Aga Khan's Pillbox Hat
Basic in-the-round bottom-up hat - with Kathleen Long
This hat is a kind of peace offering. It was inspired by the kind of pillbox hats made of lambswool (resembling a sort of fur) often worn by Persian nobility during the Qajar/Ghajar/Kadjar Dynasty (1785-1925), the time period in which the Aga Khan II andIll led theNizari Ismaili community-a denomination of Ismailism within Shia Islam. But first, a bit of history: Aga Khan is said to be the hereditary titleofanIslamicleader-the Imam. Aga Khan Ill, a member of the Iranian royal family, became the Imam in 1881. During his lifetime,hehelpedtobetternot only his own community, but also
In this workshop, you will learn:
Knitting in the round Shaping your fabric with decreases Creating simple fabric texture with purls and knits In 1972, under the regime of the then President Idi Amin of Uganda, South Asians, including Nizari Ismailis, were expelled. The South Asians, some whose families had lived in Uganda for over 100 years, were given 90 days to leave the country. The Aga Khan IV picked up the phone and called long-time friend, then Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau. Trudeau's government agreed to open its doors, and thousands of Nizari Ismailis subsequently immigrated toCanada. the larger Muslim community of India. As an avid hunter and sportsman, he met an untimely death after a particularly heavy-rain day of waterfowling; he contracted a fatal case of pneumonia. (Perhaps a lovely lambswool hat might havepreventedthis!) He left to succeed him his eight-year-old son who became the Aga Khan Ill - another legendary leader -who broke tradition to have his grandson His Highness Prince Karim (rather than his son) become the current Aga Khan IV, specifically because he wished to be "..succeeded by a young man who has been brought up...in the midst of the new age and who brings a new outlook on life to his office.." .
Materials Required:
6" or longer set of 5 DPNs AND a 16" circular OR just DPNs in the range of 5-6 mm (US 8-10) 1 skein Noro Kureyon or Silk Garden 7 stitch markers (optional) Optional: a coin or bead as a topper In today's world of lost countries, religious intolerance and refugees looking Tapestry needle for weaving ends for sanctuary, I think we can all use some warmth, kindness and the sort of quiet leadership that embraces the human condition. For me, knitting, gifting and wearing this hat helps do just that.
Directions:
Gauge: 3.5-4 stitches = 1" Dimensions: 16-19" hat diameter Note: Hat may be increased or decreased in 8-stitch increments
Brim:
Loosely cast on 66 stitches, arranging on double-point needles (DPNs), to join in the round, being careful to not twist stitches. Loose stitches should stretch to the size of the wearer'shead! To join in the round, move the very last stitch cast-on on the right-hand needle to the lefthand needle, thus'closing the circle' of stitches. Fortify this one step further by purling the ‘last' stitch and ‘first' stitch of the round together. Place a marker if desired. (65 stitches). Purl around for three rounds. (These are the beginning of the chart - and make the brim) Knit two rounds.
Hat body:
Begin spiral texture pattern: Purl 1, Knit 3 and repeat around. This texture pattern should automatically generate all the way around, as the hat is knit on an uneven number of stitches - this is intentional! Continue knitting the spiral texture until the crown of the hat reaches the desired height, between 4-6" from cast-on edge. (There may be frosty ears to cover!) If you want to knit more than the 18 rounds shown in the chart, you can do so and still likely have yardage left in your ball of Noro. Pillbox edge: Knit two rounds. Purl two together, then purl the next four rounds.
Birch blanket
Crown decreases:
If stitches are on a circular needle, move them to DPNs. If a beginning of round stitch marker is not already in place, set it so it won't fall off your DPNs! Then set up other decrease markers so there are 8 sections - [PM, K8], repeating around. At the beginning of the next round: [Slip marker (SM), Knit two together (K2tog). Knit to the next marker], repeat around. Continue decreases, removing markers when they are no longer necessary. Work until there are 8 stitches left. Then k2tog four times, break yarn, and draw the end through the four stitches, pulling to the private side of the hat. Weave in end of yarn. If desired, attach a coin, bead, tassel or bauble to the top of the hat as a talisman.
Texture chart:
| Legend | Knit | Purl | 口 | continue |
| ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | |||||||
| ~ | 18 | |||||||||
| 17 | ||||||||||
| 16 | ||||||||||
| ~ | 15 | |||||||||
| 14 | ||||||||||
| ~ | 13 | |||||||||
| 12 | ||||||||||
| 11 | ||||||||||
| ~ | 10 | |||||||||
| ~ | 9 | |||||||||
| 8 | ||||||||||
| ~ | 7 | |||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||
| ~ | 3 | |||||||||
| ~ | 2 | |||||||||
| ~ | ■ | ■ | ■ | 1 |
