CORNFLOWER HAT PDF PATTERN – £3.00

WATCH THE TRAILER | WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL
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Many thanks to my Technical Editor, Akshata Dhareshwar!

Cornflower is my idea of a carefree hat; a hat you pull on without even thinking as you head out to do a spot of gardening. Or perhaps you keep it hanging on a nail in the greenhouse, for convenience. And if your ribbing starts to sag a little because you’ve worn it so much, well, just tie it up a bit tighter! When you get back inside you can sit down with a well-earned cup of Lady Grey. It has cornflowers in it, you know!

Cornflower is knit from the brim up in a deceptively simple & fun stitch pattern that is a combination of eyelets and elongated stitches (watch the video to see for yourself). The ribbing transitions neatly into the main stitch pattern which decreases into a very satisfyingly symmetrical crown. The tie is braided herringbone-style and threaded through the yarn over holes in the brim. Like all good hats, it will knit up in a day.

things i love about this hat, in no particular order

• I can use the braided tie as a bracelet, to stop a door slamming, to tie up drooping plants, or for various other stringy purposes.
• It gives people behind me in a queue something pretty to ponder.
• I can use it as a pouch with a drawstring.
• I can stick all manner of found objects into the tie.
• I can tie it onto my coat / bag / wrist so I don’t lose it! The number of hats I’ve stuffed in my pocket & subsequently lost on walks doesn’t bear thinking…
• It’s lacy & textured at the same time.
• It can be beribboned.
• The tassels mirror the stitch pattern. Details make me happy. :)

On a side note, if you like lists like this, you really should read the 101 Reasons Why I Love Knitting.

details

YARN
‣ 1 ball Alize Cashmira [100gr; 100% wool; 300m / 328yds] or approx. 170m / 186yds of DK-weight yarn (including yarn needed for braided tie).

NEEDLES
‣ 3.5mm (US 4) double pointed needles or 40cm/ 16in circular needles for ribbing,
‣ and 4.5mm (US 7) double pointed needles,
‣ or size to get gauge.

GAUGE
‣ 16sts / 20 rows over 10cm/4in in blocked ribbing.
‣ 1 pattern repeat (18 rounds / 20 sts) is 7cm/2.75in x 7cm/2.75in when stretched.

SIZE
‣ Finished size will be 51cm/20in around the brim (to fit a head 56cm/22in),
‣ 21cm/8.25in from cast-on edge to tip of crown.
‣ The pattern includes instructions both for altering gauge for a tighter-fitting brim, and for making the hat slouchier.

PDF PATTERN – £3.00

QUEUE IT ON RAVELRY

Have you read?

1. Wordless Wednesday
2. Free Pattern: Rambler Legwarmers
3. Pretty as a Painted Parasol

Another upcoming pattern. I’ve provisionally called it “Cornflower”, but I’m not sure. What do you think?

Have you read?

1. Cornflower Garden Hat
2. Wordless Wednesday
3. Wordless Wednesday

The Parasol Knitalong (for the Parasol Stole & Parasol Shawlette) starts tomorrow! Are you in? You can join anytime in May! And don’t forget to grab a button for your blog:

<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/laylock-designs/1626797/"><img src="http://laylock.org/images/blog/parasol-kal.png" /></a>

I worked up some quick swatches yesterday, to decide which yarn to use. The first one is in pink Feza Angora using 4.5mm (US 7) needles.

The second one is in white Alize 3 Mevsim, again with 4.5mm (US 7) needles. Which do you like best? At first I was rather in favour of the pink, but watching the Royal Wedding has swayed me in favour of white, I think.

