26-11-2023

About the Sizing: I’ve opted to make the women’s size though I generally find adult-sized hats, as written, too large in circumference. Because this one is ribbed (so I hope it will have good recovery) and because I’ve opted to knit on a US3 (one needle size down from recommended), I’m hopeful that it will fit. I will have to adjust the depth to be less tall…

My own head is barely 21” in circ. I have fine short hair so that doesn’t add much to the equation. Given that I didn’t swatch - just can’t be bothered for a hat, I mean, I can knit the first 3 inches and then use it as a swatch if I feel like it - it’s hard to say whether going down a needle size will do the trick. The yarn I’m using is a standard sock yarn that can be put in the dryer to shrink slightly, though without putting in the dryer, it might not be snug enough given how super wash yarn can grow.

Truth is, I really can’t tell how this is going to fit till I’ve made it at least once. If this one doesn’t fit I can just give it away. I’ll gain the data I’ll need to make another one, perhaps in non-sw yarn, with the optimal needle size and circ. I’m using this as a palette cleanser between more complex projects so I don’t want to turn this knit into a production.

Pre-blocked gauge determined while knitting: 33st and 31R in 4” - I’ve achieved this holding a light-fingering weight yarn double with a US3 needle. This gives me (at my gauge) a circ that’s 12% snugger than the pattern instructs. It’s also a less flimsy (aka warmer) fabric. And I didn’t have to amend the stitch count, which is prob a 16 st repeat (vis a vis the decreases) so that would have been a complicated non-starter.

It would appear that I made the right call. This fits my head really well but I’m pretty sure I’ll have to put it in the dryer, after blocking, if the super wash yarn grows.

I want the brim to be max 3”of fold and I probably need to start the decreases at about 5” of depth (which is more like 8” of depth with the brim folded). So I’ll knit to 7.5”, fold the brim and see if it’s time to start the decreases. (See below for more detail.)

Sidebar about the Decrease Segment:The decreases happen over 20R or 2.5” at pattern gauge. My row gauge (pre-blocked, admittedly) is very slightly larger - like by 1st every 4”. So I’m going to work on the basis of 2.5” for my decrease segment too. Remember that you haven’t blocked this yarn and it is super wash so do not go too long.

I like a depth of approx 7.5” - 8” (based on a current, fave hand knit hat). If I want the brim to be ~3”, that means my entire hat depth should be no more than 11” and more like 10.5”. If the decreases take 2.5” of depth, then I have up to 8” of pre-decrease knitting. And I’m a bit flexible on the amount of brim (I imagine 2.75 - 3” will work for me). So 7.5” is the right try-on depth and I may start decreases right at that point, or knit another 0.5” / 4R before starting them. Update: I knitted till I had 7.5” of depth (with the brim folded up)

About the Cast On: This is the first time I’ve ever done a 2x2 tubular cast on so I used this very clear tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK1qKWWEvL0&list=PLx9....

My own preference (at least thus far) is to use the waste yarn method. Not sure what method PK uses. I went to the website and it doesn’t appear that her tutorial is in English - though I may be wrong. There’s no way I wanted to approach this cast on with subtitles. Also, I tend to prefer working the tubular cast on with waste yarn which is why I sought out a tutorial like the one I’ve linked to.

About the Yarn: Using Sonder sock held double. This is a great sock option that skews fine (435y in 100g). It is in no way splitty and wears well.

Pre-blocked Dimensions:

Width (before decreases) - 6.25” unstretched
Full Length (including fold up brim) - 10.25”

Final Thoughts:

• I’m glad I went with a smaller needle and made the women’s size ~2” shorter than called for. My version is a beanie, not slouchy. The hat fits well after blocking. If it loosens up with wear, I’ll just throw it in the dryer. While it’s easy to knit this with a skein of sock yarn you’ve got hanging around, I’d prefer to knit it with one strand of non-superwash DK-weight next time, for increased warmth and better recovery.

• I’m not generally a fan of PK patterns but this one is fairly clear. I do believe that all patterns should come with a schematic but this one is simple enough that one can figure out the depth of the decrease segment (2.5”) without much effort. Still don’t appreciate that there isn’t one provided.

• I’m rarely a hat knitter. I mean, I’ve knitted quite a few in my time but hats are not something I gravitate toward knitting. I have liked the look of this one for a while and, turns out, I need a new hat. I would knit this hat again - it produces a simple, functional FO that looks good when worn (and I don’t tend to look great in hats).

• If you’re a fast and organized knitter, you could knit this in a day. The cast on and decreases are a bit fussy but tubular 2x2 is fussy by nature and p2togtbl is a requirement. I don’t generally mind p2togtbl but I was working with 2 strands of light-fingering and the way the stitches clump in ribbing made it hard to get into the first stitch. It’s no reason to avoid this hat though.

• This takes about 85g of yarn, at least if the hat is approx 10.25”. I agree that this can be made with 100g if you knit it to suggested dimensions but it would be cutting it close…