Coffee and Cream Beanie
By Josie Mercier
Dye your own yarn with coffee, then knit a coffee-themed hat! One, 100g ball of white yarn is divided into three smaller balls, two of which are dyed with coffee. One ball gets a quick dye in weaker coffee to produce a pale brown, while the other is dyed more slowly in stronger coffee to produce a darker brown shade. The colorwork pattern is inspired by the swirling shapes made by cream as it is added to a hot cup of fragrant coffee. The white crown of the hat represents the cream; the light and dark brown swirls are the coffee as it mixes with the cream; and the white ribbing at the bottom of the hat represents the thick-walled white ceramic mug holding the coffee. This hat is knit from the bottom up and worked in the round. Note: for those who wish to print only the pattern essentials, this information is on pages 3 and 4. Sizes: Teen or Small Adult (Medium Adult, Large Adult) To Fit Head Circumference: 20 (22, 24)"/51 (56, 61) cm Finished Hat Circumference:19 (21, 23)"/48 (53, 58.5) cm Finished Length: 8 (8.5, 9)"/20 (21.5, 23) cm
Materials:
1(1, 1) ball Patons Classic Wool, 100% wool (210 yds/192 m) per 100g/3.5 oz ball) in color 00202 Aran. Divide into three balls: one dyed light brown, one dyed dark brown, and one left undyed. Dyeing instructions are provided at the end of the pattern. Note: if you don't wish to dye your own yarn, you can use Patons Classic Wool in the following amounts and colors: · 25 (27, 30) g of 00202 "Aran" (white) · 20 (22, 24) g of 77514 "Sesame" (light brown) ·10 (11, 12) g of 00227 "Taupe" (dark brown) US Size 7/4.5 mm dpns US Size 6/4.0mm dpns Darning Needle Stitch marker Mild laundry soap Materials and Equipment For Yarn Dyeing: 12 tablespoons instant coffee, divided 2 teaspoons alum (available at large grocery stores or bulk food stores) 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (available at large grocery stores or bulk food stores) Large pot Microwave and large microwave-safe dish (optional) Measuring spoons and cup Large stir spoon Waste yarn - use smooth, non-felting, pale yarn (white acrylic is ideal) Water
Gauge:
21 sts and 24 rows to 4"/10cm in st st using larger needles
Abbreviations:
k - knit p - purl k2tog - knit two together dpn - double pointed needle mc - main color cc - contrast color st - stitch sts - stitches st st - stockinette stitch
Directions:
Using smaller needles and white yarn, co 100 (110, 120) sts. Mark beginning of round and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist. \*K1, p1\* around. Repeat last round until work measures 1 (1, 1.5)"/2.5 (2.5, 4) cm from cast-on edge. Using larger needles and dark brown, work 0.5 (0.75, 0.75)"/1.25 (2, 2) cm in st st. Using the dark brown as mc and light brown as cc, work row 1 of chart 10 (11, 12) times across next row. Continue to work the remainder of the rows of the chart as established. Using light brown, work 0.5 (0.75, 0.75)"/1.25 (2, 2) cm in st st. Using light brown as mc and white as cc, work row 1 of chart 10 (11, 12) times across next row. Continue to work the remainder of the rows of the chart as established.
Using white yarn, work in st st until hat measures 5.25 (5.75, 6.25)"/13 (14.5, 16) cm. Work crown decreases as follows: Round 1: \*k8, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 2 and all even rounds: k to end of round. Round 3: \*k7, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 5: \*k6, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 7: \*k5, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 9: \*k4, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 11: \*k3, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 13: \*k2, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 15: \*k1, k2tog\* to end of round. Round 17: \*k2tog\* to end of round. Round 18: size ten/small adult and large adult only: \*k2tog\* to end of round. Size medium only: k1, \*k2tog\* to end of round. Break yarn, thread through all remaining sts and pull tight. ve in all ends. Wash with cool water and mild laundry soap and lay flat to dry
Yarn Dyeing
Note - Mordanting will take 24 hours. The slow, dyeing process will take another 24 hours. If you are working at high altitude, please adjust the water boiling process and duration accordingly to achieve Optimal results.
