I fell in love with this gorgeous hat well before I started this website. It’s just amazing. I love that bow!
You’ll start with the bottom and work your way to the top. The pattern recommends double-pointed needles (DPNs). I’m not a huge fan of working with DPNs so I’ll probably try it out with a circular, at least until I get to the decreasing. When my daughter learned to knit, she was knitting with DPNs nearly right away. I tend to give them a Death Grip, making it not as much fun for me or the fiber! ha!
Now, let’s take a look at the pattern. You’ll be pleased to know that this pattern is easy. Really easy. You cast on, distribute to your DPNs and begin working in ribbing. Then, guess what? You just finish up the entire hat in stockinette. Boom, knit around and around and around with some decreasing at the top and that’s the hat.
Next, you’ll make a separate piece for the bow. Again, you’ll be working in ribbing but flat this time. Note that it’s recommended that you slip the first stitch of every row (Sl1 in the pattern). This is to keep your edges nice and tidy since you won’t be putting on any trim. I usually slip the stitch purlwise for all rows.
When you slip the first stitch: keep your yarn in back, insert your needle as you would for a purl and move the stitch over to the right needle without working it, then continue with the row. Try using this technique in other projects as well since it really is a nice finishing and, especially if you’re a new knitter, this will clear up that first loopy loop.
The next step is to make a little circular piece for the center of the bow. You’ll be slipping the bigger part of the bow into this little tiny tube. I’ve got to be honest, though. I probably wouldn’t want to make a little 8-stitch tube on DPNs. I would probably completely cheat and crochet it. Don’t tell anyone, though!
Once you have the bow finished, you will simply seam the cast on row and the bind off row vertically on your finished hat. And, this is quite a hat. I can’t wait to start it.
I had a look at the yarn in the pattern. You’ll only need two balls of yarn. I was able to find them at Webs for a reasonable $8.00 each. I was expecting to have to give my first born for 100% angora so I was pleasantly surprised.
Angora and mohair feel pretty thin to the touch. It will definitely feel smaller than worsted weight when you use it. Mohair and angora have this fuzzy halo and, when they are measured, the entirety is measured. It will still feel like a tiny strand at first. If the yarn becomes tangled or difficult to pull through, I wonder if you can put it in the freezer to relax the fibers like you can with mohair?
Pick up your free knit pattern download on Ravelry from Plymouth Yarns HERE.
Enjoy!