Hat Attempt #2 - One thumb up, One thumb down

This was my second attempt at a knit hat. It was my second project using double points and my first trying color changes.

It was a great learning experience. I learned that I really do hate double points. Please - if someone has a simple hat pattern that does not require the use of double points, can you point me in the right direction?

I did fairly well with the basic knitting in the round. My gauge wasn't perfect, but for a 3rd project, I thought I did pretty well. Following the pattern for the color change was no problem and I was happy with that part of the work. If I do this pattern again, I won't change to double points until after I do the color change part. The reductions don't start until the color changes are done, so I'm not sure why I had to change needles so early.

Up until the reductions, I was very proud of my progress. Then the problems started. I seem to knit very tightly, so I had a lot of problems controlling all the needles during the reductions. It was hard to work the needles in for the reductions. More than twice I dropped a needle and had to pick up stitches and re-load them onto the needle. I did that fairly well, but I definitely made mistakes there. Then when I got to the last three rounds, it become impossible to work. My stitches were so tight, and I kept dropping them, and I never got to reduce all the way to the end.

In the photo the cap looks pretty good, but there are holes in the top where I fudged the reductions. I could probably use a crochet hook to weave in some green yarn and close up the holes, but I don't think this hat is actually wearable.

So thumbs up for the learning process and thumbs down for the finished project.