About a Hat
My default hat pattern, knitted on a Kniterate
With double jersey jacquard, I consider this hat a Kniterate special. I first made this pattern in the 80s on a Studio Bulky 8 machine. I keep making it because it’s a great way to make use of gauge swatches and failed trials that most knitters have lying around. The pattern actually first began as a failed gauge swatch. I was taught to make them big, 100 needles x 100 courses. At this gauge my rectangle is considerably larger. If you plan to knit this as a way of using up test swatches, you may need bigger swatches than you’re used to making.
Of course, you can also just make a rectangle of fabric to use intentionally for this hat construction. This is what I did in this version. In fact, it’s the hat I promised to make for my husband two years ago, soon after I got the Kniterate. I like the hat so much, I’ve decided to make one for myself. I hope it doesn’t take two years for me to finish mine though!
Using the Kniterate knitting machine, I took advantage of its easy to knit double jersey jacquard with colors inverted on the reverse side. The feature makes for a nice upturned brim. My jacquard is 2-color, where each feed consists of 2 ends in different colors (4 colors in all), adding depth to the color arrangement. You could translate this to any double bed domestic machine and get similar results. It doesn’t need to be a double jersey jacquard, as long as the stitch pattern works well on both sides.
For best fit the top two and bottom two inches of the hat rectangle are a bit tighter. This is done either by reducing stitch size as I did at the bottom of the hat or by changing to a miss stitch pattern as I did at the top. There’s no cutting or gathering in the construction, just folding and sewing. The back seam is hidden mostly by the vertical stripe design.
Wool beanie
Knitted with 100% wool, this one may be getting a little too warm for wear right now, but perhaps this is my chance to start experimenting with or short row lace and racked, lacy cottons. I have ideas.
O!
As a Kniterate ambassador I’d be happy to give you a virtual tour of the machine. If you’re a Kniterate owner, you may be interested in my prerecorded Designing with Kniterate classes.