The Awesome and Amazing ReverseEngineered Customer-Hat
I work at a little cafe, and one day a customer came in wearing a hat that I knew Ijust had to have. Luckily a) the stitch-pattern was easy enough for me to write downjust by looking at it, and b) she didn't mind giving her hat to a crazy-eyed lady to stare at while muttering and scribbling a bunch of notes on scraps of paper. Thanks, Kelly!:D I copied it faithfully except for the fact that her hat ended with stocking-stitch at the crown and then those horrible machine-knit decreases you get where it looks like a lopsided bunch. Instead, I modified the decreases so that they blend in with the stich-pattern, which makes it even BETTER than the original (in my humble opinion :P). So without further ado, I present to you: The AAREC Hat!
Yarn: Grey hat knit with Elle Pure Gold DK, Red with Elle Classic Wool Blend DK Needles: 4mm (US size 6) Gauge: 8cm = 16st x 18 rows in pattern. CO 96st (or a multiple of 8st\*\*) and join in round Work 1x1 ribbing for 18 rows Knit 3 rows Work 1x1 ribbing for 16 rows (NB: This creates a brim that can be neatly folded up along the purl 'seam' or unfolded to allow for extra length.)
Stitch-Pattern:
Knit 4 rows (K1, P7) around for 6 rows Repeat for as long as you like (1 did 5 repeats before I started the decreases). Start the decreases after a set of 4 knit rows.
Decrease section :
(K1, P2tog, P5) around (84st) (K1, P6) for 2 rows (K1, P2tog, P4) around (72st) (K1, P5) for 2 rows, placing stitch-markers every 6 stitches (ie.just before each knit stitch) You will now be decreasing during a stockinette section. This is where the stitch-markers will come in handy. Knit to 2st before marker, K2tog (60st) Knit 2 rows Knit to 2st before marker, K2tog (48st) The next set of decreases will begin once the pattern is re-established. (K1, P3) for 2 rows (K1, P3) for 2 rows (K1, P2) for 2 rows (K1, P2tog) around (24) Knit 2 rows K2tog around (12) Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches. Weave in the bloody ends, etc. Own the best hat ever. \*\* Sincethe dereases are ncorporated intothestith-pattem, ading extrastitches to your cast-on willresut in a higher rate of decrease, and a more (to use the technical term :P) 'scrunchy' top. You can compensate for this by either adjusting the rate of decrease (ie: removing fewer stitches per decrease row), or just add extra plain rows between the decreaserows.
