Next up, meet Scarlite, the sixth Cuboidal Hat

Say hello to the official helmet design in the Cuboidal collection! I say ‘official’ as Nethere is both a bonnet and a helmet, whereas this one was adamant it only wanted to be one thing.

Scarlite plays with a different approach to the square styles. Instead of stripes or solid squares, this design introduces a half-and-half square style that when combined, creates this bordered block-like, or windowed, effect.

As with all the others, you can mix and match the square styles for different effects. Each square style is demonstrated in at least one Hat so you can see how they look when combined.

Do you have a favourite so far? And have you thought about what yarns you’d use? I’m planning some posts pairing yarns for ideas and inspiration - why not share your yarn pairing ideas with the #CuboidalHats tag online so I can see them!

About the Cuboidal collection…

As with all of the patterns in this collection, the sample is shown in Malabrigo Arroyo. I find it gives me a nice firm squishy fabric on 2.75mm or 3mm needles, at a gauge of 28 sts to 10cm/4in, which is perfect for garter stitch. You don’t want a loose fabric with these Hats as they’ll stretch, and a firmer gauge ensures the Hat lasts longer before stretching out.

The whole collection is pretty much an any yarn, any size collection! I provide tables covering 8 gauges across 12 sizes, but armed with a gauge swatch and a bit of maths, you can achieve beyond the range provide - the construction of the Hat is the same regardless of the size you’re making or the gauge of your yarn. And the eBook will also include a chapter on head measuring and calculating yardage!

And in case anyone asks, this collection won’t be split into individual patterns. I talk about it more in length on this blog post, but in short the patterns are tutorial heavy and splitting them out just doesn’t work.

The collection will be $23/€19/£17 when published - September 2022 - and members of The Woolly Hat Society will get an exclusive new release discount!

Follow along with the #CuboidalHats tag on Instagram and learn more via the Cuboidal blog category.

Say hello to Morph, the fifth Cuboidal Hat

This is without a doubt the most yarn-thirsty Hat in the Cuboidal collection, but I think it’s worth it!

Each pattern in this collection includes details of how many squares are used in each section - the crown, the body and the brim - and coupled with the chapter on calculating yardage you’ll be able to work out how much yarn is needed where, helping you make the most of your oddments or special skeins alike.

With 8 square styles included, alongside the yardage info, I’m really hoping folks run with the designs and create amazing scrappy square Hats! This collection did originally start with the idea of using up oddments and I’m glad they’ll work for both special skeins and leftovers alike.

Morph introduces another new twist - creating corners in the crown. There are two crown styles featured within these patterns - the flat crown, which the previously introduced designs all start with, and the cornered crown. This is one area where using the detailed tutorials will be essential, even for mitred square pros - the techniques used allow you to create the crown and corners seamlessly, without any sewing up, as you go.

Because they’re all worked top-down you have to start with the crown, and having those corners integrated is key to making these knittable - I worked hard at making sure this worked to remove any hurdles to finishing these Hats! The method is novel and may take a little patience, but mostly what’s needed is trust in the process.

When my tech editor was working through these, and bear in mind she’s very familiar with my patterns and approach to construction, she was convinced the cornered-crown versions wouldn’t work on her first read through. Then she got out a pad of square post-it notes and started labelling up edges and joining them as described in the tutorials. It worked. She then tested it again, and yup, it still worked. I’ve asked her to write a blog post about this as I think it’ll help folks who are having trouble visualising how these come together!

All that said, fear not. Knowing that there’s something a little unusual going on is half the battle. It’s not beyond anyone, I promise, and I’ve got it all covered in the tutorials.

One of my favourite things with these Hats is how the decrease lines within these squares form such a strong architectural feature. Aren’t they striking? They add such depth.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve used Malabrigo Arroyo in these Hats but they’re written for 8 different gauges across 12 different sizes and you can use whatever yarn you choose.

About the Cuboidal collection…

As with all of the patterns in this collection, the sample is shown in Malabrigo Arroyo. I find it gives me a nice firm squishy fabric on 2.75mm or 3mm needles, at a gauge of 28 sts to 10cm/4in, which is perfect for garter stitch. You don’t want a loose fabric with these Hats as they’ll stretch, and a firmer gauge ensures the Hat lasts longer before stretching out.

The whole collection is pretty much an any yarn, any size collection! I provide tables covering 8 gauges across 12 sizes, but armed with a gauge swatch and a bit of maths, you can achieve beyond the range provide - the construction of the Hat is the same regardless of the size you’re making or the gauge of your yarn. And the eBook will also include a chapter on head measuring and calculating yardage!

And in case anyone asks, this collection won’t be split into individual patterns. I talk about it more in length on this blog post, but in short the patterns are tutorial heavy and splitting them out just doesn’t work.

The collection will be $23/€19/£17 when published - September 2022 - and members of The Woolly Hat Society will get an exclusive new release discount!

Follow along with the #CuboidalHats tag on Instagram and learn more via the Cuboidal blog category.

