Description
The Caterpillar Slouch is a squishy soft, slightly slouchy beret. It starts with a twisted rib brim and the body is worked in fisherman’s rib. The body is fairly long and the crown decreases evenly for a casual and cozy fit.
Availability
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Support
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Social Media
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#WWCaterpillarSlouch
Yarn
246yd/225m/100g
DK weight, plied yarn.
Needles & Notions
Set 3.75mm/UK9/US5 DPNs/Circular or size needed to obtain gauge
Stitch marker as necessary
Tapestry needle
Sample details
Shown in Martin's Lab Comfy DK, shade 'Caterpillar' [246yd/225m per 100g; 100% Superwash merino]
Shown in size 22in/55.75cm on model with 21.75in/55.25cm circumference head
Gauge
24 sts x 32 rows to 4in/10cm on 3.75mm needles over Twisted Rib
Sizes
To fit sizes: 18 [22] in/45.75 [55.75] cm
Finished size: 16 [18.75] in/40 [46.75 ] cm
Not sure which size to make? Check my handy size and measuring guide!
Skills required
Knit & purl sts
Knitting in the round
Knitting into the row below (brioche)
Abbreviations
K: knit
P: purl
rpt: repeat
st(s): stitch(es)
K1tbl: knit stitch through the back of the loop
K1bl: knit stitch through row below
SSK: slip next 2 sts knitwise, then knit these 2 sts together through backs of the loops
Note
This Hat is easily adjusted for size. The design works on a multiple of 16, and you can cast on more or fewer stitches, depending on your gauge – as long as the number is divisible by 16.
Additional length can be added before the crown shaping for more slouch. As the fisherman's rib is a wide cosy stitch, there is no need to add additional stitches after the brim for width – the stitch pattern does this naturally.
How to
Using Alternate Cable cast-on method, cast on 96 [112] sts. Join in the round, being careful not to twist sts. Place stitch marker to indicate start of round.
Brim
Now work K1tbl, P1 rib until work measures 1.25 [1.5] in/3.25 [3.75] cm.
Next Rnd: Purl all sts
Body
Rnd 1: Knit all sts
Rnd 2: *K1bl, P1; rpt from * to end
These 2 rounds form the fisherman's rib pattern.
Work in pattern until body measures 3.5 [4.5] in/9 [11.5] cm, excluding the brim, ending after a Rnd 1.
Crown
18in size jump to Rnd 5, 22in size start at Rnd 1.
Rnd 1: *ssk, [K1bl, P1] 6 times; rpt from * to end [104 sts]
Rnd 2 & all even rounds: Knit all sts
Rnd 3:*ssk, P1, [K1bl, P1] 5 times; rpt from * to end [96 sts]
Rnd 5:*ssk, [K1bl, P1] 5 times; rpt from * to end [88 sts]
Rnd 7: *ssk, P1, [K1bl, P1] 4 times; rpt from * to end [80 sts]
Rnd 9: *ssk, [K1bl, P1] 4 times; rpt from * to end [72 sts]
Rnd 11: *ssk, P1, [K1bl, P1] 3 times; rpt from * to end [64 sts]
Rnd 13: *ssk, [K1bl, P1] 3 times; rpt from * to end [56 sts]
Rnd 15: *ssk, P1, [K1bl, P1] 2 times; rpt from * to end [48 sts]
Rnd 17: *ssk, [K1bl, P1] 2 times; rpt from * to end [40 sts]
Rnd 19: *ssk, P1, K1bl, P1; rpt from * to end [32 sts]
Rnd 21: *ssk, K1bl, P1; rpt from * to end [24 sts]
Rnd 23: *ssk, P1; rpt from * to end [16 sts]
Rnd 24: *ssk; rpt from * to end [8 sts]
Break yarn and draw through remaining 8 sts, tighten to close.
Finishing
Weave in all ends. Blocking isn't necessary but is recommended to help the crown shaping settle - block gently to avoid stretching the Hat.
Enjoy!
Earlier in the year I mentioned some yarn that was sent my way from a new indie dyer. Well, during our travels over the summer I was able to (gently) knit a new Hat for Aran with the brightest of the yarns; a cosy comfy Hat that he could grow into.
