Port Morien by Angela McI nnis I'm completely addicted to textured yarns. Spinning yarn from art batts, textured roving, and combed locks is fun, and it lets your creativity run wild. My stash is full of experiments, boucle yarns, thick and thin twists, and other yarns that I spin and buy in small quantities. If you love experimenting like I do, you may wonder what to do with all these great yarns, and this hat is the perfect answer. Even wild and crazy tailspun locks look great in the edge of the hat. For the pattern, you could start by spinning a textured batt into a single to make a wild, scrappy yarn-the more unruly, the better. You can pair your wild yarn with a worsted weight base in a This festive hat is a quick knit, great for bringing some winter cheer to you and yours. My grandmother Mary inspired this hat; she was an avid painter and quilter and an expert at using up scraps and blending color. She taught me that nothing in nature is ever solid-colored, an observation which has helped me to take more creative risks in my design. It is named after the town in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where she was born.
Needles 32" length US #8/5mm circular needle
Yarn Ideas
MC yarn: wool or alpaca yarn with a gauge of 4-5 stitches per inch such as: Malabrigo Worsted Fleece Artist Blue Leicester Aran Manos Wool Clasica Handspun CC yarn : a highly textured "bulky” yarn such as: Be Sweet Ribbon Ball Fleece Artist Curly Locks Tilli Tomas Carousel Ozark Handspun Opulent Mango Moon Recycled Silk Fiesta Yarns La Boheme Handspun Art Yarn
GAUGE
18 sts/14 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch
PATTERN NOTES
Rather than switch to DPNs in the crown section of the hat, why not try magic loop? When you cast on your hat, use a longer-than-necessary circular needle, and use the magic loop method to knit the hat. You won't have to buy or use additional needles, and the project is a lot more portable, making it an even faster knit! Of course, if you like, you can use the DPNs and a shorter circular. Just switch when you need to. Sizing is designed to have 2-4 inches of negative ease. If you like a looser hat, knit the larger size or adjust gauge accordingly.
PATTERN
CO 72[88] stitches in MC, using the long tail method. Place marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist.
Band
Join CC. Round 1: While holding MC and CC together, [K2, P2] around Work ribbing until band measures 2[2.5] inches. Break CC, leaving a tail for weaving in.
Body
Round 1: With MC, K around. Continue to work in stockinette stitch until hat measures 6[7] inches from the CO edge.
Crown
Establish decreases. Knit 12[11], PM. Repeat until the end of the round. Stitches will be divided into 6[8] equal sections. Round 1: [K to 2 stitches before the marker, K2tog] around Round 2: [K to 2 stitches before the marker, K2tog] around Round 3: K all stitches. Repeat these 3 rounds until 12[16] stitches remain on the needle. Final Round: K2tog around. Break MC, leaving a tail long enough to thread through all stitches. Pull tail to close the top of hat. Weave in all ends.
FINISHING
Using MC and CC, form a tassel, pompom, or other topper of your choice. Sew firmly in place at the top of hat.
