The Finished Hat

Here's the finished hat on the lucky owner. Grant took it to MIL tonight to show it off LOL. I'm now 1/3 of the way done on a second one for Max. If I have any yarn left I'm going to make a third one because this pattern is so easy. It's adapted from a garter stitch baby hat in Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicolas (pg 76).

Using US8s I start with 30 stitches instead of 20 and increase in the last stitch by knitting front and back in the same stitch. You have to make sure you only increase on the one end because this shapes the crown. I increase until I have 40 stitches. Then, after knitting back to the bottom edge you knit up towards the crown, leaving 10 stitches on the left needle, turn, slip one as if to purl with the yarn in front then pass the yarn to the back. Knit to the bottom edge and back up and knit one stitch past the gap, turn, slip one as if to purl and then pass yarn to the back. Continue like this until you knit the last stitch and then turn and slip it, pass yarn and knit to bottom edge. Repeat this from the "leave 10 on the left needle" until you have six or seven sections. Finishing with a slip as if to purl and knit 39. Bind off. Then you just sew from the bottom edge up and finish the crown how you want. I weave the yarn through and then draw it up tight because my stitches get really loose on the crown side.

See? It really is easy and I didn't have to look at the book once to tell you anything. I don't know how this would work in Stockinette but I like the garter look. My pink fisherman's hat is the same pattern but I used size US10.5s and it ended up MUCH larger than Grants. And they're both knitted in worsted weight. It's a fun pattern to play with and you're bound to find someone who can wear it. I'm thinking of trying to make one with each "pie section" a different color but when I'm done with this next hat I need to finish up Meg's TSP. So that's what I did today. *grin*