Nebula
By Melody Parker Narvaez
Inspired by Jill Draper's laceweight yarns"Aurora" (wool/silk) and“Nimbus"(angora/silk), I created this lightweight hat using a traditionaleight-pointstarFairIsledesign.I charted it to be a relatively easy Fair Isle pattern, having only a couple rows withfloats long enough thatthey will need a catchin them.This is a great project for beginning Fair Isleknitters or forthose(likeme)whoenjoydoing colorwork onlyinsmall doses.The crown decreases also form afive-point star. Materials: Laceweight held doubled or fingering weight yarns. Approximate amounts: 300 yards laceweight or 150 yards fingering weight in MC. 70 yards laceweight or 35 yards fingering weight. Needles/Notions: 16" circular needle or double points in size 2 (2.75mm) and 3(3.25mm), double pointed needles in size 3 (or size to get gauge), one stitch marker, and a yarn/darning needle for weaving in ends. Gauge: 7 stitches/inch with larger needles in stockinette stitch, blocked, unstretched. Size: Average adult woman's size, easily adjusted with gauge. Unstretched dimensions of the hat pictured: 18" around, 8.5" deep. Head model in photo is 22" around. [Note: I got a slightly larger gauge with the fingering/sock weight yarn than with the laceweight doubled, but the ribbing pulled in more than with the doubled lace weight, so it worked out well.]
Pattern Stitches:
sk2p: Slip one stitch knitwise, knit two stitches together, and pass the slipped stitch over. Two stitches decreased. s2kp: Slip two stitches together knitwise (as if you were going to knit them together), knit one stitch, and pass the two slipped stitches over. Two stitches decreased.
\~Pattern\~
With MC and smaller needles, CO 128 stitches, not too tightly. (I highly recommend the German Twisted Cast On for a nicely finished edge and good elasticity.) Place marker and join to work in the round. Knit in a 2x2 rib (k2, p2) for 1", changing to larger needles on the last row of ribbing. Knit in Stockinette Stitch (knit all stitches) for 12" to 3%4". Pick up CC and begin Fair Isle star pattern using the chart. Keep in mind that the hat has negative ease, so you'll need to make extra-sure your floats are not too tight to ensure the design won't pucker when it is being worn. The chart shows the 16 stitches star repeat on the right, and the shaded area on the left is just there so you can see how one side of the star lines up to the one next to it. There will, of course, be a little bit of a jog at the beginning of the round.
After completing the chart, break CC, leaving a long enough tail to weave in, and continue with MC in stockinette stitch until entire piece measures 6" from cast on edge, or to your desired depth before beginning the crown.
Crown Decreases:
Note: The instructions as written below (with the sk2p decrease) will give you the look of the blue hat in the left of the photo. If you prefer the straight, raised look of the decreases on the gray hat in the right of the photo, just change the double decreases to s2kp for all decrease rounds. (See pattern stitches on first page.)
Decrease as follows, switching to double pointed needles when necessary: Round 1: k36, sk2p, k11, \*k12, sk2p, k11\* four times (120 stitches remain) Round 2 & all even rounds until round 24: Knit all stitches Round 3: \*k11, sk2p, k10\* five times (110 sts) Round 5: \*k10, sk2p, k9\* five times (100 sts) Round 7: \*k9, sk2p, k8\* five times (90 sts) Round 9: \*k8, sk2p, k7\* five times (80 sts) Round 11: \*k7,sk2p, k6\* five times (70 sts) Round 13: \*k6, sk2p, k5\* five times (60 sts) Round 15: \*k5, sk2p, k4\* five times (50 sts) Round 17: \*k4, sk2p, k3\* five times (40 sts) Round 19: \*k3, sk2p, k2\* five times (30 sts) Round 21: \*k2, sk2p, k1\* five times (20 sts) Round 23: \*k1, sk2p\* five times (10 sts) Round 24: (even round!) k2tog 5 times (5 sts) Break yarn and use a yarn needle to run the tail through all 5 remaining stitches, pull to cinch closed, and bring the tail to the inside of the hat to be woven in. Finishing: Weave in all ends, wash and block (dry flat). Yarns used in photo below: MC (from left to right): Shibui Staccato, Dream in Color Merino-Silk Lace (doubled), Henry's Attic Kona Superwash Merino, and Jill Draper Makes Stuff's Aurora (doubled) CC: All are Jill Draper Makes Stuff's Nimbus (doubled) Colors are Clear Skies, Moonless, and Bottle.
