Around the Bend Hat & Cowl Set
A Simple Knits design My all time favorite winter hat is a pill box with a flat top. Since I have been unable to find another one, I designed my own. The hat is knit from the bottom up in the round. It begins with a garter stitch band, the sides have a diagonal pattern, a turning ridge, and decorative decreases finish the top. The yarn used in the pictured samples is Caron Simply Soft Paints in Driftwood. This Aran weight yarn is heavy with a cottony feel. I used 220 yards to make the hat and cowl set. For the hat, you will need 100 yards of Aran weight yarn, a size 8 (5 mm) 16" circular knitting needle, and a set of dpns. Finished size: 22" around, 4.5" deep, and 6" flat top. It should fit most adult heads. Since I had leftover yarn, I made a matching cowl. This short cowl was made with 120 yards of Aran weight yarn and a size 10 (6 mm) 16" circular needle. It is knit in the round from the bottom up. Finished size: 25" around x 7" tall. It's very easy to make it bigger.
Wear it as a tube or fold it to one side and pin it for a draft free fit.
? 2013 Vicki Mikulak
All rights reserved.
For personal, non-commercial use only. Questions? simple.knits@yahoo.com Revised 4/14/2013
Hat Materials:
100 yards Aran weight yarn Hobby Lobby I Love This Acrylic in Driftwood used in pictured sample. Size 8 (5 mm) 16" circular knitting needle and a set of dpns 1 stitch marker Yarn needle Gauge: 4 sts & 6 rows = 1" (in stockinette) Size: 22" around x 4.5" tall x 6" across flat top
Key:
k - knit p-purl st(s) - stitch(es) kw - knitwise CO - cast on BO - bind off skp - slip st, knit next st, pass slipped st over knit st LC (left cross) - Worked over the next 2 sts. Insert right needle into 2nd stitch on left needle from the back and knit it. Then knit the first stitch on the left needle and drop both stitches from the left needle. M1 - lift yarn between the last st and the next st onto the left needle, knit in the back of it to twist the st (1 st increase)
Hat Sides: CO 87 sts.
Join in the round. Do not twist! Place marker at beginning of round. Round 1: Purl Round 2: Knit Round 3: Purl Round 4: Knit Round 5: Purl In the next section, ignore the marker and work in a continuous spiral. Rounds 6-26: \*k6 sts, LC \*, repeating until hat is 4.25" long (about 20 rounds from Round 5). (Or as long as you want).
Transition Ridge:
Round 27: Purl Round 28: Knit Round 29: Purl. After purling the last st, M1. (88 Sts) As you knit the top of the hat, change to dpns when there aren't enough stitches to fit around the circular needle (or use magic loop or 2 circulars).
Top of Hat:
Round 30: \*K2t0g, k9\* 8x. (80 sts) Round 31: \*Slip 1 knitwise, k9\* 8x Round 32: \*K2t0g, k8\* 8x. (72 sts) Round 33: \*Slip 1 kw, k8\* 8x Round 34: \*K2t0g, k7\* 8x. (64 sts) Round 35: \*Slip 1 kw, k7\* 8x Round 36: \*K2t0g, k6\* 8x. (56 sts) Round 37: \*Slip 1 kw, k6\* 8x Round 38: \*K2t0g, k5\* 8x. (48 sts) Round 39: \*Slip 1 kw, k5\* 8x Round 40: \*K2t0g, k4\* 8x. (40 sts) Round 41: \*Slip 1 kw, k4\* 8x Round 42: \*K2t0g, k3\* 8x. (32 sts) Round 43: \*Slip 1 kw, k3\* 8x Round 44: \*K2t0g, k2\* 8x. (24 sts) Round 45: \*Slip 1 kw, k2\* 8x Round 46: \*K2t0g, k1\* 8x. (16 sts) Round 47: \*Slip 1 kw, k1\* 8x Round 48: \*K2tog\* 8x. (8 sts) Cut yarn leaving a 6" tail. Thread yarn tail in a needle, run needle through the 8 sts twice in a circle. Pull tight to close hole. Weave in yarn tails.
To make the hat larger or smaller:
Decrease/increase the stitch count in multiples of 8 sts. If you decrease 8 sts, omit Rounds 30 & 31. If you increase 8 sts, add two new rounds before Rounds 30 & 31 changing the k9 to k10.
Cowl Materials:
120 yards Aran weight yarn Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn Acrylic in Driftwood used for pictured sample. Size 10 (6 mm) 16" circular knitting needle 1 stitch marker Gauge: 3.5 sts & 5 rows = 1" (in stockinette) Size: 25" around x 7" tall
Cowl Instructions:
CO 95 sts. (Use a standard long tail CO or a crochet CO on with your project yarn for a CO that matches your BO.) Join in the round. Do not twist! Place marker at beginning of round. Round 1: Purl Round 2: Knit Round 3: Purl Round 4: Knit Round 5: Purl In the next section, ignore the marker and work in a continuous spiral. Rounds 6-31: \*Knit 6 sts, LC\*, repeating until cowl is 6" long. The left crosses form diagonal lines across the body of the cowl. (For a taller cowl, work more rounds here.) Rounds 31-35: Repeat Rounds 1-5. BO all stitches.
Want a longer cowl?
Add more stitches to the CO in multiples of 8. You will need extra yarn to do this.
