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Cornflower Garden Hat

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CORNFLOWER HAT PDF PATTERN – £3.00

WATCH THE TRAILER | WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL
QUEUE IT ON RAVELRY

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

21st September, 2011 // 5 O'Clock, Hats, Roundelay // tags: autumn, cornflower, hat, lace, spring.

Wordless Wednesday

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

10th August, 2011 // 5 O'Clock, Photographs, Roundelay // tags: autumn, cornflower, hat, purple, spring.

Unveiling

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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.