Normally I have a great distaste for ceremonies & formality; weddings just feel hollow and sordid and… commonplace. But as one commentator remarked, it was nice to “suspend cynicism” for once & enjoy the Royal Wedding as a celebration of beauty and purity. The pomp & pageantry, the wide-angle shots of the Abbey accompanied by the swell of music from the orchestra, and the clockwork organisation were impressive in a way that few things are, anymore. (On the other hand, the Twitter commentary & live internet feed were impressive in a way few things ever were.) I found the prayers moving & nearly missed class just to see the kiss. Surely the sheer number of people who watched all around the world is an indication of just how deeply we long for grace and beauty and spiritual depth, and not only elitism, money and power? I like to think so, at least.

So fairytale-wedding-white it is. :)

PARASOL SHAWLETTE – £3

Variations are surely one of the most entertaining & educational artistic practices of all time. When you’re familiar with your piece, and have already done the hard graft of choosing your theme, you’re free to play & tinker, and indulge. My attempts are humble, but here is what a master composer can do with a simple tune (perhaps the simplest tune?). Listen while you read on…

Have you noticed that shallow shawls* seem to be all the rage in the knitting world recently? I simply couldn’t resist. The Parasol Shawlette is a variation of the Parasol Stole: narrower, and with a single border for the ribbing section. The central section, instead of being straight, makes a gentle curve, with the ribbing flowing easily in & out of the decrease “bells”. I have to admit, there are several aspects of this variation that I find particularly satisfying:

• The asymmetry is a natural result of the repetition. What I mean is, though the exact same lace pattern is repeated at either end, it looks asymmetrical, but not unattractively so.
• I find the shawl shaping method particularly elegant (though I do say so myself). As the decreases grow, the shawl narrows. In fact, this is the only tweak you need to make to shape the shawl. The decrease method (which I showed you in this video), remains exactly the same.
• It’s a nice balance of mindless knitting & lace.
• It knits up in a weekend. Who is above the lure of instant gratification? Not me!

The lace sections at either end look pretty when you use the shawlette as a scarf, but they also function as ties if you’d rather wear it around your shoulders.

spring steal

PARASOLS EBOOK – £5

I would like to say that spring has stolen up on me, but I can’t remember a more dull, drizzly or dreary April! These slightly blurry shots were the best I could get, and it’s chilly enough right now that I’m wearing the shawlette around my neck as I type. Still, I’m all excitement for my first pattern bundle! Buying the Stole & Shawlette together will save you £1, which you can will spend on yarn. :)

let’s do it!

“Spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you.” – Annie Dillard

That might be the tagline of my spring collection. I know some people think sitting & knitting as far from “living” as you can get (that Edvard Munch quotation comes to mind), but where spending days are concerned – and spend them we must – knitting in the afternoon, quietly, contentedly, must come close to bliss. I would be honoured if you were to spend your afternoon with me & my patterns. Which is why…

Please invite your friends/readers also! Here’s the code to place on your blog:

<a href="http://laylock.org/blog"><img src="http://laylock.org/images/blog/parasol-kal.png"/></a>

(You can also link directly to the Ravelry Laylock Designs Group, if you’d prefer.)

Are you also participating in 11 shawls in 2011? I am! You will be glad to know that both the Parasol Stole & Shawlette qualify (in terms of yardage & style) for the challenge. So that puts my current count at 5 and a half.

I hope it’s sunny where you are, lovely knitters & that your yarns are colourful enough to put the spring blossoms to shame. Have a gorgeous weekend! xx

* Every time I say “shallow shawls”, I get that Cole Porter song stuck in my head: “In shallow shoals English soles do it / Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it / Let’s do it, let’s fall in love”.

Some pattern specs…

Have you read?

1. Pretty as a Painted Parasol
2. Wordless Wednesday
3. Pink Haze

& here are a few POV shots of what it looks like when you’re wrapped in a downy mass of kid mohair…

& here it is, laying demurely in my lap. You’ve heard of hap shawls, but what about lap shawls? :)

Mmmm… what I need right now is a nap shawl…

Ooh look, a free download!

Download 1024 x 768 wallpaper (PNG) | Download A4 poster (PDF)

Have you read?

1. Tickled Pink
2. Keep Calm and Cast On