First Finished Object of 08

I was just going to go to bed and post this tomorrow but I'm to excited. I have the first finished object of 2008 and it is drying from it's wash as we speak. No, it's not my convertible shawl (although that is going to be in the top three finished in 2008).

This was started in 2007 but just barely. I know I started it after Christmas, but I'm not exactly sure as to which day (it was in my group of time off). It's my first wool object too.

I have made a helmet liner (or as the site says the troops call them a wooley pulley) from a pattern I found online through a charity knitting site. I did modify the pattern as this is going straight to my brother in law who is currently in Iraq and not through the charity.

It fits both Chad and I (it was discovered by an offhand should have never been said comment that we both have the same head circumference). I was looking at it on Chad more for length and ease than anything.

So, you have the pattern link and I'll discuss the modification in a moment (you really have to see the picture to get the effect). The yarn is Patons Classic Wool Merino in black. Wool because it is naturally flame retardant and black as it is an allowed color according to the pattern.

This is the picture you've seen in the side bar progress tracker from Ravelry for days:

It is just a little over an inch into the ribbing. This is where I was before I took it to CHARMS with me.

The next picture is how it looked before starting the cap decreases, which were eventually where I found modification was needed.
Basically I completed the decreases as written and before adding the additional ribbing to it, I slipped it on much to the amusement of Chad.
Yes, there was a great big giant point written in to be the decreases of the pattern. In the picture I had seen a helmet was on the head of the soldier, so they could very well be going out to them like this. To me it was just a waste of yarn. So I finished knitting the additional ribbing and then ripped back to a natural crown and threaded the yarn through the stitches to pull together. This is what it looked like finished:


And Chad modeling it:


The only other thing I did was add some ribbing stitches to prevent some holes on the side. That's why the sides pucker the way they do. But it feels decently warm. Only my BIL will be able to tell me.

I'm really not sure if he needs one or not, but if he already has one I'm sure that he can pass this on to someone else in need.

After it drys it's into the mail with pictures of family for it. I expect that to happen by Wednesday.