African Hope Hat

Here's a little treat for 2009. I decided that it was time to share my Hope Hat. I made another one over the Christmas vacation and this time I actually wrote the pattern down.

I first made this last Autumn as a charity project for some children in Tanzania. They love bright colours and so I thought that the fun Fair Isle pattern would brighten their days too. This time I decided that it would be the perfect project to use up the yarn I had left over from the Center Square hat.

The African Hope Hat is a great introduction to stranded knitting for those looking for a simple starter project. It can be adjusted to fit a variety of head sizes, although the Patons Classic Wool Merino which I used has enough stretch in it to accommodate most head sizes anyway. The hat is 5.5 inches deep from the CO edge to the start of the crown shaping.

Let me know if you have any problems. Enjoy!

African Hope Hat

Materials:
Yarn:

Patons Classic Wool Merino: 1 ball Petal Pink 00210 (M)
1 ball Bright Red 00230 (C)

Needles:

3.5mm circular needle (40cm), UK - 10, US - 4
4mm circular needle (40cm), UK – 8, US – 6
4mm double pointed (dpns) needles

Pattern: 8 stitches in repeat

Gauge/Tension: 5 stitches = 1”

Abbreviations:

M = main colour
C = contrast colour
CO = cast on
Rnds = rounds

With 3.5mm needles and M, CO 96 sts. Join into a round being careful not to twist sts. Continue in K2, P2 rib for 1”.
Change to 4mm needles and work in stocking stitch (stockinette) for another inch (approx 6 rnds).
Join in contrast colour (C) and prepare to begin colourwork. Remember to keep your strands loose so that your work does not pucker.

Pattern:
Knit every round using following colour sequence:
Rnd 1: 2C,*1M,1C,1M,3C; repeat from * ending 1M,1C,1M,1C.
Rnd 2: 1C,*2M,1C; repeat from * ending 1C,2M.
Rnd 3: 2M,*3C,3M; repeat from * ending 3C,1M.
Rnd 4: 1M,*2C,1M; repeat from * ending 1M, 2C
Rnd 5: 1M,*1C,3M,1C,1M; repeat from * ending 1C,3M,1C.

Continue in C, working in stocking stitch (stockinette ) for 1” (approx 6 rnds.)
Rejoin M and work pattern again working M in place of C and C in place of M.

Work 1” in stocking stitch (stockinette) as before (approx 6 rnds.) Hat measures 5 ½ inches.

Complete hat by shaping crown. Remember to change to double pointed needles (dpns) when necessary so that you decrease evenly.

Shape Crown:
Rnd 1: K6,K2tog
Knit all even numbered rnds.
Rnd 3: K5,K2tog
Rnd 5: K4,K2tog
Rnd 7: K3,K2tog
Rnd 9: K2,K2tog
Rnd 11: K1,K2tog
Rnd 13: K2tog
Rnd 15: K2tog

Finishing:
Using a wool needle, thread yarn through the remaining stitches and secure work on the wrong side.
Weave in all ends.

Hidden Treasure

I've borrowed a book from the library called "Selbuvotter Biography of a Knitting Tradition." It is written by Terri Shea, a knitter from Seattle who has been researching the history of Selbu mittens (the black and white Fair Isle mittens traditional to Norway.) As I was reading the historical background information about these beautiful knitted items, I discovered her reference to The Evangelist of Selbu knitting. This woman was so keen to preserve the tradition and quality of the Selbu technique, that she spread the gospel throughout the country. I was extremely excited to discover that she was none other than Annichen Sibbern Bøhn, the author of the book that I found in the secondhand bookshop last week!

Her book of Norske Strikkemønstre (Norwegian Knitting Designs) was first published in 1929 and received huge acclaim. It was so popular that it was kept in print for several decades and eventually translated into English in 1965.

Looks like I really did strike gold with my 1947 find last week!

A Touch Of Class.

I just have to share with you the fantastic book I found in our local secondhand bookstore on Friday. I was just browsing the Norwegian section (for the first time in fact) and came across this wonderful book of traditional stranded knitting charts, published in 1947!

Not only is the book beautiful to look at but it is full of absolute treasures for a former Norwegian resident and Fair Isle knitter. I feel like I struck gold!

This is helping me deal with the fact that my cold is so bad that I don't have the energy for anything. Just breathing seems to be taking the best from me today.

To top it all, on Saturday I decided to knit up a quick hat to wear down at my sons soccer game next weekend. Center Square by London Nelson is just such a knit. I cast on with Patons Classic Wool Merino from my Canadian delivery and made the whole thing in one day. Should have checked my gauge first though. It came out too big. Double stranding the yarn made a good chunky hat, but my knitting seems to have been quite loose. I should have dropped a needle size.

As I tried to peer out from beneath the cast on edge, I debated whether to just turn up the brim. This would lose some of the Fairisle pattern though and reveal the stranded underside. Instead I decided to felt the hat. This was the first time I'd felted in my American washing machine and I have to confess that I prefer my old one where I could set the exact temperature for the wash. Still, it was a quick knit I reasoned, so I'd take the risk. I threw in the hat with some Norwegian Grønnsåpe and hoped for the best.

The result was a little tight, but after some serious stretching and shaping, looks pretty cool I think. It's lovely and warm and will certainly keep the cold wind out, but at the same time has a classy look about it.

Move over Audrey Hepburn!