A fisherman's rib Hat is the perfect Hat for a lively yarn like Marcin's Caterpillar, and it'll make for perfect TV or travel knitting. One skein is all you need for any of the sizes, and there's enough left in the skein to add a bit of extra length, should you prefer.
Fisherman's rib is very room and yardage thirsty, hence it'll make a very stretchy Hat - this one is a little big for Aran I think, and it fits me, so there's plenty of room for him to grow into it! And as Fisherman's rib naturally adds width, there's no need to add extra stitches to encourage the slouch - it does it all by itself.
I really enjoyed working with the Comfy DK from Martin's Lab - it has a generous yardage and is soft and pliable. I'm slowly hatching plans for the other skeins in my stash... I'm thinking something more for Aran and Ivy-Mae, given that the bright colours and superwash yarn hint towards kids Hats.
Don't forget though that even thought I design kids Hats and model them on kids, they nearly always go up to adult sizes! Aran will be 9 in March, and he has a 21.75in circumference head - that same size as the average adult female - so if it fits him, it'll likely fit you, too.
Photoshoot responsibilities are firmly in Tom's corner for the foreseeable future, thanks to my frozen shoulder, and yesterday afternoon saw us shooting a few shots with him trying to emulate my style. Tom's often done photography work for me, and now that the camera is very much in his hands I think he's starting as he means to go on!
This Hat in need of a name will be published in December. The sample is knit in Snail Yarn aran, which I picked up at the Swiss Wolle festival last year. It's a squishy, cosy yarn with lovely deep and subtle colouring, and is just right for the brioche and garter combo.
Can you help name this Hat? There'll a free copy of the pattern for you when it's published, and another single pattern of mine of your choice.
Only thing is, is that I need to get the pattern to the printers sunday night, monday morning at the latest! Although it's not due for release for another 4 weeks, I need some pattern samples in a couple of weeks for an event, and that means getting it to the printer sharpish.
I'll leave this open for 48hrs - simply leave a comment on this blog post (not Twitter, IG or FB - sorry!) and I'll pick a winner sunday evening (about 6pm GMT). Don't forget to tell me your Ravelry name, your choice of 2nd pattern, and in the email field (which won't be public) let me know where I can get hold of you.
Fire away, and I look forward to hearing your suggestions!
Indeed you can pop over and listen to myself and Nadia chatting about all sorts!
We recorded the interview in the magnificent ballroom that I taught in, which does give it a bit of an echo, but don't let that put you off. We had a good laugh whilst recording, and it really was a fun thing to do.
(shall I confess that we sat on the floor inside a large wardrobe unit within the ballroom to reduce the echo? We tried sitting in every part of the room, and it was really the only room available to us! It's certainly a day to remember ;)
After I returned from teaching my workshops in Dublin a few weeks ago, I was asked whether a guest blog post might be of interest, to offer insight to the fabulous location (hint: it's one of my fave places to teach) and offer some feedback from workshop participants. And here we are!
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Hello Everyone! Today's blogpost is a guest post by me, Nadia (Bunnyt on Ravelry) and I'm going to take you on a journey behind the scenes at two of Woolly's Workshops. For those of you who don't know me, I have the wonderful job of working in This is Knit in Dublin, where Woolly recently held her workshops. This was Woolly's fourth time teaching with us, and we're always so excited when she comes to visit! Our customers are always eager to learn from her too, and both workshops were sold out well in advance.
Inside This is Knit.
For those of you who haven't been to This is Knit, the shop is based in the gorgeous location of Powerscourt Townhouse on South William street in Dublin 2, which is also part of Dublin's Creative Quarter. This is a striking Georgian building with both rococo and neo-classical styles under one roof and the Georgian Society tells us, that it was once used to store the wool from the Powerscourt Estate in Wicklow, before it was to be exported. With such rich history, it's a fantastic location for a family run LYS . We hosted the workshop in the old ballroom of the house, complete with antique drop glass chandelier. Oh yes, nothing but the best for our Woolly!
