Dragon's Orchid Garden

I didn't finish it in time to bring it to Kayla last Saturday night.  I blame work.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  As a relatively newby knitter (I learned when I was about 10 but stopped knitting for decades before finding a passion for it about 2 years ago), I learned a few lessons from this hat pattern.  I am happy to share them. I got this one right.  Knit a gauge swatch.  I knitted a fairly big swatch with the recommended needles in the diamond pattern.   M1 (make 1) stitches can make holes if you don't do them correctly.  I started the M1 row and realized they weren't invisible new stitches as advertised.  What was I doing wrong?  I followed directions I found on a YouTube video, but I got little holes.  I reread the directions in the pattern which state: "insert LH needle under horizontal strand between st just worked and next st, from the front to the back, knit through the back loop."  Examining my method...

It has been a dreary damp day.  Perfect for knitting, since I have the day off.  I'm working Saturday and Sunday, so won't have much time for knitting this weekend.  This is a hat I promised to make for Kayla, my best friend Jimi's granddaughter. Kayla picked this pattern out of 100's of them on Ravelry .  It's called Kumara Diamond Cap by Classic Elite Yarns .  I really, really like it.  It is the first time I've knitted a hat in the round.  It's ridiculously easy, mostly knit stitches with pearl pumps delineating a diamond pattern.  I'm using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in black.  Progress pics... From knitting From knitting I hope to be finished by Saturday night, when we're due to go to Jimi & Leon's for dinner.  I've learned a lot in the process today.  I hope it fits (gauge swatch, check)!