Animal fibers for kids are a bad idea

I went to my LYS and found some gorgeous hanks of locally (well, relatively local) made merino wool and they were the PERFECT colors for a hat I had in mind.  While going crazy for baby things to knit, I became obsessed with the cute hats I found on Ravelry, and this Peep Hat stood out.

It was a quick knit, and done flat.  I mean, I love knitting in the round, but this was easy enough (and done in a garter stitch).

Somewhere in my nesting phase, I thought it would be a BRILLIANT idea to wash this hat.  I put it in the washing machine, on gentle with cold water... and lo and behold... it felted.  Horribly.  This hat that looked like it might fit a toddler, now looked like it wouldn't even fit a newborn.  Boo.  :(

So, a year and a half later, I found some yarn that was a blend of acrylic and nylon to remake the hat.  Better yet?  The toddler had an appreciation for the hat (unlike her newborn self).