FO Friday- Fleece to FO, the long distance run

I think fleece to sweater/afghan would be the marathon, but this has to qualify as at least a mile run (and I really hate running!).

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The hand spun hat for my Mum's Christmas present is finished (skip to the last photo to see it), but here is a photo show of the process.

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The first post should be a sheep, but I don't know which sheep it came from, so please see yesterday's post if you would like to see a sheep.

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Next up is the slightly smelly fleece, not too much dirt, but the inevitable sheepy smell!

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Into the wash tub, see earlier posts for quite possibly excessive detail on the washing process.

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Once clean and dry it is the turn of the carders...
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...to make a fluffy roving sausage.
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Through the spinning wheel to make a three ply, thinner than intended at approximately DK weight.
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And into the dye pot because who wants a slightly grubby greyish hat?!
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Finally the knitting!
I used the pattern Just a Beanie by Abby Tohline, worked over more stitches, to account for the lighter weight yarn. I used 132, which fits snugly with just enough stretch.
The decreases were started after 8 inches rather than the recommended 9 (I had forgotten to take the pattern to knit night and took a guess), I like my own hats a little longer, so ears are fully tucked inside but I modelled it and checked on other images and have been reassured it is the right length. For extra cosiness the brim can always be flipped down to cover the ears and neck.
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It took almost all of the 70g skein, so still lots of the red left. Lots of fleece, both washed and unwashed left too so maybe I need to consider that marathon afghan!