The Vaughan-a-ghan
By Amy Hood (http://abccreations.squarespace.com) (pronounced \*"Vaughan Again,n and being one of my nick-names for my older son, because I can't shorten “Vaughan,” now can I?)
I learned to knit when my older son, Vaughan, was about nine months old, so he's spent his childhood thus far picking out yarn for his hats, mittens, and sweaters. Soon I began seeking his design input on the items destined to be his; not too long after that, he began making specific requests. Now, at five, his very particular ideas on this season's winter hat led to a reversible fireman/spaceman hat. Vaughan contributed to the design every step of the way. At one point, he asked me, “Mama, I'm not sure you can do this with knitting, but could you make a button that when I push it, the hat reverses itself? Not quite, but I think what we came up with is quite a dream hat for the Little Boy demographic.
SIZE
Toddler [Child] (shown in Toddler on Nicholas, in the red shirt, and Child on Vaughan, in the blue shirt)
FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS
Head circumference: 18 [19] inches on outer layer Length: 7.25 [7.75] inches
MATERIALS
Cascade 220 ( $100\%$ Peruvian Highland Wood; 220 yd per skein) (MC1; CC4) 8895: Christmas Red; 1[1] skein (MC2) 8393: Navy; 1[1] skein (CC1) 8555: Black; 1[1] skein (CC2) 4147: Lemon Yellow; 1[1] skein (CC3) 8505: White; 1[1] skein 1 24-inch US #7/4.5 mm circular needle Stitch holders or waste yarn Tapestry needle Flag patch (optional) Sewing needle and thread (optional)
GAUGE
20 sts/28 rows $=4"$ in stockinette stitch
NOTES
To knit this hat, you will first knit one side flat and leave it unseamed. After picking up stitches along the cast-on edge, you will then knit the second side. Both sides are seamed from the top down, right side out, meeting at the cast-on edge. Instructions for intarsia can be found at www.sweaterscapes.com/intars.htm. Instructions for duplicate stitch can be found at www.sweaterscapes.com/dup-st.htm. Instructions for seaming can be found at www.knitty.com/IssUEspring04/mattress.html. "CHIEF” and “USA” charts were worked using duplicate stitch but may also be worked using intarsia. If a longer hat is desired, add rounds between ribbing and beginning of intarsia chart, making sure to add equal number of rounds to each layer. However, the hat is too thick to turn up the edge, so plan length accordingly. Variation: The Fireman Side can be changed to a Policeman Side by using blue as MC, red for CC1, and white for CC2.
PATTERN Fireman Side
CO 100[108] sts using CC1 Row 1 (RS): K1, [P2, K2] until 3 stitches rem, P2, K1 Rows 2-4: K the K, P the P Row 5 (RS): Change to CC2 and K entire row Rows 6-9: Work in ribbing as established Row 10(WS): Change to MC1 and P entire row Rows 11-12: Work in St st Row 13 (RS): K 18[21], begin fireman's shield chart in CC2 Work in St st while following chart, finishing on Row 19 of chart P one row Next row: K2, [K10[11], K2tog] 8 times, K2; 92 [100] st rem Next row and all WS rows: P even
Cont dec 8 sts each RS row as established until 12 sts rem Peven K2 tog around; 6 sts rem P even; place 6 sts on holder and break yarn, leaving approx 18 inches
Spaceman Side
With RS facing and CC4, pick up 100[108] sts from cast-on row K one row as turning ridge Row 1 (RS): K1, [P2, K2] until 3 sts rem, P2, K1 Rows 2-4: K the K, P the P Row 5 (RS): Change to CC3 and K entire row Rows 6-9: Work in ribbing as established Row 10(WS): Change to MC2 and P entire row Rows 11: K Row 12: P20[22], begin rocket chart in CC3 Work in St st while following chart, finishing on Row 21 (WS) of chart Next row: K2, [K10[11], K2tog] 8 times, K2; 92[100] sts rem Next row and all WS rows: P even Cont dec 8 sts each RS row as established until 12 sts rem Peven K2tog around; 6 sts rem P even; place 6 sts on holder and break yarn, leaving approx 18 inches
FINISHING
Center number of choice on fireman's shield and work using duplicate stitch in CC1. Center “CHIEF" chart on center back of fireman's hat (16[18] sts in from side) and work using duplicate stitch in CC1. (Optional) Work “USA” chart on rocket using duplicate stitch in CC4. (Optional) Sew flag patch on center back of spaceman's hat. Work in all ends on both layers. With yarn threaded through tapestry needle, run through rem 6 stitches on fireman side to close top of hat. Using mattress stitch, seam side of hat down through red ribbing stripe on spaceman side. (It's fine, just go right through that yellow and black stripe; if you're seaming correctly, it's not going to show.) Work in loose end of red yarn. With yarn threaded through tapestry needle, run through rem 6 stitches on spaceman side to close top of hat. Using mattress stitch, seam down through white stripe, and carefully work loose end in (since you've just sewn the hat shut; the WS is no longer accessible). For a completely invisible stream, sew the white stripe with white yarn from the outside. Lightly steam block, focusing on the tops of each layer so that the hat will lay more smoothly. Turn hat in on itself. Voila, a reversible hat. $\copyright$ Amy Hood 2007-2008; for personal use only; selling of pattern in any form prohibited. Contact Amy at abc.creations21ATgmailDOTcom with any questions.
CHARTS
[Black borderindicates placement of number chart]
$\copyright$ Amy Hood 2007-2009; for personal use only; selling of pattern in any form prohibited.
