Yesterday, I talked about what to consider when knitting with variegated yarns.
As I mentioned in my last post, hat crowns (the top of the hat) often have a different stitch pattern from the main pattern of the hat. Sometimes, the hat crown reverts to a simple stitch, like stocking stitch or garter stitch, while other times, the hat crown decreases are worked into the stitch pattern, which alters it as you go – and the latter is my personal preference. I love it when a designer works the decreases into the pattern, and the Gallinule Hat is no exception.
That said, there are a couple of things to look for when working the crown of a hat.
Working the crown decreases of the Gallinule Hat in Fibra Natura Cobblestone Yarn.
First
As I mentioned in my last post, the stitch patterns often change at the hat’s crown, which may also mean the gauge will change. In the case of the Gallinule Hat, it’s not as big a deal, since we’re still staying within a variation of the stitch pattern of knit two, purl two ribbing. But, if the body of a hat pattern is lace, and the hat crown is done in stocking stitch, you could see a sizable tension change between the two and may want to consider swatching.
Second
Are there any new stitches? In this case, when we get to the crown of the Gallinule Hat, we get some knit two together and purl two together stitches that weren’t in the rest of the pattern. Always look through the pattern, in full, before you start knitting to ensure you know (or can look up!) all the stitches, including those used for the crown decreases.
Third
Will the colours of your yarn do something weird as you decrease stitches? This is also known as yarn pooling (and no, it’s not your yarn going for a swim!) It’s more common in variegated yarns and can have striking consequences for your finished hat! I wasn’t worried about this with Cobblestone Yarn because, being both variegated and marled, there are usually two colors in each stitch, and they vary quickly enough that I would have been amazed if this yarn had pooled up oddly at the top of the hat.
Fourth
Will it require you to switch needles? As I alluded to in the first post of this series, if you’re working the hat on circular needles, when you get to the fewer stitches of the hat crown, you may have to switch to double-pointed needles or use the magic loop or Travelling Loop techniques. I didn’t want to faff about with any of that, so I worked the entire hat on Knit Picks 8 Inch Double Pointed needles. But if I’d worked on circular needles, I would have to consider if (and when) I needed to switch needles.
Finishing the crown decreases of the Gallinule Hat in Fibra Natura Cobblestone Yarn.
Fifth and finally
How are you completing your hat? Does the pattern call for seaming the few remaining stitches with the Kitchener stitch? Or as is the case with the Gallinule Hat, does it close them off with a star top? There is much to consider when sewing up the top of a hat and finishing off those last few strands of yarn – especially yarn as colorful as the Cobblestone Yarn!
The last post in this series will help you answer these concerns and show you all about how to fasten off your ends and finish your Gallinule Hat, so come back tomorrow to see the results!
A skein of Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Mallard
