Warming Erika

My Christmas gift to the knitting community is a hat that I made for my friend who is in chemo therapy and needed something soft for the head. We can all use something soft this time of year, so I give you the pattern of this very very soft winter hat.

Yarn

Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran (here in colour 21204)

Gauge

19 stitches to 10 cm (or 4 inches)

Needles

Size 5 mm (US8)
Circular needle and or
Double pointed needles
(Or size needed to obtain gauge)

Cable needle

Notions

Tapestry needle
(4 stitch markers)

Abbreviations

K= Knit
P= Purl
St= Stitch
Sts= Stitches
Ssk= Slip 2 stitches as if to knit, then 
knit those 2 stitches together
K2Tog= Knit two together

C4B= Slip two stitches to cable needle and hold in back, knit two, knit two from cable needle

C4F= Slip two stitches to cable needle and hold in front, knit two, knit two from cable needle

Instructions

Cast on 99 stitches and join in round using DPNs or circular needle.

Purl 2 rows.

Begin boarder pattern:

Row 1-4: * P3, K8

Row 5: * P3, C4B, C4F

Row 6-9: * P3, K8

Row 10: * P3, C4B, C4F

Row 11-14: * P3, K8

Row 15: * P3, C4F, C4B

Row 16-19: * P3, K8

Row 20: * P3, C4F, C4B

Row 21 and 22 * P3, K8

Purl 2 rows

Knit in stockinette stitch until work measures 13,5 (14,5) cm/5,3 (5,7) inches.

Place markers on following row like this:

K14, PM, K25, PM, K25, PM, K25, PM = 24 sts until first placed marker

When you change to DPNs, or if you are already on them, you don’t need markers, you simply break the work with the needles in the PM places)

Decreasing:

Row 1: *Knit until 2 sts remain before marker, ssk, slip marker, k2tog* (4 times)

Row 2: Knit

Repeat these two rows until 35 sts remain, then decrease every row until 8 sts remain. Cut off yarn, leaving a strand to weave the last sts in.

Weave in threads. Press the beginning of decrease lines lightly for better shape than the express example here in the pictures ;-).

(the lady in pictures is not the lady in chemo)

Boarder pattern diagram for those of you who prefer that:

Copyright of Janette Millbom. For personal use only.

Any comments on this pattern are mostly welcome. Please email me at fishbonette@gmail.com