BLUESTONE -A PLAID HAT
BY STEVEN HICKS Plaid, or tartan, patterns always make me think of my most comfortable flannel pajamas and curling up cozy in front of a fire. While some knitted plaids can look overworked and oddly proportioned, this hat features a simplified tartan pattern utilizing two contrast colors in narrow horizontal and vertical stripes.
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
YARN AND NEEDLES
Small (20"/51 cm circumference) Medium (22"/55 cm circumference) Large (24"/58.5 cm circumference) Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light (50% Super Fine Alpaca, 50% Peruvian Highland Wool; sport weight; 144 yds/132 m/50 g) Main color: 2 skeins (#4209 Moonshadow) Contrast color 1: 1 skein (#4281 Redwood Mix) Contrast color 2: 1 skein (#4207 Salt & Pepper)
GAUGE
6 stitches/inch/2.5 cm US #4/3.5 mm 16"/40 cm circular needle US #4/3.5 mm double pointed needles
2013 Steven Hicks The colorwork is a combination of intarsia and stranded knitting. Each vertical stripe is worked with a separate piece of yarn. These shorter pieces of yarn can be wound into bobbins or butterflies, but they are short enough that any tangles are easily worked out simply but running your fingers through the yarn to separate the strands. A colorwork chart is included in addition to complete written directions.
ABBREVIATIONS
K knit P purl K2tog knit two together SSK slip, slip knit PM place marker MC main color CC1 contrast color 1 CC2 contrast color 2 DIRECTIONS From each contrasting color cut 10 (11, 12) 1.5 yard/m pieces. You will also be knitting from the balls of yarn in each contrasting color. Be sure that each vertical stripe is knit with its own piece of yarn, even when the intersecting horizontal stripe color matches the vertical stripe. BRIM With MC, cast on 120 (132, 144) stitches. Join in the round, and pm to mark beginning/end of round. Work k1, p1 ribbing for 4.5 (5, 6)"/11.5 (12.5, 15) cm (wide, foldable brim) or 2 (2.5, 3)" / 5 (6.5, 7.5) cm (narrower, flat brim).
CROWN
Round 1: K1 stitch with CC2 from the main ball of yarn, k2 with CC1 from the main ball of yarn, \*k9 with CC1 from the main ball of yarn, k1 with separate strand of CC2, k1 with CC1 from main ball of yarn, k1 with separate strand of CC1, repeat from \* to end of round, ending with k9 CC1. Round 2: Using the strands as established, \*k1 CC2, k1 MC, k1 CC1, k9 MC, repeat from \* to end of round, ending with k9 Mc. Round 3: k2 CC2 from ball of yarn, k1 CC1 from ball of yarn, \*k9 CC2 from ball of yarn, k1 Cc2 from separate strand of yarn, k1 CC2 from main ball of yarn, k1 CC1 from separate strand of yarn, repeat from \* to end of round, ending with k9 CC2. Rounds 4-12: repeat Round 2. Repeat Rounds 1-12 three (four, four) more times - 4 (5, 5) repeats total. Repeat Rounds 1-3 once more.
12-stitch repeat Main color CC1 from ball of yarn 口 CC1 from separate strand of yarn CC2 from ball of yarn CC2 from separate strand of yarn
TOP SHAPING
Continuing to work contrast colors from separate strands as established, work crown decreases as follows: Round 1: Remove stitch marker, k1 CC2 from ball of yarn, pm for new end of round, k1 MC, \*SSK CC1, k7 MC, k2tog CC2, k1 MC, repeat from \* to end of round. Round 3: \*k1 MC, SSK CC1, k5 MC, k2tog CC2, repeat from \* to end of round. :ound 4: knit around, working each stitch in the same color as the round below. Round 5: \*k1 MC, SSK CC1, k3 MC, k2tog CC2, repeat from \* to end of round. round 6: knit around, working each stitch in the same color as the round below. Round 7: \*k1 MC, k1 CC1, k3tog MC, k1 CC2, repeat from \* to end of round. Round 8: \*k2tog CC1, k2tog CC2, repeat from \* to end of round. Break all yarns and thread a darning needle with a darkest color. Run the darning needle through all stitches twice and cinch tight to close the hole. Weave in all ends and block lightly to help stitches settle into place.
