draft – John’s Tardis Hat

…also intermixed conversation on socks/CrazyFishLady

Most of this conversation started in early June 2022.

From Jay: (New York City) Carol, Virginia made her brother John a hat using special yarn, that a while ago someone stole off his head while sleeping on the subway.
John was upset when it was stolen, he’s now devastated that he no longer has it.
Do you think it’s possible for someone to make a replacement hat for him to wear and remember her with? He’s willing to pay for supplies.

Original hat. She made this one for John, and a smaller one for herself from the remnant.

CK: (Denver)The problem isn’t can someone make him a hat, but can you guys deal with a couple dozen replacements!? Let me post. Get ready to duck!
My thought here is to let everybody who wants to make one. He can keep the one(s) he likes best and pass the others along to a homeless shelter.

(UnplannedCauli and FrombleWitz grabbed screen shots from Ravelry with specs)

Ollycob: (Cornwall) I’d be game, a hat is small and cheap enough to post to the states. Does it need to be blue?

MoxieGrrl — (Seattle) Random: she completed that hat on my birthday. I’ll definitely make one or more hats for shelters.

bioartist — (Utah) I think I have that yarn! It may not be the same weight, but I will check. I can totally make a hat and send it.

Image

Carol Kimball to Jay: People are combing the internet for this yarn colorway, including venabler (California). I suspect John is going to be getting several hats.

There could be a video of him sleeping on the subway:

Someone snatches his hat.

He reaches into his pack and puts on another…

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Amara (New Jersey): I’M IN. I will need to find an appropriate yarn but I’m in.

MoxieGrrl (Seattle): Okay, after some Google research, Mosaic Moon has an Exploding Tardis colorway.

Jay: Carol, Thank you so much. It fills my heart to know Virginia has touched so many lives and so many people want to honor her.

Jay: LOL, I don’t want to expend all the goodwill at once. I was going to extort you guys to darn the socks she made for years to come as they wear down.

CK: I don’t think you’re going to run out of enthusiasts any time soon.
Over three years ago, a wonderful nutball named CrazyFishLady coded on the operating table. People are still knitting/crocheting with yarn bought for her designs, and that shows no sign of tapering off.
Socks? I’m sure there will be plenty of mending volunteers!
Take a couple photographs of the best-fitting pairs of any that are getting thin spots and send them to me (in your copious spare time).  I can document gauge etc. for the team before passing them along.
The trick is to mend them before holes actually wear through.

beadlizard — (California): I love darning

Pimmie — (Netherlands) Perhaps one or several of the monthly thread dyers would be willing to make an exploding TARDIS colourway? @Kralalien or @pinsandneedlesuk

snowkri (Alabama): I’m happy to darn things!

FrombleWitz (France): There’s also rainfeather13, RiverKnits

CK (to snowkri): okay, you’re second up!

emjayemm (North Yorkshire UK): If anyone would like to try the Riverknits Starry Nights yarn, I’ve got a skein and would be happy to send it to someone to make a hat with…

Kralalien (Netherlands): Mine is a bit darker I think but I don’t have it at hand at the moment. However I can try and see if I can just dye a likewise colourway. I just don’t have a sportweight base, only 4ply or DK.

ImageCK: Despite you stating up front that this was a project bag, my mind kept telling me it was a Tardis holding rising cinnamon rolls.

Kralalien: And once you see it… You can’t unsee it!

Kralalien: Well that was an adventure! It’s not gonna be the same as I don’t think that’s nice to a dyer. But this is what I made.

Image

CK: While it’s important to get John’s hat’s yarn as close to the original as we can, at least as important is the willingness to make the effort. How closely the new one(s) match, emotionally, for him, is out of our control. I will come down hard on validation for anyone tackling this.

So, please post photos of what you’re getting. I’ll send them to Jay to forward to John so they can know the efforts being made here.

Amara (on enjayemm’s offer): I mean I could definitely hat-ify it if you think it’ll be close enough to mimic. I mean even if it’s not perfect, still similar right?!

emjayemm: it’s 4 ply if that’s OK. If you’d like it send me your address by DM and I’ll sort it out. May take a while to get to you as I’m in the UK (assuming you’re not!)

