The Dogwalker Hat
The Dogwalker Hat is perfect for standing around outside on cold winter mornings, waiting for the family dog to finish his or her business. This bulky, watch cap-style hat is only 54 stitches around, which makes it a quick knit, with an easy fit. Cascade 220 provides stability and structure, while Cascade Pastaza's $50\%$ llama content makes it warm and soft. The hat is worked with two strands of yarn held together, knit bottom-up in the round. You can finish the hat with either a drawstring closure (easy) or kitchener stitch (advanced). Note: the hat will seem small as you're knitting it. This is partly because the $2\mathtt{x}2$ ribbing tends to pull the fabric together, and partly because the yarn relaxes considerably after blocking. Don't panic - it will fit!
SIZE
Medium To fit an average woman's or man's head, 21-25 inches in diameter.
GAUGE
3 stitches to the inch in stockinette (blocked).
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Height: 10 inches (extra length is provided for an ample cuff). Diameter: 16 inches unstretched; up to 24 inches stretched.
MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT
1 skein Cascade 220 ( $100\%$ Peruvian Highland Wool; 220 yards/100 grams). Color shown: #8010,"Natural." 1 skein Cascade Pastaza $50\%$ llama/ ${50\%}$ wool; 132 yards/100 grams). Color shown: #002, "Ecru." US #10/6mm circular needle, 16" long. US #11/8mm knitting needle,either straight or circular, at least 16" long. US #10/6mm double-pointed needles. Yarn needle
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES/ABBREVIATIONS
K2tog: Knit two stitches together. P2tog: Purl two stitches together. K2P2 ribbing: $\ast\mathbf{k}2$ ， $\mathtt{p}2^{*}$ around.
DIRECTIONS
1.With two strands held together (one strand of each yarn), cast on 54 stitches onto a US #11/8mm knitting needle. (Casting the stitches onto a larger needle helps keep the cast-on row from being too tight when the hat is worn.) 2. Move the stitches onto the US #10/6mm circular knitting needle and join, being careful not to twist. 3. Knit in K2P2 ribbing until the hat measures 8" from the cast-on row. Note: this provides enough length for an average cuff (about 1.5"). If you want a deeper cuff, knit farther. 4. Set a stitch marker after a pair of purl stitches, to mark the end of the round. (It doesn't really matter where you set the marker.) Move the stitches onto the double-pointed needles, and begin the decrease rounds: Round 1: \*k2tog, p2, k2, $\mathtt{p}2^{*}$ (45 stitches) Round 2: $^{*}\mathbf{k}1$ ,p2,k2,p2\* Round 3: $^{*}\mathbf{k}1$ , p2tog, k2, $\mathrm{p}2^{*}$ (38 stitches) Round 4: $^{*}\mathbf{k}1$ , pl, k2, $\mathtt{p}2^{*}$ Round 5: $^{*}\mathbf{k}1$ ,pl, k2tog, $\mathtt{p}2^{*}$ (32 stitches) Round 6: $^{*}\mathbf{k}1$ ,pl, kl, $\mathtt{p}2^{*}$ Round 7: \*k1, pl, k1, p2tog\* (26 stitches) Round 8: $^{*}\mathbf{k}1$ ,p1\* Round 9: \*k2tog\* (13 stitches) Optional: If you plan to graft the top together with kitchener stitch, work an additional round: Round 10: k2tog, then knit around. (12 stitches) Easy finish:reak yan,leaving along tail. hread the tail end through the remaining stitches, and draw together tightly. Advanced finish: Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Put 6 stitches on one needle, and 6 stitches on another. Use the tail to graft together the remaining stitches with kitchener stitch.
AUTHOR BIO
Erika Barcott is a Pacific Northwest knitter and blogger. She lives near Deception Pass in Washington State; her blog lives at htp://redshirtknitting.com. Erika urges you to follow your whims, no matter how silly, because you never know which one will make you Internet Famous. Pattern questions or comments? Email Erika: mechagrue@ gmail.com Last updated: 12/14/2008
