This is my most complicated piece yet; it’s a tam covered in dragon scales!
The main issue with this design, as with others I’ve done so far, is how to convert the stitch into concentric circles. This took around 3 months of running through options in my head and trying to visualise the structure before I was ready to “put hook to yarn”. But once I got going, I finished the hat in 2 weeks.
This hat is very thick and a bit larger than I initially considered. This is because is essentially 2 hats in one. A scaffolding layer which I had as large as my normal designs and then the scales on top, which are very yarn-hungry.
A large issue that I have not fully solved is that the scales typically overlap and alternate, meaning that gaps between stitches on one row are covered by the stitches on the next row up; however, in the current pattern, half of the stitches line up with the ones below. Along with the curvature of the surface, some small gaps can be exposed. Thus it is important to use a scaffolding colour that will blend in or complement the scales.
Ultimately, I’m not super happy with this piece. I think the scales are too bunched up and it looks more like a flower than dragon scales. Also, it’s a touch too large for my liking. I have some more ideas, but until I can solve the remaining issues I will not be releasing the pattern.
