Free Pattern: Gilda's Hat

With people out of work, kids out of school, and a lot of uncertainty about the future, we have been trying to maintain a sense of routine and calm at our house. We’ve quickly created new routines that allow both my partner and I to work from home, and make sure our children are keeping to some sort of a schedule.

Our family has started going for a walk down our unusually quiet block each afternoon to make sure the kids get some exercise and fresh air each day. It’s been nice to see all of the projects our neighbors have taken on with their newfound free time and nervous energy. There have been saws and hammers going a few doors down, our neighbors in the back took a chainsaw to some overgrown cedar trees, the next-door neighbors cleaned out their garage, and the neighbors on the other side proudly told us - from 10 feet away - about the effort of finally weeding the lily bed in their front garden.

I have been working on my own project of sorts - finally writing and sharing some long-knit and forgotten patterns that I definitely meant to blog about and haven’t found the time for. I hope everyone is staying in, staying safe, and taking good care of themselves. We’re all in this together, so no matter what, you are not alone - even if you are literally alone right now.

This is a hat pattern you will want to knit again and again. It has become one of my go-to patterns for friends and family over the years. About 10 years ago I knit a hat for my sweet baby boy in Koigu’s Kersti yarn, one of my favorites. The hat is long gone - either lost to time or handed on to another baby to make good use of. It had all the bells and whistles - knit from the top down to ensure size accuracy, a seed stitch brim and ear flaps to keep ears warm and protected from breezes and chills, and a long twisted cord tie to securely fasten the hat to baby’s head. All babies need a hat - as any concerned older woman on the street will remind a young mother - and your baby is no exception! (“THAT BABY NEEDS A HAT!” has become a family inside joke, after being accosted so many times when out with a hatless Baby Number 1.) The only way to truly ensure that your baby’s head is properly covered is to tie it on because any other kind of hat finds its way onto the ground very, very fast. Be sure to secure all hats firmly with icord or a twisted cord, otherwise, you will risk the wrath of well-meaning grandmotherly types everywhere!

Last year before Rhinebeck, I knit a new version of the hat for my newest baby, Gilda. Gilda was a delightful model on a rainy day in Woodstock, and I was able to snap a few cute pics of her. (Because I know you’ll ask, she is wearing the Antler Sweater by Tin Can Knits, made for her by our pal Lisa. Thank you, Lisa!)

For Gilda’s new hat, I used BC Garn’s newly GOTS Certified organic tweed, Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is a light worsted weight 100% wool that comes in a great array of classic tweed colors. Honestly, this hat will work up in a variety of yarns that are DK to worsted weight. You’ll just end up with a slightly different hat size depending on your gauge. But, as I always say, you’ll find a head to fit it somewhere! This hat would work great in Semilla, Scout, or Germantown.

Gilda's Hat

SPECIFICATIONS
YARN BC Garn Loch Lomond, (100% GOTS Certified organic wool, 169 yds/50 g skein) - 1 skein.
GAUGE 20 sts and 34 rows = 4” in St st, after blocking.
SIZE 3-9 months. Finished hat meas 7” high (excluding ear flaps) and 14” circ. 9-18 months. Finished hat meas 7” high (excluding earflaps) and 16“ circ. The hat is designed for a snug fit.
NEEDLES 1 set US 6 double pointed needles, or size to obtain gauge.
NOTIONS Stitch marker. Darning needle.
SKILLS Knitting in the round, increasing, decreasing. For a list of abbreviations used in this pattern visit kelbournewoolens.com/abbreviations.

DIRECTIONS
Crown
CO 6 sts, 2 sts on each of 3 double pointed needles (dpns). Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist sts. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Set Up: Knit one round.
Rnd 1: *K1, K1f+b; repeat from * around - 9 sts.
Rnds 2-3: Knit.
Rnd 4: *K1f+b; repeat from * around - 18 sts.
Rnds 5-8: Knit.
Rnd 9: *K1f+b; repeat from * around - 36 sts.
Rnds 10-18: Knit.
Rnd 19: *K1f+b; repeat from * around - 72 sts.

3-9 months size only: Knit in stockinette stitch in the round for 3.5”.
9-18 months size only: Knit in stockinette stitch in the round for 1.5”.

Next round: *K9, K1f+b; repeat from * around - 80 sts.

Knit in stockinette stitch in the round for 2”. BRIM (all sizes):
Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 2: *P1, k1; rep from * around. Repeat prev 2 rnds 4 times more.
Earflaps: Bind off 22 (26) sts (front of hat). Begin working back and forth on 2 dpns.

Maintaining seed stitch pattern as set, work back and forth on remaining 50 (54) sts for 4 rows.

Next Row: Work 16 sts in seed st pattern as set, bind off 18 (22) stitches (back of hat), work remaining 16 sts in seed st pattern as set. Keeping seed stitch in pattern as set, work 5 rows on these 16 sts.


Begin Decreases:
Row 1: *K2tog, work in patt to end.
Repeat previous row until 2 sts remain.
K2tog and fasten off. Join new yarn to rem 16 sts, and keeping seed stitch in pattern as set, work 5 rows.

Begin decreasing as follows:
Row 1: *K2tog, work in patt to end.
Repeat previous row until 2 sts remain.
K2tog and fasten off.

Make twisted cord ties:
Cut three strips of yarn 30” long. Thread all three strands together through bottom of earflap so that they hang evenly. Twist each group of three strands together in the same direction until they begin to kink. Tie ends together and allow the strands to twist back on themselves. Repeat above for other earflap.
Weave in all ends and block hat by washing in Soak and cool water. Lay flat to dry.