Cables

In my effort to decrease my yarn stash, I designed a hat pattern to use up some of my spare skeins of Paton's Classic Wool.  I had two shades of gray left over from something years ago.  I wanted a cabled rib brim in the darker color that folded up and the lighter color in stockinette for the rest of the hat. My plans got a bit skewed, however, when I tried it on halfway through the top and Leda told me she liked it better as a beanie with the reverse stockinette showing. I was shocked! How could my design have been wrong, and this be better? But alas, I looked in the mirror and the dark cabled rib brim looked kind of plain when it was folded up over the stockinette stitch. The reverse stockinette stitch added a bit more pizazz and much more charm. So I followed Leda's advise and finished it as it was. I think it turned out lovely, and gave it to my model as thanks after the photoshoot.

Robyn’s Banana Brimmed Hat.

Yarn: 2 colors Worsted Weight (Paton’s Classic Wool, charcoal and light gray)
Needles:  16” circulars, size US 4

Instructions

Cast on 111 stitches in Color A (charcoal).  Join in the round, knitting first and last stitch together to eliminate the jag. This leaves 100 stitches.

Brim

Row 1, 2, 4, 5: K2, P2, K4, P2 around.

Row 3: K2, P2, C2B, P2 around.

Knit rows 1-5 in pattern for 3 inches. 

Body

Knit around for 1 row in charcoal.  Switch to light gray and knit around for 1 more row.  Continue in stockinette for 3 inches, following option 1 or option 2.

Option 1: Switch from knit to purl and continue in reverse stockinette stitch for 3 inches before beginning the decrease.

Option 2: If you hate purling around, follow this option.  This is what I did.

At start of next row, wrap and turn and knit around the opposite direction.  Turn work inside out and continue knitting in stockinette stitch for 3 inches.

Wrap and turn: bring yarn from back of work to front.  Slip next stitch onto right needle,move yarn to back of work, and slip stitch back to left needle.  Turn work.  Move yarn to back of work and continue in pattern. 

Decrease

Follow this for Option 2. For Option 1, all Ks should be Ps.

Row 1: (K8, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 2: K around
Row 3: (K7, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 4: K around
Row 5: (K6, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 6: K around
Row 7: (K5, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 8: K around
Row 9: (K4, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 10: K around
Row 11: (K3, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 12: K around
Row 13: (K2, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 14: K around
Row 15: (K1, K2tog) repeat around.
Row 16: K2tog around (Should have 11 sts on needles)

Break yarn and run through remaining stitches.  Pull tight and tie off.  

Why yes, the brim of my hat does look quite a bit like the ribbing on some Banana Republic sweaters. Coincidence? I think not! I've had a sweater with this ribbing for a couple years and have always thought it would look nice on a hat. So here I gone and done it.

Why yes, the brim of my hat does look a lot like my Oscarette sweater socks. Coincidence? Heck yes! I finished this hat moments before I ran out the door to the annual Oscars Pajama Party, where my swag was a pair of these knee high sweater socks. They match! 

I see a theme in my life at the moment. And I like it.