Preparation - Winding and Mordanting:
1. Wind your yarn into three equally sized balls. Note: the hat uses more white yarn than the other two colors. If one ball ends up slightly larger than the others, set this one aside to use undyed in order to increase your margin of error. Even the largest size only uses 30 g of white yarn, so equal-sized balls are fine. 2. Wind one ball of yarn into a skein. In lieu of conventional winding tools such as a swift, you can easily use a cereal box, the legs of an upturned chair, or the hands of a willing assistant. Tie the skein in four places with scrap yarn. (See Photo 1.) Repeat with one more ball of yarn. Set the third ball of yarn aside -- this one will not be mordanted or dyed. 3. Soak the two skeins in a large pot containing a sufficient amount of cool water to cover them completely. 4. Add 2 teaspoons of alum and 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar to warm water and stir to dissolve. This mixture is your mordant. Add mordant the mixture to the yarn's soaking water. 5. Slowly bring the water to just below a simmer. The water should be steaming and pinhead-sized bubbles may form at the surface or along the insides of the pot. Keep the water at this temperature for 60 minutes, gently stirring the yarn occasionally. (See Photo 2.) 6. Remove the pot from the heat and let the yarn cool in the water overnight or for up to 24 hours. 7. Take the yarn out of the pot and gently squeeze out the excess water. Proceed to dyeing while the yarn is still wet. You may also hang the yarn to dry and dye later; however, the yarn must be re-wetted by soaking it in clean water before dyeing.
Quick, Pale Dye (in the microwave or on the stovetop):
1. Mix 4 tablespoons of instant coffee in about 4 cups of room-temperature water and pour into microwave-safe dish or large pot. 2. Submerge one skein of yarn in the coffe mixture. 3. Put your microwave-safe dish in the microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes or until the water begins steaming. Let the mixture rest for 2 minutes, then microwave for 2 more minutes. Or, put your pot on the stove and slowly bring the coffee mixture to just below a simmer and leave it at that temperature for 15 minutes. (See Photo 3.) 4. Remove the yarn from the liquid as soon as it cools to room temperature. 5. Rinse the yarn in cool water until the water runs clear. Hang the yarn to dry. When dry, it is ready to wind into a ball and use.
Slow, Dark Dye (on the stovetop):
1. Mix 8 tablespoons of instant coffee with about 4 cups of room-temperature water and pour into a largepot. 2. Submerge the undyed skein of yarn in the coffee mixture. 3. Put your pot on the stove and slowly bring the mixture to just below a simmer and leave it at that temperature for 60 minutes, gently stirring the yarn occasionally (See Photo 4). 4. Let the pot cool overnight or for up to 24 hours. 5. Rinse the yarn in cool water until the water runs clear. Repeat steps 1-4 if the yarn is not sufficiently dark. Hang the yarn to dry. When dry, it is ready to wind into a ball and use. (See Photo 5). Coffee and Cream Beanie - Page 4
Photo 1: 33 g/1.2 oz ball of yarn wound into a skein. Photo 2:Two skeins of yarn simmering in mordant solution.
Photo 3: One skein of yarn cooling in microwave-safe dish filled with coffee solution.
Photo 4: One skein of yarn simmering in very strong coffee solution. Photo 5: Dried yarn, shown in twisted skeins.
Dyeing Safety
Use appropriate caution when working with hot liquids Do not suddenly move your yarn from hot liquids into cold liquids or vice versa, as this may cause felting. Let wet yarn change temperature slowly. Stir and handle wet yarn very gently. Excess friction or agitation can also cause felting.
Some dyers choose to use dedicated dyeing pots, spoons, and measuring equipment when dyeing yarn. I used my regular kitchen equipment. All the ingredients used for this project are food-grade and are fairly safe to work with: Alum: According to cosmeticsinfo.org, alum, also known as potassium alum, is a mineral that is naturally found in food and in the human body. The US FDA has approved alum for use as a food additive, a food bleaching agent, and as an astringent (1). Pickles-and-spice.com warns that the ingestion of large amounts -- more than an ounce -- of alum may be toxic, and suggests avoiding the inhalation of alum (2). Cream of Tartar: The University of Illinois Extension website states that cream of tartar is an acidic powder that is an ingredient in baking powder often used to keep sweet treats from crystallizing and becoming too hard (3). Thesoapkitchen.co.uk has an MSDS for cream of tartar indicating that it is not considered hazardous under normal use, but may cause mild irritation if inhaled or with eye contact (4). Instant Coffee: The Mayo Clinic suggests that the consumption of two to four cups of coffee per day isn't harmful (5), and newer studies suggest that coffee actually contains beneficial antioxidants (6).
Sources
"Potassium Alum": http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_details.php?ingredient_id=144 2. "Alum for Pickling": http://www.pickles-and-spices.com/alum-for-pickling.html 3. "Cream of Tartar": http:/web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw/news/news20421.html 4. "Material Safety Data Sheets for common stock products": http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/msds_and_safety_information.htm "Caffeine - How Much Is Too Much?": http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU0060 lat Does The Research Say?": http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coffee-and-health/AN0135.
Please contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns at pibble959@hotmail.com This pattern is for individual use only. You may print this pattern for personal use, but may not distribute digital or paper copies of this pattern to anyone else. Finished hats made using this pattern may be sold for or given to charity, but may not be sold for profit.
