Zissou Hat (take 1)

So I got this idea to make a Steve Zissou hat. (From the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.) I ran out to buy some red yarn and got right to work. I started off by making a swatch to measure my stitches by like you're supposed to. I measured my head. I measured my swatch. I did the math and got knitting.

So far so good. So I kept on. After I reached about 7 or 8 inches in length I tried it on. It was way too big. It could have been a tube top, not a hat. In frustration I pulled all the stitches out. I'm going to start again. This time I will not measure anything. I guess that's what I get for following the rules. (Sorry, but there are no photos of the 'too big' tube top/hat.)

My other current project is a pair of fingerless gloves for the wife. I'm using the knitty.com Fetching pattern. Wish me luck.