Belugah Slouch Hat and Beanie
Skill Level: Rookie-Apprentice-Virtuoso-Genius
Skills: knit, purl, P2tog, K2tog,
Sizes: adult small (size 21-22″ head) and large (size 23-24″)
Finished Measurements: slouch = 11″ tall (not including pom) and 9-10″ wide lying flat; beanie = 6.5″ tall
Gauge: approx. 20 sts = 4″ in st st on 5 mm as given on ball band; 18 sts and 36 rows = 4″ in patt st on 6 mm
Yarn: 100 g, 218 yds (199 m) worsted weight merino wool
Suggested Brand: 1 skein “Maxima” by Manos del Uruguay
Needles: 4 mm 16″ circ, 6 mm 16″ circ, 6 mm dpns
Other Materials: tapestry needle or teeny crochet hook
Instructions:
With smaller needles and long-tail method, CO 80 sts for small size and 88 sts for large size.
Join in the rnd, being careful not to twist sts. Pm for beg of rnd. Sl m throughout.
Rnd 1-12: K2, P2 to end.
For large size only, pu 2 extra sts on Rnd 12. 90 sts.
Brim should measure approx. 1.75″ from CO (or work until desired length).
Change to larger needles.
Begin pattern stitch (see instructions below). Work in patt st until hat measures approx. 5.5″ from CO for beanie and 10″ from CO for slouch (or to desired length) ending with a Rnd 2. Begin decreases.
Pattern Stitch:
Rnd 1: *P4, K1*, rep from * to * to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Decs:
Change to dpns when sts become too tight on circulars.
Maintain patt st unless otherwise stated.
Rnd 1: *P1, P2tog, P1, K1*, rep from * to * to end of rnd. 16/18 sts decreased. 64/72 sts.
Rnd 2-4: Work even in patt.
Rnd 5: *P2tog, P1, K1*, rep from * to * to end of rnd. 16/18 sts decreased. 48/54 sts.
For Beanie only:
Rnd 6: Knit.
Rnd 7: *P2tog, K1*, rep from * to * to end of rnd. 16/18 sts decreased. 32/36 sts.
Rnd 8-9: P1, K1 around.
Rnd 10: K2tog around. 16/18 sts decreased. 16/18 sts.
Rnd 11: Knit.
Rnd 12: K2tog around. 8/9 sts decreased. 8/9 sts.
For Slouch only:
Rnd 6-8: Work even in patt.
Rnd 9: *P2tog, K1*, rep from * to * to end of rnd. 16/18 sts decreased. 32/36 sts.
Rnd 10: Knit
Rnd 11: P1, K1 around.
Rnd 12: K2tog around. 16/18 sts decreased. 16/18 sts.
Rnd 13: Knit.
Rnd 14: K2tog around. 8/9 sts decreased. 8/9 sts.
Cut yarn and tie off. Weave in ends.
Rnd 1-12: K2, P2 to end.
For large size only, pu 2 extra sts on Rnd 12. 90 sts
what does that mean? pu 2 extra
"Pick up" 2 sts (I did one at the halfway point – 44 sts – and one at the end of the rnd). This way you have the correct number of sts for the rest of the hat (90 sts). The pattern stitch requires a 5 st repeat, but the ribbing requires a 4 st repeat which makes this hat a little tricky for sizing. Hope that helps.
yes, thanks! i love your patterns!
Rnd 2-4: work even in patt. ~what does this mean?
It means refer to the pattern stitch…Use the "Pattern Stitch" and work even – so, no decreases.
Thanks! I love your patters!
I love this pattern but I don't know what Sl m throughout means. Can you help as I'm so eager to make this beautiful hat. Thanks so much.
It means "slip marker throughout"…it just means to move your marker from the left to right needle when you come to it.
Great pattern! I made it one day, without the pompom.
Do you think this would drape well with Cascade 220? I love it.
I haven't tried it in the 220 – I think the drape would be okay…but the fluffiness wouldn't be quite as fluffy and soft. I would recommend doing a swatch first and see what you think of the fabric. If it's too thin, try making the large size on 5 mm needles instead of 6 mm.
Do you have to use dpns for the decreases or will the circular needles still work? I'm a fairly new knitter, and I've never tried dpns before and they are intimidating to me for some reason, haha.
That's totally understandable…there's lots of points and it looks scary! If it makes you feel better, it's a lot easier than it looks. Although it looks like you've got a fistful of needles and points, you are still only using two needles at a time.
That being said, I don't love working with dpns, so I usually cling to my circs until my sts are stretched around it. Then I change to the dpns for the last few rows.
Some people manage to decrease without dpns, but I prefer to use them since I think it looks neater. When your sts get stretched too much around the needle, they get sloppy. But it might be worth it – that's up to you.
Another way I know of to avoid dpns when knitting hats is to convert your pattern to be knitted flat. I think this is not ideal since A. you have to convert the pattern which can be tricky, depending, and B. you will have to sew up a seam…and although I actually take some pleasure in a little sewing, to most people it's worse than using dpns! Plus, no one likes an unsightly seam if you can avoid it…
The only other way to get away without dpns is to use magic loop method. You still knit in the round, but with a longer circ (usually 32") and there are instructions here:
http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/09/16/the-magical-magic-loop.aspx
I actually prefer using dpns to magic loop, but I also used dpns right out of the gate, so I'm used to them. It's a personal preference and both methods produce the same product, more or less.Hope I didn't overwhelm you with too much information…it's a really good question! 🙂
Rnd 1: *P1, P2tog, P1, K1*, rep from * to * to end of rnd. 16/18 sts decreased. 64/72 sts.
Rnd 2-4: Work even in patt.
Does this mean that you continue the P4, K1 from beg to end and then knit the next rnd or do you skip the knit rnd?
You repeat rows 1 and 2 from "Pattern Stitch" – don't skip the knit round (although it won't affect your hat tooo much if you do).
Perfect, thanks so much!