More Schwag:* El Hatto Negro

Formerly known as the Big-Headed Man Hat (the big-headed man objected to this name, so we had to come up with a new one), El Hatto Negro is the official super duper warm headgear of the Moxie-Hulia household, tested and approved by Moxie himself (aka: Inspector #1). The name comes from our infantile enjoyment of foreign language bastardization. (If you can't speak it, you can at least have a little fun with it, eh?)

Modeled by Yours Truly in Moxie's Stead

Moxie got his hat a few days after Christmas (the knitting fairy was worn out from making infinite adjustments to his "special hat" and put it down for a while), but he didn't seem to mind, since he got an X-box for Christmas from THE WORLD'S GREATEST WIFE. (That would be me.) His sister said that the other women in the family might have to kick me out of the club for this foolish manuever, but she changed her tune when I pointed out how much more knitting time I would have while he was off blowing up the universe (from the confines of our living room, no less). Having gone to the trouble of creating the nearly perfect husband hat, I thought I would be a generous knitting fairy and share the pattern with you, too.

Some Very Important Preliminary Caveats:
Although this hat looks like your average everyday k1 p1 hat, it isn't. It's a broken rib (the "purl" sections are really columns of k1, p1) with columns of slipped twisted knit stitches. The fabric looks sort of like reverse stockinette stitch on the wrong side, and is really, really thick and fluffy. It's much warmer than k1, p1 rib and also a bit less stretchy. The warmth and fluffiness are the upside. If you live in a cold climate, or just like to ensure that absolutely no heat escapes from your noggin in the cold, this is the hat for you. With every up side, there is a downside, however. With this hat, the downside is that it is very difficult to tell whether you are on a ribbed round or a slipped round when working in the round.

Here are some "tells" to help you out in the round:
1. On the ribbed rounds (odd), the knit stitches become twisted, so when you knit the stitch that you're working into will not be set up in the normal manner. It will feel a little more difficult than "normal" knitting and it will be twisted when you're done.

2. On the slipped rounds (even), you will knit what were purl stitches on the round below and then slip the knit stitches.

3. Also on the slipped rounds (even), you will slip the knit stitches, which will be oriented correctly prior to slipping.

For me, the easiest way to remember where I am is whether the stitch is oriented for twisting or regular knitting, but you can also tell by whether you are on a purl or a knit in the broken rib column.

An even easier way to help yourself with this mess is to make use of your trusty row counter, making sure to keep good track of your odd and even rounds. I like to "read" my patterns as I go, so I usually don't employ a counter, except on a very complex pattern. I find I learn more about my knitting this way.

Or Make it Flat:
If you don't want to fuss with working in the round, but want to make the hat, you can always work it flat and sew it up the side at the end. Just rememer to adjust the decreases so that they don't fall at the edges of the hat. I didn't do this because it's hard to make the back seam blend due to the nature of the slipped stitch pattern (you'll get what I mean if you try it this way).

THE PATTERN:

Sizing:
One size fit our test group of one 23.5" manhead and one 22" womanhead. I'd guess it would fit any adult size 23.5" and under, but no guarantees on that.

Dimensions:
The hat is 8" tall and 16.5" in circumference unstretched, so it looks smaller than you might expect it to - don't fret!

Materials:
Two skeins of Karabella Aurora 8 (98 yds (90 m)/skein), 100% Merino, in Black (1148). Any Wool, Merino or Alpaca yarn with a suggested (ballband) guage of 18 sts and 26 rows per 4 inches can be substituted.

One set each, circular needles in sizes US4 (3.0 mm) and US6 (4.0 mm), 16" length, one set US6 (4.0 mm) DPNs. Stitch marker, row counter and darning needle (all optional, but recommended).

Guage:
33 sts and 46 rows per 4 square inches in pattern, unstretched, using US6 (4.0mm) needles. Remember to count the "purl" stitches hiding between the twisted knit columns when you are determining the stitch count. All you have to do is count the knits and then add the same number minus one to get the purls. (i.e. If you count 16 knit stitches, then 16 knits + [16-1] purls = 33 stitches total.) For the row count, use the twisted knit stitch count again, and multiply the number that you get by two (because you slip these stitches every other row) to get the right number. (i.e. If you count 23 knits, multiply this by two to get a total of 46 stitches.)

If You Swatch Flat Rather Than in the Round:
I do this all the time, but only because I know there is a negligible difference between my round and flat knitting. You are not guaranteed to get the same guage using this method, so proceed at your own risk! When swatching flat, the stitch pattern changes because you're working on two sides of the fabric rather than one. Here's the modification you should make:

CO an odd number of stitches. Somewhere around 37 should be good, since your guage is 33 sts over 4 inches.
Odd rows: *k1, p1* to last st, k1.
Even rows: *k1, slip 1 st knitwise w/yarn in back* to last st, k1.
Voila! Flat swatch.

Make the Hat:
Using US4 (3.0 mm) circular needles, CO 128 sts and work flat for two rows as follows:
row 1: *k1, p1* to end.
row 2: *k1, slip 1 st knitwise with yarn in back* to last stitch. On last st, slip 1 st knitwise with yarn fwd.
round 3: After row 2, you will keep working in the same direction, place marker, and join to work in the round.
round 3 and all odd rounds: *p1, k1* to end.
round 4 and all even rounds: *k1, slip 1 knitwise w/yrn in back* to end. After 10 rounds, switch to US6 (4.0 mm) needles.
Continue in patt, until hat measures about 5 1/2 inches in length, ending after a slipped stitch round.
Shape Crown:
Decrease for crown shaping as follows, switching to DPNs when necessary.
*Work 14 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 13 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 12 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 11 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 10 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 9 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 8 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 7 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 6 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 5 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 4 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Work one round even, slipping any sts that have been knit together on the previous round knitwise.
*Work 3 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
*Work 2 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
*Work 1 sts in patt, ssk* to end.
Ssk until you have only 8 sts remaining. Cut the yarn about 6 inches out and then run it through the live stitches with a tapestry needle. Pull tightly and weave the around the top once or twice to fill in any bare spots and keep the hat securely closed.

Finishing: Sew up the gap at the bottom of the hat and weave in ends. Wash gently in cool water with a tiny bit of gentle detergent. Rinse and lay flat to dry. Wear in all elements, secretly feeling superior to all those schmucks in traditional ribbed hats!

*In case you are unfamiliar with the term, schwag is free sh*t, often obtained from someone who deals in wares of the kind.

COPYRIGHT 2004, Julia P. Trice This pattern is protected by copyright and available for personal use only. It is not available for sale or distribution without the author's express permission.

One Last Gratuitous Photo:*
You never really know what you'll get with a tripod and a self-timer.

Looking for Aliens in Moxie's Hatto

* I apologize to those of you who were hoping for a quality hat photo. Since black knitwear defies all attempts at photographing, I went for arty instead.

Posted by Julia at December 30, 2004 06:58 PM
In

Copyright Julia Trice, 2004-2006. All rights reserved.