Cuboidal Beta Knitting - questions & answers

Wow - 400 of you signed up to beta knit my new collection!

I’ve spent the morning selecting beta knitters and it’s not been an easy job. There are 200 places, and I need to stick to that number despite the sign-up response, as logistically and mentally I simply can’t manage more. I’ll be sending out emails shortly, both for those who were selected and those who weren’t, and I’m not looking forward to disappointing so many people.

Nearly half of the sign-ups were for the beanie/slouch style, and one fifth of the sign-ups for the beret/flat-cap style. Even the envelope slouch had double the number of sign-ups to places!

If you selected one of the other styles then it’s more likely that you’ve got a place; ditto for the 2nd choices, even more so if you were happy to beta knit any style as your 2nd choice.

And if you didn’t provide one of the 3 social media accounts I’m afraid you weren’t selected, as having either an Instagram, Twitter or Ravelry account is required.

Here are the key points:

• My Ravelry and Facebook groups are there for discussion and sharing your progress however I won’t be able to monitor the groups closely and I kindly ask that you use the feedback form for any feedback, or post any questions here on this blog post - my moderators are fantastic but we don’t want to overload them!

• We need a neutral space for questions, a space that isn’t inaccessible to many or that doesn’t require a log-in or account. So if you have any questions at all about the beta knit patterns, please post them here! That way I can help more folks.

• Please don’t email me with questions or images of your Hats - as much as I’d love to hear from you and see your photos, there are hundreds of you and only one of me! The only way this can be manageable is if we all use the systems and resources provided.

• I will be checking the feedback form frequently, and you can edit or update that form at any time. You’ll find a link to the feedback form on the first page of the file.

• Hashtags have been included in the file - please use them! This will help us all see what everyone’s up to, and will help folks who may be unsure of things or keen to see how a different style is developing. Personally I can’t wait to see what you all make and I don’t think I’m alone in that!

• Folks who use Ravelry will receive test-knitting codes in the email containing the files. Please add your project to Ravelry and add the tester code - this will ensure your project is automatically linked when the patterns go live!

• Beta-knitting will finish at the end of August. Please use the feedback form by that time to share any comments you may have. Please also include a link to photos of your project, in particular your finished Hat. To qualify for a courtesy eBook I’ll need to know that you’ve finished your Hat and shared your progress online - whether that be Instagram or Twitter posts, or via your Ravelry project page.

• Please don’t forget to tell me in the feedback form whether you’d prefer Ravelry or Payhip for receiving your courtesy copy of the eBook when it’s published. If that question isn’t answered you’ll receive it via Payhip.

I’ll update this post with more information and answer questions as they come up.

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A Questions & Answers update!

13th August 2022

• yardage: there isn’t a guide in the beta-knitting files about how much yardage is required for your beta knit Hats. The yardage will vary greatly between sizes, styles and yarn weights. There will be a section going into the eBook about how to more accurately calculate yardage but it’s impossible to provide yardages for all the sizes across all the yarn weights and other options. For now, go with an approximate yardage that you’ve used before for similar Hats.

• there will be in-depth tutorials in the eBook for the Crochet Cast-on, Crochet Cast-on Mid-row, Standard Bind-off and Garter Mattress Stitch. I didn’t add them into your beta knit files as I was already overloading you with tutorials and these are all available on this blog!

• you don’t have to use the Crochet Cast-on, you can use a different method that works for casting on mid-row. However, the Crochet Cast-on perfectly matches the Standard Bind-off, which will make for neater finishes along edges that remain visible, and it’ll also make picking up stitches easier as all of the edges of your squares will have the same ‘V’ edge.

• I need to update the ‘Morph’ pattern as the brim should be worked in Yarn A, not Yarn B.

• discussion threads for each of the Hats have been set up on Ravelry, so you can share your progress and photos! However please continue to use this post as the main question point, as I’m not able to use Ravelry as much as I could before the site re-design and my tech editor can’t use it all, so we’re not able to monitor it closely or answer questions as quickly or often. If you need to share photos with me for help then let me know in the comments and direct me to where.

• and finally for today - please read through and follow the tutorials even if you’re a mitre square pro! There are several unique twists and approaches to these, some quite subtle, and these have been done deliberately to aid the construction and ensure you don’t need to keep breaking the yarns.

14th August 2022

• the square types: there are 8 different squares that are used in different combinations throughout the collection. For the beta knit you received the squares that are used in your style, but the final collection will include all 8. You will be able to mix and match the squares but for the beta knit I wanted folks to follow the square style used in that Hat and sample :)

• the stitch counts and those that are a “multiple of 4 minus 1”: this is relevant to a few styles, however given that there’s one table for the whole collection I wasn’t going to break up the table or edit it for the different beta files, as that would only introduce errors!

• all of my tutorials in my eBooks are in black and white. This helps folks who may be colour blind, and it also makes the tutorials easier to read as the colour of the yarn is less distracting.

