Hat Band

I’ve made a hat band of about 25 rounds which seems to be about 8cm. I can put it on my head so I guess it’s not too tight after all.

Now I’m trying to figure out how to do the rest of it.. making it up as I go. I think a good start will be 5 rounds stockinette and then into the Alternating Leaf section of the pattern, which will need some reinterpretation so be knit in-the-round.

Alternating Leaves

The leaf pattern for this section is in sections of 9 stitches, so 124 is an odd number of stitches.

I knitted 5 rows in stockinette before starting this section, but as I came to the end of my round I realised that 7 extra stitches would be an unwieldy number to have as extra, so it would be easier to add 2 stitches to my 124 to get 126
(1+2+6=9 which is a cute way of checking if the number is divisible by 9)
at the end of the first round I added a stitch with a (yarn over) YO,
and then after the first knit stitch of the row, I added a second YO.

The start of the Leaf Pattern is
K3, * k2tog, k1, yo, k6 *

As the first 2 stitches of my round are k1, yo (to get my row up to 126 st)
I start my leaf pattern row with
k1, yo, k1, * k2tog, k1, yo, k6 *
and the end of the round should happen half way through that “k6” gap.

Then I have to figure out how to do the next row as the scarf pattern is designed knitted in the flat.

As I get to the start of the round, it seems the pattern will follow properly if I continue in pattern, only less one stitch.

As I get to the round mark, there are k3, before the stitch marker.
In the last round I started with three stitches (k,yo,k), so for the one stitch offset I require, instead of K3 before the k2tog
K3, * k2tog, k1, yo, k6 *
I only need to K2 at the start.

Leaves in the Round

Leaves 1 way

K3 * k2tog, k1, yo, k6 * repeat until marker
K2 * k2tog, k1, yo, k6 * repeat until marker
K1 * k2tog, k1, yo, k6 * repeat until marker
* k2tog, k1, yo, k6 * repeat until marker

Knit 2 rounds then leaves back the other way

K3 * yo, k1, ssk, k6 * repeat until marker
K4 * yo, k1, ssk, k6 * repeat until marker
K5 * yo, k1, ssk, k6 * repeat until marker
K6 * yo, k1, ssk, k6 * repeat until marker

Garter Rows

knit a row, purl a row..
and all of a sudden my yarn splits and I have to figure out how to graft stupid acrylic fluff to each other, though the fluff refuses to felt nicely.. urrff

on the 5th round that’s finally! a knit row, and the hat seems to be a good fit.

Looking onto the next section the detail is in patterns of 8 stitches. As I’d quite like the hat to start decreasing at this point, I decide to make 6 ktog stitches evenly in the next round to decrease to 120st (15 × groups of 8 st).

Then one more knit row to set up before the flower details.

Flowers ❀

As I’ve just done 2 knit rows after my garter section I’m starting straight into the flower details.

k5, * P3tog (leave the three stitches on the left needle), yo, P the same 3 stitches againk5, k5 *
repeat to end of round; this should finish with the flower (and not need the last k5)

Then knit 2 rounds.

The next flower round is offset:
k1, * P3tog (leave the three stitches on the left needle), yo, P the same 3 stitches againk5, k5 *

Decreasing for the Crown

I have a third Flower section, and in between the flowers I am decreasing from 5 st, to 4 in a pattern of
❀ k1, k2tog, k2 ❀
followed by a knit round.

Finishing the flower section I start a garter section.

Knit round,
Purl round,
Knit round with decrease of k2tog, k8, unto end (it goes a bit over so I stop at the round marker).
Purl round

(stitch check! uh.. 96st)
I’m wanting to decrease 8 stitches every second round at this point.

Knit round with decrease of * k2tog, k10 * (88st)
Purl round
Knit round with decrease of * k2tog, k9 * (80st)
Purl round
Knit round with decrease of * k2tog, k8 * (72st)

Swirl Top

I want to finish the garter because it’s going to make the top of the hat bumpy and I don’t like it.

my thought is I’ll do my decreases in P2tog rather than K2tog, and I’ll offset each row by one stitch.. purling the following stitch on the rest rounds.

pattern will look something like this where ¶ is P2tog
k k k ¶ k k k
k k p k k k k
k ¶ k k k k k
p k k k k k k

it’s going to start looking a bit funny when I get the the tippy top… I’ll see how I go.

Knit round with decrease: * p2tog, k7 *
Rest knit round: k, * p, k7 * to end (64st)
Offset Knit round with decrease: k2, * p2tog, k6 * to end
Rest knit round: k3, * p, k6 * to end (56st)
Offset Knit round with decrease: k4, * p2tog, k5 * to end
Rest knit round: k5, * p, k5 * to end (48st)

I lost my round marker.. and things are getting a bit tight.. I swear it’s sheer luck that my stitch count seems right at the moment.