Reversible Cloche

Day 130: The friend who has generously donated almost all of the yarn for my current projects asked me to post a photo of the "reversible" adaptation to my original cloche pattern published February 4. I've made several single-layered caps, and while working on them, went through assorted spatial manipulations in my mind to figure out the best way to double the thickness of the hat, but not the ribbing. Since the rib matched one of the colours in the variegated yarn, I made the solid-colour cap first. Then keeping it rightside-out, I folded the ribbing toward me and picked up the first complete row of "bumps" where the pattern changed to stockinette stitch. Be very careful to pick up stitches only in that row! It is easy to angle off into the stockinette row above it. I found it easier to pick up the "bumps" without knitting them. Once they were all on my circular needle, I attached the variegated yarn and completed the cap following the pattern from that point. To finish the cloche and keep the halves from shifting and bunching, take a tack stitch through the top to join the layers securely. NB: it might be a good idea to add two rows of stockinette to the original pattern before the decreases to accommodate the increase in thickness. This version covers the tips of my ears, but won't keep the wind from whistling through them.

Set And Match

Day 124: As much as I love making socks, they do occasionally get boring, and in any event, I think every other person who works at Mount Rainier National Park has at least one pair of them by now (or at least it feels like it). After creating the cloche pattern for my "brain" hat, it occurred to me that I could go in a different direction for this year's silent auction contributions: a hat and mittens set! I knocked this one off in two and a half days, added the leaves as an afterthought. I'll make some socks as well, but this is a pleasant diversion.

Hedwig's New Hat

Day 114: After searching through all my pattern books, I determined that none of the cloche designs would work for the "brain" cap many of us are making for the March for Science, so I decided to invent my own. I took three measurements from my own head: circumference, distance across the top from ear tip to ear tip, distance across the top from forehead (roughly) to the base of the occipital lobe (the point where the "bump" on the back of the head rolls under to meet the spine). The two distances were almost identical..."close enough for government work"...so the cap needed no shaping other than a reduction to bring it closed at the top. I took the gauge from another piece of work I had handy, multiplied it out, adjusted the number to a multiple of eight, subtracted an inch from the diameter because I wanted the cap to fit snugly, calculated the number of rows it would take to make the depth. Then I determined where the decreases should begin and from that, found the number of rows I'd need to shape the top. Voila! I was ready to knit.

Here Hedwig ("Heddy" for short) models the finished cloche. This one will be the base for the "brain" hat, but with this cute design, it could easily be an "everyday" cap. And because I am a Utopianist who doesn't believe in money (my grandmother said it was the root of all evil), you won't need to visit a website or download this pattern because it's right here, free...one small step toward making the world a better place by sharing knowledge.

Crow's Cloche: you will need knitting worsted and #5 needles (circular and double-point). You can make the hat larger by moving up to #6 needles.

Cast on 104 sts and work 6 rounds in k2, p2 rib.
In stockinette st, work 17 rounds even (or less if desired)
Rows 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38: dec 8 sts evenly around (every fourth row)
Rows 40, 42, 44: dec 8 sts evenly around (every other row)
Rows 45-46: dec 8 sts evenly around (every row)
Rows 47-48: k 2 tog around
Draw thread through remaining sts and pull up.

For "brain," make sufficient i-cord (French cord) to cover cap in two hemispheres. At some point in the near future, I'll post a photo of a finished brain cap.

***Updating the pattern...22 rows is a little long before the first decrease (corrected above). Make your first decrease on row 18 and adjust the other row numbers accordingly.