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Description

Elbert’s Cap is a pixie Hat with a deep garter stitch brim and a stocking stitch crown. The body is worked flat so that the garter ridges are vertical. The crown is worked in the round and ends with a slight point.

Availability

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Support

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Yarn
274yd/250m/100g
DK weight, plied yarn.

Needles & Notions
Set 3.75mm/UK9/US5 DPNs/Circular or size needed to obtain gauge
3.75mm crochet hook
Approx 2yd/2m waste yarn
Stitch marker as necessary
Tapestry needle

Sample details
Chiaroscuro Dye Lab Nyad DK [274yd/250m per 100g; 100% Merino Extrafine Superwash]

Gauge
22 sts x 36 rows to 4in/10cm on 3.75mm needles over St. St.

22 sts x 44 rows to 4in/10cm on 3.75mm needles over Garter St.

Sizes
To fit sizes: 17.25 [18.25, 19.75, 21, 22.25] in/43.75 [46.25, 50.25, 53.25, 56.5] cm
Finished size: 15.25 [16.25, 17.5, 18.5, 19.75] in/38.75 [41.25, 44.5, 47, 50.25] cm
Not sure which size to make? Check my handy size and measuring guide!

Skills required
Garter Stitch

Stocking Stitch

Knitting in the round

Provisional Cast-on

Grafting Garter Stitch

Increases & Decreases

Abbreviations

K: knit

P: purl

rpt: repeat

Rnd(s): rounds

st(s): stitch(es)

k2tog: knit next 2sts together

Note

The Body of this Hat is worked sideways, and is very easy to adjust should you wish for additional sizes, or should your row gauge differ.

You simply need to work the number ridges to a multiple of 6 less one row. The garter grafting replaces one entire row, so it's important to remember to leave space for it – it won't graft correctly otherwise.

You would then pick up 1 stitch for each ridge, as the crown is worked on a multiple of 6.

How to

Using waste yarn and Provisional Cast-on method, cast on 22 [26, 30, 34, 38] sts. Change to main yarn and work the Body panel as follows:

Body panel

Row 1: Knit all sts
Repeat this row, continuing to work garter stitch flat, until 83 [89, 95, 101, 107] ridges have been worked, where 1 ridge = 2 rows. (note that when you are counting ridges, ensure that the ridge count on both sides of the work is the same. This ensures an even number of rows have been worked)

Work one more row flat.

Carefully remove Provisional Cast-on stitch by stitch, taking care to keep in pattern, transferring live stitches to 2nd needle.

Perform Garter Stitch grafting across all sts. Break yarn and weave in all ends. The garter graft will have created a final row in the work, bringing the total number of ridges to 84 [90, 96, 102, 108].

With a circular needle and yarn, and starting at the point of grafting, pick up and knit one stitch for each garter ridge. [84, 90, 96, 102, 108 sts]

Join in the round, being careful not to twist sts.

Place stitch marker to indicate start of round.

Crown

17.25in size jump to Rnd 9, 18.25in size jump to Rnd 7, 19.75in size jump to Rnd 5, 21in size jump to Rnd 3 & 22.25in size start from Rnd 1

Rnd 1: *K16, k2tog; rpt from * to end [102 sts]
Rnd 2 & all even rounds: Knit all stitches
Rnd 3: *K15, k2tog; rpt from * to end [96 sts]
Rnd 5: *K14, k2tog; rpt from * to end [90 sts]
Rnd 7: *K13, k2tog; rpt from * to end [84 sts]
Rnd 9: *K12, k2tog; rpt from * to end [78 sts]
Rnd 11: *K11, k2tog; rpt from * to end [72 sts]
Rnd 13: *K10, k2tog;rpt from * to end [66 sts]
Rnd 15: *K9, k2tog; rpt from * to end [60 sts]
Rnd 17: *K8, k2tog; rpt from * to end [54 sts]
Rnd 19: *K7, k2tog; rp from * to end [48 sts]
Rnd 21: *K6, k2tog;rpt from * to end [42 sts]
Rnd 23: *K5, k2tog;rpt from * to end [36 sts]
Rnd 25: *K4, k2tog;rpt from * to end [30 sts]
Rnd 27: *K3, k2tog;rpt from * to end [24 sts]
Rnd 29: *K2, k2tog;rpt from * to end [18 sts]
Rnd 31: *K1, k2tog;rpt from * to end [12 sts]
Rnd 33: *k2tog;rpt from * to end [6 sts]

Break yarn and draw through remaining 6sts, tighten to close.

Finishing

Weave in all ends. A gentle wash and blocking is recommended.

ElbertsCap.LR.1.jpg
ElbertsCap.LR.2.jpg
ElbertsCap.LR.3.jpg

After meeting Elbert at a discussion panel in Rimini, Italy, and after seeing his yarns in person for the first time, I wanted to face the challenge this colourway presented and design a Hat that didn’t pool and was able to show the vibrant colourway to its best. Turning one part of the Hat sideways by knitting it flat solved this problem, and knitting the remainder of the Hat in the round in a vertical direction worked perfectly with the yarn, creating a striking effect.

This pattern was originally published in the December 2015 edition of Notions magazine.

Posted
AuthorWoolly Wormhead
CategoriesHats, Patterns