I have a tradition with my girl friends. Every year we go to the Big E, a New England wide states agricultural fair. While at the fair we always do the same things: play with the animals in the petting zoo, wander through the animal buildings and make fun of the alpacas and llamas hair-dos, eat kettle corn, clam fritters, maple sugar cotton candy, and finish our day at Dimitri's for the best gyro I have ever had. My tradition: buy a skein of llama or alpaca yarn. I have been doing this for about four years now, and this is the first year I will be actually using it. I have chosen a gorgeous natural shade of dark brown to make myself a warm knitted hat out of. I am using my crazy eights pattern and a simple ribbed spiral to give it some pizazz and add texture. Here is the recipe (as my Grams would say) for the basic crazy eight hat:
Cast on any multiple of eight. I chose 88 stitches on size 8 Addi turbo circular needles- 12' long, for a hat that will fit my head. It takes a little less than one ball of yarn: say 200 yards of worsted weight. I chose to do a simple rolled brim: knit eight, ten, or fifteen rows, or more- you choose. The edge will automatically roll up. Or knit a standard ribbed edge: knit one, purl one. Change to Stockinette stitch (knit every round). After you have knitted the hat to the length that you want it, (usually eight inches from edge of hat) take some stitch markers and place them every fourth or eighth stitch. Now to begin the decreases: Knit around to within two stitches of a stitch marker and knit the last two stitches before the marker together. Knit one round plain. Continue in this fashion until you have eight stitches left on the needle. Change to DPNs as needed. Finishing: break yarn with a long tail, and thread it into yarn needle. Slide yarn needle through stitches left on knitting needle as if to knit and slide loop off needle. Continue until all eight stitches are on yarn. Pull yarn tight, and work in end on inside of work. Weave in any loose ends. Tad ah! You have a simple crazy eight hat. Enjoy.
The cool thing about this simple pattern is that you can add any textures you want to it. Do a few rows of stripes half way up, or knit ten rows and then purl ten rows. If you are any good with cables, by all means add some cables into the mix- I'm not good with cables, it is one of my knitting weaknesses. (Except mock cables.) The only thing that is holding you back is your imagination. Take it simple and make it sublime!
Below: Simple crazy eights hat with mock cable pattern.
Cast on any multiple of eight. I chose 88 stitches on size 8 Addi turbo circular needles- 12' long, for a hat that will fit my head. It takes a little less than one ball of yarn: say 200 yards of worsted weight. I chose to do a simple rolled brim: knit eight, ten, or fifteen rows, or more- you choose. The edge will automatically roll up. Or knit a standard ribbed edge: knit one, purl one. Change to Stockinette stitch (knit every round). After you have knitted the hat to the length that you want it, (usually eight inches from edge of hat) take some stitch markers and place them every fourth or eighth stitch. Now to begin the decreases: Knit around to within two stitches of a stitch marker and knit the last two stitches before the marker together. Knit one round plain. Continue in this fashion until you have eight stitches left on the needle. Change to DPNs as needed. Finishing: break yarn with a long tail, and thread it into yarn needle. Slide yarn needle through stitches left on knitting needle as if to knit and slide loop off needle. Continue until all eight stitches are on yarn. Pull yarn tight, and work in end on inside of work. Weave in any loose ends. Tad ah! You have a simple crazy eight hat. Enjoy.
The cool thing about this simple pattern is that you can add any textures you want to it. Do a few rows of stripes half way up, or knit ten rows and then purl ten rows. If you are any good with cables, by all means add some cables into the mix- I'm not good with cables, it is one of my knitting weaknesses. (Except mock cables.) The only thing that is holding you back is your imagination. Take it simple and make it sublime!
Below: Simple crazy eights hat with mock cable pattern.
No comments:
Post a Comment