Kia ora! My name is Louise, I’m a knitter, sewist, and a city councillor for the fourth largest city in Aotearoa New Zealand - Kirikiriroa Hamilton.

I developed this pattern as a fundraiser for my re-election campaign - to help foster conversations, to create reminders of our democracy, and to continue in the long tradition of craft-as-activism. I knit 10 hats as part of a one-night exhibition featuring democracy themed knits.

This pattern is a bottom-up, seamless, folded-hem hat, with options for one, two, or three lines of colourwork.

If you want to know more about what I stand for, check out vote.louisehutt.com

Finished sizing:
After blocking - brim circumference 56cm, hat depth 20cm Comfortably fits 54-58cm head

Needles:
3.75mm circular needles
3.75mm DPNs for the final decreases if you’re allergic to magic loop like me

Yarn:
MC: Countrywide Naturals 8ply - ‘1101’ ecru
Uses 60g or about 120m of MC

C1: BC Garn Bio Shetland - ‘67’ pink lavender, held double
C2: BC Garn Bio Shetland - ‘64’ magenta, held double
C3: BC Garn Bio Shetland - ‘10’ grass green, held double
Uses 2g or about 12m per CC

Yarn recommendations:
Stick to an 8ply / DK weight if you can. I used a 3ply / light fingering weight for the CC because it was the closest colours to what I wanted, but I held it double to try to match the weight of the 8ply MC.

100% wool will work better than a synthetic or plant-based yarn for the colourwork. For an extra nice colourwork result, also avoid merino and use a “woollen” spun yarn.

Notes:
This has both written instruction and a chart. If you’d prefer to just follow the chart instead, you can do so after casting on.

You can increase the size by adding more stitches between the colourwork, or adding rows before the decreases.