William's Pigtail Hat
by Wendy Lin (wendylin I @yahoo.com) The pigtail serves two functions. It is used as a “handle" to pull off the hat. And it is cute as heck. It made its debut on the U of Wisconsin Madison campus on Valentine's Day. The hat is made from wonderful Rowan DK yarn, which sadly has been discontinued, but can be replaced by any number of substitutes or, better yet, good leftover yarns in yourstash. Directions at bottom for knitting this hat entirely in stockinette stitch, for those who hate to purl. Materials: 100 g of DK weight yarn, various colors 24-inch circular needle, size 4 dp needles, size 4 stitch marker(s) Gauge: 6 stitches = I inch With circular needle size 4 or 5 (or size to get gauge), cast on I20 stitches. Join and knit in the round for 8 rows. Add first contrasting color (CC): KI round
P 2 rounds
Change back to main color (MC): K 4 rows Continue these 7 rows until piece measures 5 inches or desired length to crown. Decrease: (change to dp needles when necessary) Next round: k6, k2tog across K 6 rounds. Next round:k5, k2tog across K 5 rounds. Next: k4, k2tog across K 4 rounds Next: k3, k2tog across K 3 rounds Next: k2, k2 tog across K 2 rounds Next: kl, k2tog K I round Next: K2tog across K I round Again, k2tog across row K I round Continue to decrease by k2tog until there are only 4 stitches left on needle. Place all 4 sts on one needle and continue in I-cord for 3 inches. K2tog until I st remains; cut yarn and pull tail through loop. Weave in end inside hat. Tie the I-cord into a pigtail. Note I: Casting on with a slightly larger needle (size 6) will make the brim more stretchy, which is a good thing. Note 2: If you dislike purling (or you just love knitting), turn the work and knit in the opposite direction for the purl stripes. Like so: K I row in CC to beginning of next round. New round: Yarn forward, slip next stitch purlwise, yarn back, replace slipped stitch to lefthand needle. Yarn forward. TURN. K 2 rows in opposite direction. Change direction again, as follows: Yarn forward, slip next stitch purlwise, yarn back, replace slipped stitch to lefthand needle. Yarn forward. TURN. Note 3: Weave in ends of CC as you knit to keep the work tidy as you go. This pattern is offered free to other knitters with my good wishes. If you make this hat, I would be very grateful to see your version on your Ravelry Projects Page linked to William's Pigtail Hat. I would also be grateful for any feedback on this pattern, errata, yarn suggestions, tips, etc.