Amara: I’m east coast. And all 4 ply means is how quickly it will be hatified ty! I’ll DM you.

bioartist: It might be a liiiittle longer before I get the hat done. We just added a fourth litter of kittens to our fostering load and these ones are tiny. (CK offered to take hers over)

CK: This is the hat @bioartist started for Virginia’s brother John (well, one of them, several more are underway). The unexpected arrival of foster kittens led to her turning the project over to me. It will go out to Jay with the current batch of cards today via PirateShip.

Imagebioartist : Oh my god it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for taking it over!

CK: You’re the one who made it happen by getting the yarn and sending it to me – I wasn’t up to initiating it! It was useful to pull me through. There wasn’t enough yarn left for a second hat for John; arayti got a hat for herself out of her leftovers, but it was tight-fitting and she had a small head.

Chloette (UK?): It is so sweet that she had a matching hat with her brother.

Amara (06/25/2022 – yarn received from enjayemm) This is my in progress hat

Jay recorded a video of John receiving his (first) hat.

*************************************

  1. Request from Jay (this is going to take a couple posts to cover)
  2. Carol, Virginia made her brother John a hat using special yarn, that a while ago someone stole off his head while sleeping on the subway.
    John was upset when it was stolen, he’s now devastated that he no longer has it.
    Do you think it’s possible for someone to make a replacement hat for him to wear and remember her with? He’s willing to pay for supplies.
  3. https://www.ravelry.com/projects/arayti/exploding-blue-box-the-conference-call-edition. Thanks, JayImage(CK) The problem isn’t can someone make him a hat, but can you guys deal with a couple dozen replacements!? Let me post. Get ready to duck!
    My thought here is to let everybody who wants to make one. He can keep the one(s) he likes best and pass the others along to a homeless shelter.
  4. Ollycob: I’d be game, a hat is small and cheap enough to post to the states. Does it need to be blue?

(CK) here’s the first. Warning: full of cats!

https://www.ravelry.com/projects/arayti/exploding-blue-box-hat

here’s the one that was stolen from him.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/arayti/exploding-blue-box-the-conference-call-edition

(this is a duplicate of the link above)

