Oscar
A hat by Hollianna Bryan
I've rarely met a stripe I didn't like. But, after flirting with too many horizontal stripes and even some vertical ones, I had an urge for a hat with swirling stripes, all the way from the brim to the pompom. Here it is. The Oscar Hat uses double stranding to create swirling bias-leaning stripes. Because double stranding makes a tighter fabric than normal stockinette, the hat increases stitches between the brim and hat proper both to get room in the hat and some puffiness in the top
If you want to modify the stitch count either for size or yarn type, remember that the swirl pattern relies on an odd number of stitches. Working the four-stitch pattern, a 2CC 2MC repeat, across an odd number of stitches ensures that each row will be staggered by one stitch, creating a swirl effect. I've worked two different sizes here: the blue-brimmed hat is the larger of the two and the redbrimmed the smaller. With a cast-on of 81 stitches, a k2p1 brim, and 9 inches worked before decrease, the Large would fit an adult or teenager with a good amount of puffiness. The Small was worked with a cast on of 74 stitches and a klp1 brim and was knit to 7.5 inches before the shaping. This hat also fits a woman closely or a child with more puffiness. This hat fits loosely around the brim and then closely throughout the hat, puffing back out at the top. I love that. When I tried the first one on, I felt very cool and also quite cozy. Jackpot. Materials: Worsted weight yarn. These hats were made with Bamboo Ewe, 1 skein per color. You will use about half a skein per color, a little more for the main color. Needles: US 6 (4 mm) and US 8 (5mm), or to attain gauge. Gauge: 4 stitches x 8 rows in pattern = 1 inch. Abbreviations: kfb: knit into stitch, keep it on your left needle, and knit into the back loop (a one-stitch increase); CC: contrast color; MC: main color; k2tog: knit two stitches together (a one-stitch decrease). Sizes: Small (child/teen); Large (teen/adult) Copyright Hollianna Bryan 2012. This pattern is an original, copyrighted design, available for free but only intended for personal, non-commercial use. Any sale of items produced using this pattern without prior, written permissionfrom thedesigner isforbidden.
Large Hat
On US 6 needles, cast on 81 stitches with the main color and join in the round, making sure not to twist. Knit a k2, p1 brim for 2 inches. Knit the increase: K1, \* kfb, k1 \* until the end of the round. Your row will begin and end with a k1 stitch. This is okay. The goal of this round is both to increase the amount of stitches and to end up with an odd number of stitches to make the spiral pattern (121 stitches total). Switch to US 8 needles for the hat body proper. Join CC and work \*2 CC, 2MC\* until the hat measures 9 inches from the cast on edge. You will often end the row in the middle of either a CC or MC pair. That's fine; just keep knitting the 2CC, 2MC, using the first stitch of the new row to make your next CC or MC stitch It's more important that you continue the 2CC, 2MC than that you pay attention to row beginnings and endings. Mark the row ending so that you know when to start the decreases, but don't worry about adjusting the pattern to fit the row. Be careful not to pull your floats too tight, as you want the hat to have some give and pouf. As you have an odd number of stitches, your pattern will start to spiral. Once your hat is long enough, start the crown decrease by working three rows of K2tog decreases, keeping to the 2CC, 2MC pattern. Then, cut both yarns, run them through the remaining stitches and bind off. Make a pompom and affix to the top of the hat.
Small Hat
The smaller hat is worked almost identically to the larger hat, changing only the brim. On US 6 needles, cast on 74 stitches and join in the round, making sure not to twist. Knit a k1, p1 brim for 2 inches. Then, increase \*k1, kfb \* until the end of the round. The goal of this round is both to increase the amount of stitches and to end up with an odd number of stitches to make the spiral pattern (111 stitches total).
Switch to US 8 needles for the hat body proper. Join CC and work \*2 CC, 2MC \* until the hat measures 7.5 inches from the cast on edge, or until it's as long as you wish. You will often end the row in the middle of either a CC or MC pair. That's fine; just keep knitting the 2CC, 2MC, using the first stitch of the new row to make your next CC or MC stitch It's more important that you continue the 2CC, 2MC than that you pay attention to row beginnings and endings. Mark the row ending so that you know when to start the decreases, but don't worry about adjusting the pattern to fit the row. Be careful not to pull your floats too tight, as you want the hat to have some give and pouf. As you have an odd number of stitches, your pattern will start to spiral. Once your hat is long enough, start the crown decrease by working three rows of k2tog decreases, keeping to the 2CC, 2MC pattern. Then, cut both yarns, run them through the remaining stitches and bind off. Make a pompom and affix to the top of the hat. Copyright Hollianna Bryan 2012. This pattern is an original, copyrighted design, available for free but only intended for personal, non-commercial use. Any sale of items produced using this pattern without prior, written permissionfrom thedesigner isforbidden.