- \*\*Printer-friendly non-picture version\*
By Melody Parker Narvaez
Materials: Laceweight held doubled or fingering weight yarns. Approximate amounts: 300 yards laceweight or 150 yards fingering weight in MC. 70 yards laceweight or 35 yards fingering weight. Needles/Notions: 16" circular needle or double points in size 2 (2.75mm) and 3(3.25mm), double pointed needles in size 3 (or size to get gauge), one stitch marker, and a yarn/darning needle for weaving in ends. Gauge: 7 stitches/inch with larger needles in stockinette stitch, blocked, unstretched. Size: Average adult woman's size, easily adjusted with gauge. Unstretched dimensions of the hat pictured: 18" around, 8.5" deep. Head model in photo is 22" around. [Note: I got a slightly larger gauge with the fingering/sock weight yarn than with the laceweight doubled, but the ribbing pulled in more than with the doubled lace weight, so it worked out well.] sk2p: Slip one stitch knitwise, knit two stitches together, and pass the slipped stitch over. Two stitches decreased. s2kp: Slip two stitches together knitwise (as if you were going to knit them together), knit one stitch, and pass the two slipped stitches over. Two stitches decreased.
\~Pattern\~
With MC and smaller needles, CO 128 stitches, not too tightly. (I highly recommend the German Twisted Cast On for a nicely finished edge and good elasticity.) Place marker and join to work in the round. Knit in a 2x2 rib (k2, p2) for 1", changing to larger needles on the last row of ribbing. Knit in Stockinette Stitch (knit all stitches) for 12" to 3%" Pick up CC and begin Fair Isle star pattern using the chart. Keep in mind that the hat has negative ease, so you'll need to make extra-sure your floats are not too tight to ensure the design won't pucker when it is being worn. The chart shows the 16 stitches star repeat on the right, and the shaded area on the left is just there so you can see how one side of the star lines up to the one next to it. There will, of course, be a little bit of a jog at the beginning of the round.
After completing the chart, break CC, leaving a long enough tail to weave in, and continue with MC in stockinette stitch until entire piece measures 6" from cast on edge, or to your desired depth before beginning the crown.
Crown Decreases:
Note: The instructions as written below (with the sk2p decrease) will give you the look of the blue hat in the left of the photo. If you prefer the straight, raised look of the decreases on the gray hat in the right of the photo, just change the double decreases to s2kp for all decrease rounds. (See pattern stitches on first page.) Decrease as follows, switching to double pointed needles when necessary: Round 1: k36, sk2p, k11, \*k12, sk2p, k11\* four times (120 stitches remain) Round 2 & all even rounds until round 24: Knit all stitches Round 3: \*k11, sk2p, k10\* five times (110 sts) Round 5: \*k10, sk2p, k9\* five times (100 sts) Round 7: \*k9, sk2p, k8\* five times (90 sts) Round 9: \*k8, sk2p, k7\* five times (80 sts) Round 11: \*k7, sk2p, k6\* five times (70 sts) Round 13: \*k6, sk2p, k5\* five times (60 sts) Round 15: \*k5, sk2p, k4\* five times (50 sts) Round 17: \*k4, sk2p, k3\* five times (40 sts) Round 19: \*k3,sk2p, k2\* five times (30 sts) Round 21: \*k2, sk2p, k1\* five times (20 sts) Round 23: \*k1, sk2p\* five times (10 sts) Round 24: (even round!) k2tog 5 times (5 sts) Break yarn and use a yarn needle to run the tail through all 5 remaining stitches, pull to cinch closed, and bring the tail to the inside of the hat to be woven in. Finishing: Weave in all ends, wash and block (dry flat). ① Melody Parker Narvaez 2011