  1. more reference shots coming
  2. UnplannedCauli — (Berlin) snatching project notes for non-rav folx: top down [this was the smaller one for herself]: JMCO 6 sts, increase 6 sts evenly every round until 54 sts, increase 6 sts evenly every other round until 120 sts, stockinette stitch for 5 inches, then decrease 4 sts evenly, then 2X2 rib until Blue Box yarn runs out (turns out, that’s about 7.5 inches and long enough for my head). Jeny’s stretchy bind off the purl stitches, regular bindoff for knit stitches using Cashmere Suisse black fingering weight yarn doubled. size 4 needles for the crown, size 5 for the rest of the hat. Original yarn: Nerd Girl Yarns 8-Bit Sport in Blue box exploding
  3. MoxieGrrl — (Seattle) 06/02/2022Random: she completed that hat on my birthday. I’ll definitely make one or more hats for shelters.
  4. [2:19 PM]Someone may want to poke Nerd Girl Yarns. xD
  5. bioartist — (Utah) 06/02/2022I think I have that yarn! It may not be the same weight, but I will check. I can totally make a hat and send it.
  6. It is worsted, but I can modify it.Image
  7. MoxieGrrl — 06/02/2022I don’t have any. I could do a striped version with stash yarn.
  8. bioartist — 06/02/2022Even if this skein isn’t quite enough, I made two other projects from this yarn and I’d totally unravel one to finish the hat.
  1. hat.
  2. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022Image
  3. [2:36 PM]Image
  4. [2:37 PM]Image
  5. [2:42 PM] [smaller hat – WRONG]Image
  6. MoxieGrrl — 06/02/2022Okay, after some Google research, Mosaic Moon has an Exploding Tardis colorway.
  7. [2:43 PM]Unfortunately they have it only in worsted/aran/bulky at the moment.
  8. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022I wrote Jay: People are combing the internet for this yarn colorway. I suspect John is going to be getting several hats. There could be a video of him sleeping on the subway: Someone snatches his hat. He reaches into his pack and puts on another… Lather, rinse, repeat.
  9. [2:48 PM]will someone combine the various stuff happening here and on Ravelry for me to tell Jay about? The Lurid Yarn socks? What else?
  10. [
  11. Amara (she/they) — 06/02/2022IM IN
  12. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022thank you!
  13. Amara (she/they) — (New Jersey) 06/02/2022I will need to find an appropriate yarn but I’m in
  14. MoxieGrrl — 06/02/2022I am currently doing even more Google sleuthing to see if I can find anyone else who has a yarn colorway similar.
  15. [2:53 PM]Indigo Dragonfly is, weirdly, a no.
  16. [2:53 PM]I’m trying to think of others who tend to do nerdy yarns.
  17. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022Passed along to Jay, telling him we understand if he doesn’t get back on these for a bit
  18. @Amara (she/they)@venabler and I were toying with a “spin something nice” idea, but we’re both not sure we’d be good at running something…if that weee to interest anyone in a casual along? Or alternatively knit with nice stuff. I don’t wanna speak for them, but I thought as a kind of treat to make us all feel good for a bit, use the good stuff. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022 definitely use the good stuff
  19. @Carol Kimball Passed along to Jay, telling him we understand if he doesn’t get back on these for a bit
  2. Just in from Jay:
  3. [3:20 PM]Carol, Thank you so much. It fills my heart to know Virginia has touched so many lives and so many people want to honor her. I’m looking into funeral/memorial services, and one of my requirements is for a livestream of the service, because I know how many online friends will want to watch. I’ll provide details when I have them.??34
  4. @Amara (she/they)@venabler and I were toying with a “spin something nice” idea, but we’re both not sure we’d be good at running something…if that weee to interest anyone in a casual along? Or alternatively knit with nice stuff. I don’t wanna speak for them, but I thought as a kind of treat to make us all feel good for a bit, use the good stuff.
  1. snowkri — 06/02/2022I checked Rav, no one has that colorway listed as for trade/sale.
  2. @MoxieGrrlI am currently doing even more Google sleuthing to see if I can find anyone else who has a yarn colorway similar. venabler — (California) 06/02/2022I looked through etsy and all the Dr Who stuff is just blue, or shades of blue.
  3. MoxieGrrl — 06/02/2022Yeah. The Mosaic Moon one seems to be the best one.
