EASING FLOW - Tam & Beanie

I designed this pattern to mark my first wonderful experience of open-water swimming in the winter season! Asking my swimming buddies to suggest a name for this design, Patrick, a legendary swimmer of the local lakes I swim to, suggested the name of Easing flow, which perfectly describes the effect that open water swimming has on us that are practising it!

YARN
Two of the samples in the photos are made with Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper weight yarn (100% Shetland Wool; 115m / 125yds per 25g ball); the other two samples with Kate Davies Designs Milarrochy Tweed (70% Wool; 30% Mohair; 100m / 109yds per 25g ball). For most of the sizes you will need one ball of each shade. Only for sizes 3 and 4 you will need 2 balls of each shade of Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper weight. Only for beanie sizes 3 and 4 you will need 2 balls of the main colour in Kate Davies Designs Milarrochy Tweed.
Shade used in the samples:

Jamieson & Smith: 39 fc (A) and 202 fc (B); 366 mix (A) and 202 fc (B).
KDD Milarrochy Tweed: Tarbet (A) and Smirr (B); Lochan (A) and Smirr (B).

NEEDLES AND NOTIONS
Gauge-size needle(s) of your preferred type for working small circumferences
Below gauge-size needle(s) of your preferred type for working small circumferences
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

GAUGE
Despite both yarns used are classified as fingering weight and they can be considered substitutes, my gauge isn’t the same for both of them. I found that I need to go two needle-sizes up for the Jamieson & Smith yarn.

Jamieson & Smith yarn’s gauge: 26 stitches and 30 rounds to 10cm / 4in over stranded stockinette in the round on gauge-size needle(s)
Kate Davies Designs yarn’s gauge: 30 stitches and 33 rounds to 10cm / 4in over stranded stockinette in the round on gauge-size needle(s)
Use 3.0 mm and 3.5mm respectively for Kate Davies Designs yarn and Jamieson & Smith yarn needle(s) as a starting point for swatching.

SIZES
I made 4 sizes for the tam and 4 sizes for the beanie, to fit teen and adult heads from 49cm / 191/4in to 58cm / 223/4in circumference.

PATTERN NOTES
This hat is worked from bottom to top. The ribbing, the body and the crown are worked in stranded colourwork.

CHART NOTES
The motif repeat on chart 1 is the same in both bands, but it is mirrored in the second band; in one band the swimmers go in one direction and in the second band they go in the other direction. The motif repeat on chart 2 is showing two different phases of crawl stroke, one in each band, but the swimmers are orientated in the same direction. You have a few combinations to play with!

PLEASE NOTE: the pattern is for personal use only

Technical Editing: Frauke Urban / www.urbanyarning.com
Design, Photography and Graphics: Claudia Fiocchetti