I made this hat (on my lovely knitpicks options) from Elle Merino Brights yarn, following a pattern in the Art of Knitting.   The pattern calls for it to be felted, but I wasn’t going to do that.  As is a girl’s perogative, I’ve changed my mind.

Trouble is the pattern called for lots and lots of rows before the crown shaping.  I looked the pattern photograph and that hat looked big on the model and tried it on my head, and I decided I didn’t nearly as many rows because it would be too big.

But now I want to felt it, I’m worried it will shrink and will become too small.  There’s plenty of room around the circumference, so that doesn’t matter if it shrinks width-wise, but the height is just right as it is.

After I’ve felted, will I be able to pin it out to the right size and let it dry, to make sure the height’s right?

Or should I frog it back and add a few more rows?

I don’t know what to do.  I’ve never felted before so don’t know what’s going to happen! Any suggestions?