  4. venabler — 06/02/2022Well, there’s 2 in stock if anyone wants to bite..
  2. From Jay: LOL, I don’t want to expend all the goodwill at once. I was going to extort you guys to darn the socks she made for years to come as they wear down. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022I don’t think you’re going to run out of enthusiasts any time soon.
    Over three years ago, a wonderful nutball named CrazyFishLady coded on the operating table. People are still knitting/crocheting with yarn bought for her designs, and that shows no sign of tapering off.
    Socks? I’m sure there will be plenty of mending volunteers!
    Take a couple photographs of the best-fitting pairs of any that are getting thin spots and send them to me (in your copious spare time).  I can document gauge etc. for the team before passing them along.
    The trick is to mend them before holes actually wear through. (edited)?13
  3. beadlizard — (California) 06/02/2022I love darning??6
  4. kimianak — (Canada) 06/02/2022If you want/need help with running that here, I’d probably be able to help, depending on how we decide to run it. I like the idea of a casual along, and we could keep it simple. I haven’t been able to spin much at all lately, but I’d try to make at least some space for it, and I sure know what fluff I’d use for a “spin something nice” in her honour: the bit of silk she’s sent to me a few months ago.
  5. @beadlizardI love darning Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022Okay, you get first whack! We’ll let you grab gauge etc specs as a cross-check to what I get. (edited)
  6. beadlizard — 06/02/2022I’m horrible at knitting the style of sock he likes, but I am an expert darner and I have a good selection of yarn colors so I can do some fun darns and some hidden darns…yayshark5
  1. Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022Jay is engaging with us with humor, feeling supported. Every interaction has sparked immediate volunteers 1. replacing @arayti,s brother’s hat, which was stolen from him on the subway. 2. Knitting socks for Jay. @FrombleWitz dug out specs from Arayti’s project page (many many people contributing here).
    3. Jay said he’d thought of asking us to mend his current pairs.
    Turns out she’d kept up with them, none in current danger of wearing through.
    Services haven’t been set yet, nor suggestions for donations.
    Jay has as a priority setting up Zoom as he has an inkling of how many want to be there??12
  2. [4:29 PM]from Jay:
    I don’t think there’s any that need immediate attention, hence the need for darning years down the road. Virginia started re-nforcing the new socks she made for me at my wear points, so they may take a while to wear down. 
    She really loved you guys and considered you her fam, and talked about Ralvery and LSG a lot to me, although I stupidly didn’t keep track of names all that well. I’m not great with names in the first place. In the hospital, I was writing the nurses’ names down to remember them, as the same nurse would be caring for her over multiple days and I didn’t just want to go “hey…. you.” 
    This will probably be weeks out, but I eventually want to go through her craft room and make sure her supplies and tools go to good homes.??26
  3. MommyDoc (she/her) — (Vermont) 06/02/2022Thank you @Carol Kimball and @Cymberleah and @snowkri for communicating with Jay by whatever means works for you.?12@Carol KimballI don’t think you’re going to run out of enthusiasts any time soon. Over three years ago, a wonderful nutball named CrazyFishLady coded on the operating table. People are still knitting/crocheting with yarn bought for her designs, and that shows no sign of tapering off. Socks? I’m sure there will be plenty of mending volunteers! Take a couple photographs of the best-fitting pairs of any that are getting thin spots and send them to me (in your copious spare time).  I can document gauge etc. for the team before passing them along. The trick is to mend them before holes actually wear through. (edited) snowkri — 06/02/2022I’m happy to darn things!
  4. @snowkriI’m happy to darn things! Carol Kimball — 06/02/2022okay, you’re second up! He says his current pairs are in good shape.
  1. Pimmie — (Netherlands) 06/02/2022Perhaps one or several of the monthly thread dyers would be willing to make an exploding TARDIS colourway? @Kralalien or @pinsandneedlesuk

