Charlene,
LOL, I wish my work could turn out half as well as your "experiments"!  It's brilliant, and I love your idea for shortcutting all of that lace work with variegated yarn instead.  I think it will look GORGEOUS, and you don't need lace for Fall and Winter, for sure!
Hugs,
Melanie  (known to the cat as "Rowr" or "Rowr Rowr") =^.^=

Thank you.  I'm tickled that you like it.  I'm going to make more without all the lace work to sell in the Fall and Winter next year.  The lace work makes it more than an hour to make but if I just use varigated yarn I should be able to make them much quicker.  An experiment that turned out rather well.
Toodles
Charlene

Charlene,
It's ADORABLE, and the ruffle really takes it over the top...cuuuuuuuuuuute! 

VERY WELL DONE!
Hugs,
Melanie  (known to the cat as "Rowr" or "Rowr Rowr") =^.^=

Just playing around on the LK 150 to see what would turn out.  The hat itself is all one piece.  bout the stitches on for the back (2 and knit fourty rows three at a time.  Moved every other stitch over *in the direction the carriage would be going* and knit three more etc.  At 40 rows I put 28 stitches more on either side and continued 40 more rows.  Sewed the seams and then made the ruffle to frame baby's face.  Comments?