The Big Hats collection is a group of quick hats knitted out of thicker weight yarns.

• For the experienced knitter, they are a superfast project when you need a quick gift, or because you want to spoil yourself before the cold weather sets in.
• For the beginner, these hats come with video tutorials to help you master some basic knitting techniques. The big yarn means that you will see results fast and have a lovely finished object in no time. I also hope to decode some of the phrases and terminology used in knitting patterns that might confuse new knitters.

All these skills you learn will be like a collection of little gems.

Watch my introduction to the collection https://youtu.be/aijLUOtJPqs

Pattern description and options

Tourmaline Galaxy starts in a very different way to the other hats. While you do not necessarily need to have knitted the others to try this one, you might benefit from having successfully completed a few hats before you start.

This hat starts with a flat piece of knitting which becomes the bottom ribbing. You can use a provisional cast on as shown in the video or you can use any other cast on you are familiar with. If you use a traditional cast on then you will sew your band closed. A provisional cast on allows you to join the 2 sides either with a 3 needle bind off or a Kitchener stitch graft and I will show you these options in the video tutorials. I wanted to challenge you that knitting does not always go in one direction but sometimes you can start in one direction and then add something else on later.

The skill of picking up stitches is also something that you may come across many times in knitting, and while it is not so common in hats I wanted to give you the chance to practice the skill before you had to tackle a bigger project. In the videos, I will show you how to pick up the stitches you need to create the body of your hat once you have made the ribbing band.

You have the option just to knit without adding the lace pattern once you have picked up the stitches, but the feather and fan type lace pattern gives you a chance to practice doing a lace pattern right across a whole round. It only has a simple 4 round repeat with 2 of those rounds being just knit.

The hat ends with some decreases at the top and you could choose to add a pompom for dramatic flair if you liked.

Material

Needles**
6 mm / US 10 circular needle (either 40cm /16” hat circular needle or a 100cm cable for magic loop)
and
8 mm/ US 11 circular needle (either 40cm /16” hat circular needle or a 100cm cable for magic loop. If you use a hat circular you will need double pointed needles for the top decreases)

Yarn
Super Bulky
100g: 80 m / 87 yds

Sample knitted in Debbie Bliss Roma: 70% Wool, 30% Alpaca

Yardage
Child / Teen: 100 g (85 m / 87 yds)
Adult Medium: 130g (110 m / 113 yds)
Adult Large: 160g (136 m / 140 yds)

Gauge
14 stitches and 13 rows over 10cm / 4” in pattern, blocked.

Size
Child/Teen, (Adult Medium, Large)
to fit: 47 - 50 cm (51 - 56 cm, 57 -61 cm) / 18.5 - 19.5” (20 - 22” , 22.5 - 24”)

Finished un-stretched dimensions:
Circumference
40 cm (44 cm, 49 cm) / 15” (17.5”, 19.5”)

Length from crown to rib:
23 cm / 10” (fitted beanie)
32 cm / 12.5” (slouchy beanie)