FrombleWitz — 06/02/2022

(France) There’s also rainfeather13, RiverKnits

  2. emjayemm — (North Yorkshire UK) 06/03/2022If anyone would like to try the Riverknits Starry Nights yarn, I’ve got a skein and would be happy to send it to someone to make a hat with…
  3. @FrombleWitzStarry night is more turquoise I think. I dunno where I put those socks (need mending) so can’t confirm offhand Kralalien — (Netherlands) 06/03/2022Mine is a bit darker I think but I don’t have it at hand at the moment. However I can try and see if I can just dye a likewise colourway. I just don’t have a sportweight base, only 4ply or DK.
  4. @beadlizardDid you look at the rainbow minis??? Great for the LURIDs.
  1. Kralalien — 06/03/2022Image
  2. [6:07 AM]I have an inspiration project bag and will throw some dye on yarn today?7
  3. Kralalien — 06/03/2022Well that was an adventure! It’s not gonna be the same as I don’t think that’s nice to a dyer. But this is what I made.Image??5?2?2?1
  4. [7:22 AM]The black was a bit invasive to both sides… So it’s a bit more than I planned
  5. Carol Kimball — 06/03/2022That looks like it will work up well.??1
  6. @KralalienI have an inspiration project bag and will throw some dye on yarn today Carol Kimball — 06/03/2022Despite you stating up front that this was a project bag, my mind kept telling me it was a Tardis holding rising cinnamon rolls.?10
  7. @Carol KimballDespite you stating up front that this was a project bag, my mind kept telling me it was a Tardis holding rising cinnamon rolls. Kralalien — 06/03/2022And once you see it… You can’t unsee it!
  1. Carol Kimball — 06/03/2022While it’s important to get John’s hat’s yarn as close to the original as we can, at least as important is the willingness to make the effort. How closely the new one(s) match, emotionally, for him, is out of our control. I will come down hard on validation for anyone tackling this.
  2. [8:18 AM]So, please post photos of what you’re getting. I’ll send them to Jay to forward to John so they can know the efforts being made here.
  3. @Amara (she/they)I mean I could definitely hat-ify it if you think itlll be close enough to mimic. I mean even if it’s not perfect, still similar right?! emjayemm — 06/03/2022yeah – it’s 4 ply if that’s OK. If you’d like it send me your address by DM and I’ll sort it out. May take a while to get to you as I’m in the UK (assuming you’re not!)
  4. @emjayemmyeah – it’s 4 ply if that’s OK. If you’d like it send me your address by DM and I’ll sort it out. May take a while to get to you as I’m in the UK (assuming you’re not!) Amara (she/they) — 06/03/2022I’m east coast. And all 4 ply means is how quickly it will be hatified ty! I’ll DM you ??
  5. Carol Kimball — 06/03/2022You folks are fabulous. ?????8?8
  6. Carol Kimball — 06/03/2022Jay sent an album with photos back to us??6
  7. [2:45 PM]I’ll start putting them up shortly
  2. bioartist — 06/09/2022Here’s the hat so far. I finished the increases and got a little ways into the straight stockinette yesterday.Imageyayshark18
  3. @UnplannedCaulidoes .odt work for you?
  4. (this was where we realized that she was making the wrong hat)
  1. Carol Kimball — 06/09/2022Jay and John will be conferring to see which of their addresses to give you to send it to (John’s may be iffy – we want to be sure it gets into his hands and onto his head)
  2. @Carol KimballJay and John will be conferring to see which of their addresses to give you to send it to (John’s may be iffy – we want to be sure it gets into his hands and onto his head) bioartist — 06/09/2022Yay, thank you! I’ll probably finish it in the next few days, it’s quick.?1
  3. @bioartistYay, thank you! I’ll probably finish it in the next few days, it’s quick. Carol Kimball — 06/09/2022Jay: Yeah, just send it to me. I can be sure to take pictures of him wearing it right away then.(edited)
  4. [3:19 PM](gave you Jay’s address in DM)
  1. bioartist — 06/11/2022I have to start the hat over. Somewhere I mathed wrong and ended up with way too many stitches in the body, and didn’t realize it until I got to the ribbing.ghosthug13
  1. Carol Kimball — 06/11/2022confirming which hat?Image
  2. [3:55 PM]The first was for herself, the second, larger, was for her brother.
  3. [3:55 PM]I don’t know how the stitch counts compare. These are up on her Ravelry projects page.
  4. [3:57 PM]Apologies if this wasn’t clearer before. Not a time for thinking clearly.?8
  5. [3:59 PM]@bioartist Do we need to send a Rav-happy (ha!) person there to check the specs? You’re not there any more? and my time can only be brief.(edited)
  6. [4:01 PM]Well, shitbirds. Here’s his pattern:
  7. [4:01 PM]Per little bro’s request, only 1 inch of ribbing or on the brim and the rest in stockinette stitch only. Alternate cable CO 120 sts, join in round, 2X2 ribbing X 1 inch, stockinette stitch X 5.5 inches, decrease 6 sts evenly every other row until 54 sts, decrease 6 sts evenly every row until 6 sts remain, pull tail through remaining sts to close.(edited)
  8. [4:02 PM]Hers was top-down, his brim-up.
  9. [4:04 PM]Which is why… didn’t realize it until I got to the ribbing …set off alarm bells (edited)
  10. Chloette — (UK?) 06/11/2022It is so sweet that she had a matching hat with her brother.?3
  1. Carol Kimball — 06/11/2022He’s an RN. He was sleeping on the subway on his way home and someone snatched his off his head.
  2. Carol Kimball — 06/11/2022Image
  3. [4:15 PM]@bioartist, let me know if you need more – I did a screen capture so don’t have to go back to Ravelry.
  4. [4:22 PM]@Pimmie Your Gunk stories listings should now be complete (“Gunk among the flowers” added) (edited)
  5. @Carol KimballHers was top-down, his brim-up. bioartist — 06/11/2022Oooohhh, I must’ve had the notes on hers. I just barely restarted the crown, I’ll do bottom up. The one for her brother didn’t have a black edge?
  6. Carol Kimball — 06/11/2022Let me check the screen shot –
  7. [5:05 PM]Image
  8. [5:05 PM]Apparently not? (edited)
  9. [5:06 PM]It looked like it in the bigger shot.
  10. UnplannedCauli — 06/12/2022And I also copied here the notes that were under her own hat, didn’t check for other projects, just from the one linked here ?
  11. UnplannedCauli pinned a message to this channel. See all pinned messages. — 06/12/2022
  12. @Carol Kimball@Pimmie Your Gunk stories listings should now be complete (“Gunk among the flowers” added) (edited) Pimmie — 06/12/2022? thank you??4
  13. bioartist — 06/12/2022It might be a liiiittle longer before I get the hat done. We just added a fourth litter of kittens to our fostering load and these ones are tiny?17