See, she loved the circle spotting:
Woolly filled the space with stunning Hat samples, beautifully presented notes and oodles of energy and creativity and all before the knitters came to join us. I can tell you that there was a lot of effort put into those class notes and reports from the students have been fantastic. The first 3 hour workshop kicked off with an early start and the knitters were quickly drawn in by the swatch samples of Reversible Cables. The students quickly became engaged and creative by planning how to work their reversible cables into shaping and garments. There was such a buzz, in fact, that there were people peering in the huge windows and wanting to join in!
Woolly had shared some friendly advice with our afternoon students: sugar would be required! This session was a very mathematical look at the magic behind rotating stitch patterns. "Turning Sideways" covers how turning our knitting through ninety degrees affects stitch patterns and increases/decreases, and how that we can be used to our advantage. It's not for the faint of heart, but us Irish Knitters, we are brave! Armed with chocolate, coffee and trusty needles we worked on swatches that came alive into 3 dimensional forms.
One of the best reasons to attend a Woolly Wormhead workshop (other than meeting her fabulous self) is being able to get your knitterly paws on some of Woolly's beautiful Hat samples. There were samples from Painted Woolly Toppers and the recently published Painted Woolly Toppers for Kids , in which Ivy-May steals the show for me! Go on, it's ok to stroke the screen no one is looking:
We had a little modelling show of our own too! We just couldn't help ourselves - you only get this chance once right?
How do you bring a day like this to a close? Well the lovely ladies Lora and Deirdre from Olann and Magazine popped by and had a lovely chat with Woolly and they modelled two of their personal favourites from the collection. These are the ladies behind Ireland's first dedicated fibre and craft magazine - don't they look great with their Woolly Toppers?
From left to right Lora and Deirdre from Olannand Magazine wearing Vortice and Gallone. Photocredit from Olannand with permission.
So you've heard enough from me, but what did the students themselves have to say? I nabbed a knitter, Surfguna to be exact, and here is what she had to say about her workshop:
I did the sideways knitting workshop, and I loved it. It was really fascinating to think about turning my knitting and also working out the maths to make a hat to fit me and work with the yarn I had brought. For me, one of the big "ah-ha" moments was measuring my head correctly and learning how to pick a hat size to suit. My hats tend to always end up too big, so hope that works better for me know.
I've actually cast on a hat using my maths from last weekend, and I am nearly finished. I think it's the first time I've done a workshop and actually used the skill immediately. Woolly is a fascinating and patient teacher. She took her time to explain, and explain again her concepts. Really enjoyed the whole experience.
If you want to catch one of Woolly's Workshops I hear she is going to be teaching at Edinburugh Yarn Festival in 2017, and there might be a space or two available on her workshops at Countess Ablaze and The Knit Studio this November. If you want to hear more from me, you can catch me over on CottageNotebook.ie.
If you are ever in Dublin, do stop in to meet us all in This is Knit. We'd be delighted to chat all things Woolly!
Thanks for reading and if you want to get in touch you can find me on Twitter, Instagram as @cottagenotebook and Ravelry as Bunnyt and you can catch my podcast over here too.
Our 9th annual MKAL is open, and it's a bit different to previous years - there are THREE patterns!
The three designs are all related, and there is a beret version, a beanie version and a slouchy version. There's an eBook/bundle option should you wish to buy all 3, or you can purchase the beret pattern by itself, or the beanie+slouchy version by itself.
And thanks to Ravelry's bundle promotion, if you buy one of the single versions then decide later that you'd like the other, simply add the 2nd pattern to your cart and it should automatically charge you the difference (please do ensure that purchase in the same currency for this to be effective - ££ here, $$ on Ravelry)
Instalment dates are the same as they are every year - 1st, 9th & 17th November - and any and all chat, questions, tips or tricks will be hosted in my Raverly group.
Go, go, go and see you on the forum!
![](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53a18a35e4b0b4f1b3a90c41/t/5a7c83a8652dea44517d1461/1518109617408/TWHS-Circle7-v2.Grey.png?" "join the best free Hatterly newsletter on the web!")
