Three Dogs and a Pig

I just finished the hats for my friend's little grand children.  I ended up having two extra dogs because when I was first starting out with the animal hats, I was having a difficult time getting the gauge correct.  I was trying to use yarn that I already had, and most of it was not the size called for in the pattern.  The first hat was really small, so I decided I could use it for one of the twin babies.  The next one was bigger, but still too small for my intended receiver.  I thought that it might be big enough for another one of my friend's grandsons, Bennett.  I needed to make another one for the other twin.  Since the twins have a two year old sister, I couldn't give all the boys hats and not one for her, so I decided to make a different animal than I was already planning to make, or have made, for my own grand children.  That pretty much left me with the pig.  I ended up having to add some rows to the front and back of the bigger dog's band so that it would fit further down on the head.  It was too short, and I could not add to the top because of the face already being sewn in place.  After I had finished the pig, I could see that it was going to be too short also, so I took it out from the top to where I started my decreases to shape the crown.  I added six more rows and then did the decreasing rows again.  I was very happy with the outcome of it, even though it ended up taking more time than it should have to make the pig hat.  Also, I ran out of pink yarn and had to go to the store to buy some more before I could do the ears, tail, and snout.  I was happy to be able to get the same color. So, here they are: three dogs and a pig.

These are the hats for the twins.  The black one was the first mistake.  I made the brown one later, then used black contrast for the brown dog and brown contrast for the black dog.  The dogs can have their ears up like in this shot, or...

they can be left hanging down as in this shot.

This shows the pig from the front and the bigger dog with the ears down. This dog has knitted eyes, but the dogs for the twins have buttons for eyes like all my other animal hats.  I was just trying something different with this dog.

From behind, you can see the pig's curly tail and this is the dog with the ears up.

I just have three more hats to make for my grandchildren, and then I will be finished with the hats.  At least, I think I will be.  I do have to make another one for my daughter-in-law, Ellen.  She has requested that I make her a fox hat.  I will make it, but not before Christmas.  It is not going to be a Christmas gift for her.