Thesis
Hats are one of my favorite things to knit--quick, not too difficult, useful, and stylish. So when time came around to procrastinate on my undergraduate thesis, I turned to designing a hat--but not just any hat, but one that combined many of the skills I am most proud of. Thus, Thesis was born--a mix of double-knitting and two-color brioche stitch, Thesis is soft, stretchy, and completely reversible. The stitch pattern is an elongated version of Two-Color Siemens Brioche Stitch from Nancy Marchant's Knitting Brioche: the essential guide to brioche stitch. It is basically six stitches of two-color brioche alternated with six stitches of doubleknitting in a checkerboard pattern. The instructions look very tricky, but if you know brioche and double-knitting they make intuitive sense.
SIZE One size: 17 inches in diameter and 7 3/4 inches tall. Stretches to 22 inches in diameter
MATERIALS
[MC] Patons Silk Bambo0 [70% bambo0, 30% silk; 102 yd/ 93m per 65g skein]; color: Orchid; 1 skein [CC] Patons Silk Bambo0 [70% bambo0, 30% silk; 102 yd/ 93m per 65g skein]; color: Ivory; 1 skeins 1 16-inch US #4/3.5mm circular needle AND 1 set(s) US #4/3.5 mm double-point needles OR 1 32-inch or larger US #4/3.5mm circular needle (for magic loop)
GAUGE
20 sts/ 26 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch 1 repeat of Siemens Stitch = 2 1/4 inches across and 2 3/4 inches high
PATTERN NOTES
I used two-color Italian cast on—this cast-on creates an invisible cast-on that matches the double-knitted brim. If desired, a suitably stretchy alternative cast on can be substituted. For instructions, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=777ow6z5S0E Double-knit (DK): \*K 1 st with MC and CC in back, P 1 st with CC with MC in front \*repeat to end of round Brioche abbreviations: Brk—- Brioche knit stitch. Knit stitch and overlapping yo together. Brp—- Brioche purl stitch. Purl stitch and overlapping yo together. Sl1 wyif— slip one (purlwise) with yarn in front. This leaves a loop of yarn over the slipped stitch. yf: bring yarn to front of knitting. yb: bring yarn to back of knitting yf sl1 yb: bring yarn forward, slip 1 purlwise, bring yarn to back yb sl1 yf: bring yarn backwark, slip 1 purlwise, bring yarn to back. Double knit decreases: RAR: rearrange for decreases: sl1 purlwise, sl2 knitwise, pass 3 stitches back to left needle with front leg forward
PATTERN
Brim: Co 96 st in two-color Italian cast-on with MC held in front (forming purl bumps). DK1row. Join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist. PM for beginning of round. DK 4 rounds. Body: in Two-Color Siemens Brioche Stitch This uses only one color per round. Round 1 (MC): \*[k1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, [k1, yf sll yb] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Even Rounds 2-16 (CC): \*[sl1 wyif, Brp1] 3 times, [yb sl1 yf, p1] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Odd Rounds 3-15: (MC): \*[brk1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, [k1, yf sl1 yb] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Round 17 (MC): \*[ brk1, yf sl1 yb] 3 times, [k1, sl1 wyif] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Even Rounds 18-32 (CC): \*[ yb sl1 yf, p1] 3 times, [sl1 wyif, brp1] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Odd rounds 19-31 (MC): \*[ k1, yf sl1 yb 3 times, [brk1, sl1 wyif] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Round 33 (MC): [k1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, [brk1, yf sl1 yb] 3 times \* repeat until end ofround Rounds 34-64: repeat rounds 2-32. Crown: Round 65 (MC): [k1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, [brk1, yf sl1 yb] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Round 66 (CC): \*[sl1 wyif, brp1] 3 times, [yb sl1 yf, p1] 3 times \* repeat until end of round Round 67 (MC): \*[brk 1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, k1, yf sl1 yb ,RAR, k2tog, yf, sl2 purlwise, yb\* repeat until end of round Round 68 (CC): \*[sl1 wyif, brp 1] 3 times, yb sl1 yf, p1, yb sl1 yf, ssp \* repeat until end of round Odd rounds 69-73 (MC): \*[brk 1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, [k1, yf sl1 yb] 2 times \* repeat until end Even rounds 70-74 (CC): \*[sl1 wyif, brp1] 3 times, [yb sl1 yf, p1] 2 times \* repeat until end of round Round 75 (MC): \*[brk 1, sl1 wyif] 3 times,RAR, k2tog, yf, sl2 purlwise, yb\* repeat until end of round Round 76 (CC): \*[sl1 wyif, brp 1] 3 times, yb sl1 yf, ssp \* repeat until end of round Odd rounds 77-79 (MC): \*[brk 1, sl1 wyif] 3 times, k1, yf sli yb \* repeat until end of round Even rounds 78-80 (CC): \*[sl1 wyif, brp1] 3 times, yb sl1 yf, p1 \* repeat until end of round Round 81 (MC and CC): \* brk1 with MC and CC in back, p1 with CC and MC in front \* repeat until end of round. Round 82: \* DK 4 st, RAR, k2tog, ssp \* repeat until end of round Round 83-84: DK Round 85: Round 82: \* DK 2 st, RAR, k2tog, ssp \* repeat until end of round Round 86: DK Round 87 Round 82: \*RAR, k2tog, ssp \* repeat until end of round
FINISHING
Clip tails. Run MC through MC stitches and over CC stitches and CC through CC stitches and behind MC stitches. Pull tight. Weave in all ends.