• the pattern ordering in the beta files isn’t ideal, I know. It was a juggling act trying to separate out a collection for the purposes of the beta knit. The collection is in layout now and it will have improved ordering, with the tutorials placed first to make sure everyone reads them!

Cuboidal - beta knitting opens up tomorrow!

This collection I’ve been working on, called ‘Cuboidal’ that features mitre squares with a twist, is ready for beta knitting!

The beta knitting form went out to Patreon supporters yesterday, as they get first dibs. Tomorrow I’ll be sending out a newsletter for any remaining spaces, so if you’re not a member of The Woolly Hat Society you might wanna join, as I doubt there’ll be any spaces left for a public call. And if you are a member keep an eye on your inbox!

There are 8 styles and no, I haven’t revealed the Hats yet - all in due time! - and they’re written for 8 gauges across 12 sizes. However, their construction is the same regardless of yarn or size, and with some slight tweaks - and I’ve got the maths covered - you can make then in any size for any yarn.

Several of the styles are rather versatile and push the style category boundaries. However they’re best described as:

• Beanie, could be slouchy

• Beret that can be worn in a number of ways including a flat-cap

• Bonnet that doubles up as a helmet

• Cloche that doubles up as a slight bonnet or brimmed Hat, depending on your perspective

• Helmet that would like you to try and find another way to wear it

• Quatra Peak, which is very crown like

• Square Top

• Envelope Slouch that could could be reversed or finished differently

I’m expecting to send the files out this Thursday and beta knitters will have until 31st August to complete their Hats.

To enter you’ll need either an Instagram, Twitter or Ravelry account - places that can be linked to to show me your completed Hats but also places where you can share your progress, talk about what you’re up to and help generate some interest! You won’t need to email me photos, and I won’t ask you to, simply sharing your progress online is all you need to do. I’ll explain more about that in the files.

Knitters who both share their projects online and complete their Hats before the end of August will receive a copy of the eBook as a thank you when it’s published in September, and you can let me know via the sign-up and feedback forms whether you prefer Ravelry or Payhip.

The patterns and tutorials have already been through several rounds of editing and we’re not expecting anyone to find any issues. Similarly I won’t be asking you to provide text knitter feedback unless there’s something you run into, or something that crosses your mind, but I’m not asking beta knitters to look for problems. I want this to be fun and enjoyable!

I’ll start introducing the Hats once Rachis is live. The content is already, it’s into the layout stage already! I’m excited.

Gearing up for beta knitting

As the new collection gets closer to publication date, I’m going to open it up for beta knitting!

Beta knitting isn’t test knitting; you could consider it ‘preview knitting’. The patterns and tutorials will all be polished and should be error free, so I won’t be asking for a lot of feedback. There’ll be room for it, of course, feedback is always welcome! But you won’t be asked to work from patterns that knowingly contain errors or are unclear.

What I will ask is that you share your knitting progress on social media - take photos, talk about what you’re knitting! You might wish to try out the crochet options, too. Beta knitting is about helping me generate interest in the collection, talking about and getting early access to the shiny new thing, and sharing your thoughts not just with me, but other knitters and crocheters too.

In return you’ll get a full and complete copy of the eBook as a thank you. You’ll be working from temporary files that will include all the tutorials, as the eBook won’t quite be ready, and when it is you’ll get a choice of Ravelry or Payhip for download. However, I’ll only be able to send out download links to folks who’ve shared their projects in various ways, and I’ll provide details as to where and how.

The last time I ran beta knitting for a collection was for Imperceptions and it was incredibly popular! It took me by surprise to have so, so many people up. Thankfully I’d got help in setting things up backend, especially with the google forms, that made it all that much more manageable.

This time around I’m going to give first dibs on signing up for beta knitting to my Patreon supporters. Then I’ll send a newsletter to members of The Woolly Hat Society, inviting them to sign-up. Then any remaining places will go public here on the blog. Doing it this way will help me manage things even more smoothly and avoid anything getting muddled. There will be a limited amount of places and I’m expecting them to get filled pretty quickly once the newsletter goes out, so if you’re keen to beta knit this collection I’d suggest joining Patreon or The Woolly Hat Society. The TWHS in particular is one option I have to help folks with more limited budgets get their hands on my patterns, as I offer member-exclusive discounts and early access to new free patterns, and offering beta knitting through there is an extension of that.

There will be a sign-up form, and with there being 8 patterns of varying styles I’ll ask for 2nd or even 3rd choice patterns, just in case some styles prove more popular than others. I’ll explain more about the styles nearer the time but even if you don’t get your first choice it’s still worth doing as you’ll get a copy of the eBook and you’ll be able to make any of them then!

Now that we’ve had the photoshoot - I’m up to my neck in photo editing as this post goes live - I’m not expecting it to be long before we’re ready for beta knitting. I think the first call will go to Patreon supporters within the week? Then the newsletter shortly after that. Things are moving along quickly and it’s all getting a bit exciting!