pointed needles. While I do have a set and have used them, I don't care for them (I tend to put my knitting down a lot and dogs and kids tend to bump it and it has happened where the entire knitted project is pushed off the double pointed needles and then the dogs play in it and soon the entire project is un-knitted). And actually the set of double pointed needles I have are a much smaller needle size than what I used to knit these hats. So I tweaked the directions to do these on regular straight needles.

I did all 4 ties at once (2 for each hat), this way I would know for sure each one had the exact same number of rows. It did mean managing 4 balls of yarn all at once:



These are supposed to be knit on double pointed needles, with the idea that you knit, push it across the needle and knit again. Well, on regular straight needles I can't do that (no pushing across, as you can't knit past the end knob). So after each knit row, I would transfer it back to the other needle, then knit again. It created the exact same effect. I know some would not like transfering, but I didn't mind. And I tend to be a use what you have person rather than a run out and buy kind of person.

Here are all four ties, almost done:



This is how the ties look attached to the hat:



I think they turned out neat! I debated putting a fluffy yarn ball at the end of the ties, but I just didn't think these hats called for that. The hats are more sleak, not fluffy and puffy.