(I offered to take over biolartist’s hat)

  1. Carol Kimball — 06/19/2022This is the hat @bioartist started for Virginia’s brother John (well, one of them, several more are underway). The unexpected arrival of foster kittens led to her turning the project over to me. It will go out to Jay with the current batch of cards today via PirateShip. (edited)Image??16
  2. @Carol KimballThis is the hat @bioartist started for Virginia’s brother John (well, one of them, several more are underway). The unexpected arrival of foster kittens led to her turning the project over to me. It will go out to Jay with the current batch of cards today via PirateShip. (edited) bioartist — 06/19/2022Oh my god it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for taking it over!
  2. Carol Kimball — 06/19/2022You’re the one who made it happen by getting the yarn and sending it to me – I wasn’t up to initiating it! It was useful to pull me through. (edited)
  3. [11:44 AM]The hat went out. Don’t know why today should be so much harder, but it’s a bear. ??? I am reminding myself that it’s better to let the grief flow out than bottle it up, and taking points for not sobbing while handing over the box to ship. (edited)ghosthug19
  4. [11:47 AM]There wasn’t enough yarn left for a second hat for John, so I’m rolling it over to Little Bears to donate to Pine Ridge. arayti got a hat for herself out of her leftovers, but it was tight-fitting and she had a small head. (edited)
  5. @Carol KimballThe hat went out. Don’t know why today should be so much harder, but it’s a bear. ??? I am reminding myself that it’s better to let the grief flow out than bottle it up, and taking points for not sobbing while handing over the box to ship. (edited)
  2. Amara (she/they) — 06/25/2022This is my in progress hatImage
  3. [5:50 AM]
  1. Amara (she/they) — 06/27/2022Hat doneImageyayshark16
  2. Carol Kimball — 06/28/2022from Jay: John receives his first replacement hat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBkt-MhszcsYouTubemarsiliesJohn receiving first replacement hatImagernbowhugheart16?10?6
  3. [10:36 AM]
  2. Ollycob — 06/28/2022I wanna give him a huge hug!??5
  3. @Carol Kimball@Amara (she/they) has finished a second from the Riverknits Starry Night colorway (?) which should be to Jay/John soon. In our early discussions, @Ollycob and @MoxieGrrl (that earburn isn’t working? spell it right, duh) were considering making them, or in @arayti’s honor, making comparable hats to donate. (edited) Ollycob — (Cornwall UK) 06/28/2022I will make and donate hats this year in Virginia’s memory??4
  4. @OllycobI will make and donate hats this year in Virginia’s memory Carol Kimball — 06/28/2022What a lovely thing to do!
  5. @OllycobI wanna give him a huge hug! kimianak — (Quebec) 06/28/2022Me too!
  6. [11:06 AM]Thank you so much, @marsilies, for sharing that moment with us ?
  1. Amara (she/they) — 06/28/2022Yes, mine is from Riverknits Starry Night!
  2. @Carol Kimballfrom Jay: John receives his first replacement hat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBkt-Mhszcs bioartist — 06/28/2022Omg I’m crying. I’m so glad I was able to play a part in making this happen. Thank you for finishing the job.??14
  3. Carol Kimball — 06/28/2022you’re so welcome
  4. [2:07 PM]I wouldn’t have tackled it on my own
  5. Amara (she/they) — 06/29/2022Hat should be there Friday!