OPEN STUDIO
By Hanna Breetz
"Open Studio" is a cushy ribbed and cabled hat. I designed it in a tweedy aran wool for my friend Andrew, then knit myself a smaller one in a handspun DK yarn. Both of ours are watchcaps with a fold-up brim, but you could also shorten it to a simple cap. Working on this project gave my friend a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my design process. And in a poetic turn of coincidence, our hats were finished just in time for an open studio day.
YARN
Men: 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Donegal Aran Tweed in 'Charcoal,' color 281102 (100% w0ol, 96yd/88m per 50g/1.75oz) Women: About 200 yards of DK yarn. I used a sturdy handspun hemp/wool. (you could also try a squishable worsted like Malabrigo)
NEEDLES
Men: Size 7 / 4.5 mm, 16" circular and double pointed needles Women: Size 6 / 4.0 mm, 16" circular and double pointed needles ETC. Cable needle Tapestry needle Removable stitch marker for the beginning of the round
GAUGE
Men: 17 st and 24 rows = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch Women: 17 st and 26 rows = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch
SIZE
Ribbed hats are stretchy. These hats measure at 16"/40cm around, but they'll comfortably stretch to fit a range of head sizes from a small woman to a larger guy. The main difference is the height: including the 2"/5cm that will be folded up for the brim, the man's (woman's) is 11.75"/30 cm (10.25 “/26cm) tall.
ABBREVIATIONS
C3-left Cable 3 Left: Sl 2 stitches to cable needle, hold to front, p1, k2 from cable needle C3-right Cable 3 Right: Sl 1 stitches to cable needle, hold to back, k2, p1 from cable needle C4-right Cable 4 Right: Sl 2 stitches to cable needle, hold to back, k2, k2 from cable needle Dbl-dec Double Decrease: Sl 2 stitches together knitwise, k1, pass slipped stitches over KKnit K2tog Knit 2 stitches together K3tog Knit 3 stitches together PPurl SI Slip (individually and purlwise unless otherwise noted) SSK Slip-Slip-Knit: Individually slip 2 stitches knitwise, then knit them together
INSTRUCTIONS
Cast On
Cast on 96 stitches onto the circular needle. Join into a circle without twisting the stitches, and add a stitch marker to mark the start of the round.
Ribbed Brim
Knit in p2,k2 ribbing for 2"/5 cm (or 1.25"/3cm if you want a cap without the fold-up brim)
Cable Repeats
Knit the follow 8-row repeat of cables five times (or only four times for the cap) Round 1: [p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, C3-left, C3-right] six times Round 2: [p2, k2, p2, k2, p3, k4, p1] six times Round 3: [p2, k2, p2, k2, p3, C4-right, p1] six times Round 4: [p2, k2, p2, k2, p3, k4, p1] six times Round 5: [p2, k2, p2, k2, p2, C3-right, C3-left] six times Rounds 6-8: [p2, k2] around
Top Decreases
Decrease the top as follows, changing to the double pointed needles when the stitches get too tight for the circular needle: Round 1: [p2, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, p2, C3-left, C3-right] six times (84 stitches) Round 2: [p2, k4, p3, k4, p1] six times Round 3: [p2, k4, p3, C4-right, p1] six times Round 4: [p2, ssk, k2tog, p3, k4, p1] six times (72 stitches) Round 5: [p2, k2, p2, C3-right, C3-left] six times Round 6: [p2, k2tog, p2, k2, p2, k2] six times (66 stitches) Round 7: [p2, k1, p2, C3-left, C3-right] six times Round 8: [p1, dbl-dec, p2, k4, p1] six times (54 stitches) Round 9: [p1, k1, p2, C4-right, p1] six times Round 10: [pl, kl, p2, k4, p1] five times, p1,kl, p2,k4 Note: this stops one stitch short, which shifts the start of the round one stitch to the right. If you're on double pointed needles, you'll have one stitch hanging on your left needle, which you slip to the next needle to the left. If you're still on the circular, shift the stitch marker. Round 11: [dbl-dec, p1, k4, p1] six times (42 stitches) Round 12: [k1, pl, ssk, k2, p1] six times (36 stitches) Round 13: [k1, p1, Sl 1 to cable needle and hold in back, k2, k1 from cable needle, pl] six times Round 14: [dbl-dec, k3] six times (24 stitches) Round 15: [p1, k3tog] six times (12 stitches)
Finishing
Break yarn, leaving a 1o" tail. Thread tail on your tapestry needle and pull it through the remaining 12 stitches. Pull tight. Sew in the ends with the tapestry needle. Ta-da!
CHARTS
