Experimenting is the quest for truth. Think of this as an adventure in science. You learned the truth about hat stretching. So, your experiment was a success.
Remember, a successful experiment does not always yield the results one hopes for
It can be fixed. No danger to life or limb. Humanity will not suffer. Thus, all in all, you didn't do much damage except to your pocketbook.
When you think about this "experiment", think about poor, Victor Frankenstein.
Best regards from a science guy,
Prof. Ed