Rosehip hat
or...
So... I couldn't resist making something with one of those cool stitch patterns I got out of my new book purchase. I really liked the "rosehip" stitch. It's quick to knit, and very delicate looking. So this turned out to be a good project while we drove to and from Vermont this last weekend. I actually had to make the hat twice. The first one got frogged (I un-did it) because it was too wide and too short. The second one is just about right.
To create the hat, I had to convert the flat stitch pattern into one that could be knit in the round. I hate doing all the finishing work on a project (sewing seams, weaving in the ends, etc) so knitting hats in the round help to eliminate all the finishing work. Plus its neat to make something and know that its one continuous piece of yarn.
This hat is knit in the round. I'd consider this an intermediate project. You need to be compfortable with knitting on circular needles, knitting on double pointed needles, following a pattern, knitting, purling, doing a purlwise slip stitch, and decreasing.
- The materials
Use a non-fuzzy yarn so that you can see the stitch detail more clearly.- 1 ball Bernat CottonTots in "Little Boy Blue"
- size 7, 13" circular needle (need to make sure this is the right width
- four size 7 double pointed needles
- stitch marker (I just use a piece of yarn tied in a loop in a contrasting color)
The abbreviations
- k - knit
- p - purl
- sl - slip stitch
- purlwise - insert the needle as if to purl (from the back of the stitch to the front
- k2tog - knit two stitches together
- yf - bring the yarn to the front before performing the next instruction
- yb - bring the yarn to the back before performing the next instruction
- The pattern
- cast on 87 stitches onto the circular needle (to increase or decrease hat size, add or subtact 8 stitches)
- round 1: place stitch marker, k to end
- round 2: (begin rosehip pattern) k3, *sl purlwise, k3, repeat from *
- round 3: p3, *yb, sl purlwise, yf, p3, repeat from *
- round 4: k1, *sl purlwise, k3, repeat from * until last stitch, k1
- round 5: p1, *yb, sl purlwise, yf, p3, repeat from * until last stitch, p1
- round 6 - N: repeat rounds 2-5 until hat measures about 5 inches, ending with round 3.
- round N+1: (begin decrease % -- switch to double pointed needles when necessary) *k, sl purlwise, k3, sl purlwise, k2tog, repeat from *
- round N+2: *p, yb, sl purlwise, yf, p3, yb, sl purlwise, yf, p2, repeat from *
- round N+3: *k2tog, k1, sl purlwise, k2, sl purlwise, repeat from *
- round N+4: *p2, yb, sl purlwise, yf, repeat from *
- round N+5: k1, *sl purlwise, k2tog, k2, sl purlwise, k3, repeat from *
- round N+6: p1, *yb, sl purlwise, yf, p3, repeat from *
- round N+7: *k3, sl purlwise, k2tog, k1, sl purlwise, repeat from *
- round N+8: *p3, yb, sl purlwise, yf, p2, yb, sl purlwise, yf, repeat from *
- round N+9: k1, *sl purlwise, k2tog, k1, sl purlwise, k2, repeat from *
- round N+10: p1, *yb, sl purlwise, yf, p2, repeat from *
- round N+11: *k2tog, k4, repeat from *
- round N+12: p across
- round N+13: *k2tog, k3, repeat from *
- round N+14: p across
- round N+15: *k2tog, k2, repeat from *
- round N+16: p across
- round N+17: *k2tog, k1, repeat from *
- round N+18: p across
- round N+19: *k2tog across
- cut yarn, leaving a 6 inch tail. Using a crochet hook, thread the tail through the remaining stitches and tie in a knot to seal the end of the hat. Weave in ends.
- % Decrease Note: You can simplify the decrease by doing a garter stitch pattern (knit one round, purl the next, decreasing every 7 stitches on the first knit round, decreasing every 6 stitiches on the next knit round, decreasing every 5 stitches on the next knit round, etc)
- The chart
I thought it would be neat to create a chart for this pattern so you can see how the slip stitches create the "darts" that are staggered throughout the hat. I continue the darts for a few rounds of the decrease before switching to a simple garter stitch. I created the chart using David Xenakis's knitting symbol font.