shrinkage

So I made myself a hat out of some Louet Euroflax this summer. It's quite a nice hat. I like it. I even like the way the unwashed linen felt, but since everything I've read about linen yarn has said "yes, go ahead and wash and dry it, it gets even better!" I washed it. And dried it. And now it is too small.

Anyone else have this problem? It didn't shrink all THAT much, but I like hats that cover my ears, and now this one does with only a lot of tugging.

Le sigh. So now I have to decide if I should keep it and tug on it, or find someone with a smaller head than mine and give them an extremely high-quality hat. I have a ten-year-old cousin who would look fantastic in it . . . maybe I'll pass it on. Because I do have half a skein left, and could totally make myself another one. I had to add repetitions to the pattern anyway: perhaps I will make another one with a larger needle.

Anyway. Just be careful that your Euroflax may shrink. At least when it's in a lace pattern.

I'm surprised at how not horribly upset I am about this. I guess it's because it's not RUINED, it just doesn't fit me anymore. And it's not really a pain in the ass, like yesterday's horrible incident with about 300 yards of recycled fingering weight yarn. EPIC TANGLE. Times were dark.