My 2012 Winter Hat Project

I decided to try out some different ideas for a hat while I made some hats to send to the Grand Rapids Machine Knitting Club for their Winter Hat project.    Then  I bought myself a new jacket for winter (purple) and of course didn't have a matching hat so I had to get some purple yarn to match the jacket and make a hat for myself while I was in the hat mode.

The first hat (the one on top was woven with a boucle yarn and I wondered if it would even work as a weaving yarn, I had to double it but I loved the results.  The second hat used the same pattern only I wanted a wider band, this is the purple to match my coat.   Both hats have a flat crocheted flower on top with a tiny pompom on top of the flat flower to hide the hole at the top. 

 Beware, when you get the hat off the machine you're going to think it won't fit.   Here's a picture of the purple woven hat fresh off the machine.  Have faith, it stretches when you put it on your head.

You can try out different techniques with this pattern.  You could  put a fairisle band instead of weaving or leave the band off altogether or even slip stitch a few rows or tuck or not tuck.  My head measures 21 inches, the hat is only 19 inches around but that's because I live in cold country and need a hat that keeps my head warm when I walk the dog so I like it snug.   If you want to rechart yours to make it wider, just measure your head and cast on enough stitches to make you happy.  Since there's no shaping until you get to the very top, you could rechart it for the standard gauge machine with a different yarn or even the bulky machine.    Another note before you start, I have just discovered this yarn.  Its soft acrylic and knits nicely on the  LK 150.  Its very inexpensive and no dye lot.  I think its perfect for winter hats.

ROZ’S WINTER HAT WITH WOVEN TRIM

MACHINE:  LK 150 Mid Gauge 

YARN:  Red Heart Soft Baby Steps, #4 Worsted Acrylic (no dye lot)

Tension:  5

Fits 21 inch woman’s head snug

Gauge:   5 sts per inch, 7.5 rows per inch (using 2  LK cast on combs with weights or a metal rod* inserted in hem and 3 weights)

DIRECTIONS:

E-wrap cast on 90 stitches, every other needle,  (needles 45 – 45) hang cast on comb and weights

Knit across and bring out of work needles into work.

RC 0   Knit 60 rows

Hang hem on every other needle using the beginning cast on loops.  I used a metal rod to hold the folded work down as I  bring the cast on comb up to put the loops on my needles.  Leave the metal rod in the hem as a weight..  If you prefer to use your cast on combs, return them to the bottom.

Turn row counter back to 0

Knit 8 rows and turn work (knit side facing you)  

Knit 2 rows plain

Weave a contrast color yarn over and under every other stitch across then knit the weaving row and 1 more row (2 rows knitted)

Weave on the opposite every other stitch over and under the needles and knit the weaving row and 1 more row (2 rows knitted).

AT THIS POINT, IF YOU WANT MORE WOVEN ROWS, GO AHEAD AND DO THEM BUT KNIT A ROW IN BETWEEN EACH WOVEN ROW.   

You can knit plain now or continue weaving but remember weaving won't stretch as well as plain knitting.   I liked 4 rows of weaving which looks like a hat band but its up to you. 

After weaving, knit 2 rows plain.

Turn work (purl side facing you)

Continue knitting to row 35 then turn work again (knit side facing)

TUCK ROWS:

Bring forward every 4^th needle to D position and set Russel Levers to tuck “I”  Side levers stay on triangle.

K 4.   Set Russell levers back to normal  (“II”)  K 2 Rows. 

Carefully turn work, you can easily lose your tuck stitches here, I suggest not using a garter bar unless you are confident using it, I prefer to use a contrast color yarn and knitting at least 4 rows before turning.   (purl side now facing you again)
Knit 10 rows.

Transfer every other stitch to the right, put empty needles back to A position,  turn tension to 3 and knit 2 rows. 

Cut long piece of yarn (2X width of work) and take stitches off onto the yarn with a tapestry needle.

Sew seam with the excess yarn.

Finish with a flat crocheted flower or a knitted flower with a small pompom on top 

I don’t normally crochet but found an easy crochet flower that even I could make here:  http://crochet.about.com/od/easy-crochet-patterns/tp/flowers.htm

I found the perfect, very easy, tiny pompom directions using a table fork here:  http://vividplease.blogspot.com/2012/01/diy-how-to-make-tiny-pom-poms-with-fork.html

*I have 3 metal rods that i think came with the Incredible Sweater Machine.  You can buy metal rods at a hardware store.   I suggest since you have to have them cut  you get one that fits across half your machine bed and another one that fits all the way across.  My 3 are all 21 inches long and weigh 7 1/2 ounces each.  .

Copyright:  Rosalind Porter, 2012.  

Feel free to make these hats and sell them if you wish but don't sell the pattern.