Alana is graciously sharing her pattern for “Brains for Science” which people can wear to the March for Science. I thought it would also be fun for my friend. Her favorite holiday is Halloween. I plan to make one for myself for a museum docent thinking cap.

I used the photos as inspiration and was half finished before I realized I had not yet looked at the actual pattern. Luckily, she said it would be OK to use a beanie pattern you already have. I knew how to knit icord and just started knitting when I was visiting and had about 3’ by the time we were ready to leave. I knew I was going to make two of these so I bought 4 skeins of yard and then used 2 to make separate icords, rather than knitting from the middle and then using the outside wind for another = less tangling. And, since the yarn I chose is worsted, and Alana’s pattern is for finer yarn, I really was on my own anyway. Since I am in a hurry to finish these before the March for Science, the worsted will go faster even if it doesn’t look quite as interesting as the mottled pink Araucania Ranco Solid that she used.

On this beanie, I started at the top and worked down. It is easier to disguise the increases (than it is when decreasing) because I picked up the bar and twisted it when adding another stitch. I divided my stitches evenly across 6 dpns, and then moved the increases randomly, so one row my increase on the 6th stitch on each needle, then jump over to the 11th stitch on the next round.

Avoid this: On my next beanie I started at the brim, and when I decreased I just did the stitch at the end of each of the 6dps--this made a bit of a spiral and now the beanie does not fold evenly in half. Even though I stitched across the middle, as in the first brain hat, the yarn does not line up along one row of stitches and has to jump across to stay on the fold line. If I make the two halves meet up closely down the middle it ought to disguise the problem, but it would have been better to avoid it altogether!

I made my original with 5-stitch wide icord. Then I realized I could make 4-stitch icord on the next. I will see if it takes more yardage since it is narrower…

I pinned the icord loops really close the way I liked best and used up about 7’ of cord for just 1/4 of my brain. I pinned the other side loosely in order to see how far 7’ would go and what that would look like. If I was short of time I’d sew the loops on that way in order to finish before the March for Science. (Or maybe just pin them on with safety pins until I could make more?) I’m going to knit more icord so it can be a real brainy brain! I think I made 10 or 11’ more.

About that space down the middle? (It’s called: longitudinal fissure, cerebral fissure, medial longitudinal fissure, or interhemispheric fissure). Put the icord loops close together down the center because the hat will stretch wider apart when you put it on! Also, copy Alana’s directions and crochet the icord to the hat.

I pinned it as closely to mirror image as I could and sewed it from the top, because of the pins. I went crosswise catching the bottoms of the next bit of cord as I wove the needle through the inside of the hat, up to catch a little of the icord and back down. I tried to keep from pulling the yarn tightly so the hat wouldn’t shrink in size. It worked. After I had it tacked down, I went back and caught any bits I had missed on the first run. Work at only catching the bottom of the icord so it stays round and doesn’t get flattened. I sewed across, or back and forth thru the bottoms on the ivied lopops, which made it harder for the hat to stretch well. Thn next hat I left long tails on each icord section and then used that to running stitch them to the hats lengthwise under each tube. It also helped to pin the front and back edges in mirror image shapes along the fissure. If the icord loops don’t fit (match exactly) along the sides over the ears, it won’t show, because it is impossible to see both sides at the same time.

I made my icords in two long sections for the first hat. The directions call for multiple shorter pieces. I made the 2nd and 3rd hat with more shorter pieces of icord. I figured out that if you want matching lengths of icord, if you are careful, when you get close to the same length on the second piece, hold the beginning ends together and then loosely tie them into an overhand knot. Knit the 2nd icord to match the length of the first--check by holding it up to the 1st as you go.