Two Winter Hats
Having recently made a Hipster Hat for my partner and an Oslo Hat for myself (both PetiteKnit patterns), I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on the two patterns: what I like and what I’d alter next time I make these hats.
Hipster Hat
Back in November, we had a really cold snap for a couple of days and I borrowed my partner’s hat - one that I’d knit back in early 2020 as a first project since I was a teen. It’s made from acrylic and he’s worn it every winter since but I found it did absolutely nothing to keep my head or ears warm. I was honestly shocked that he’d been wearing it so much given how little warmth it provided! So I offered to make him a new hat and gave him the choice of a 2x2 rib or stockinette hat and he chose the 2x2 rib, Hipster Hat.
For this hat, I bought the recommended yarn from the Oxford Yarn Store: two balls of Sandnes Garn Sunday in Electric Blue. I was also looking to try out metal needles so I picked up a pair of Chiaogoo needle tips and one of their Twist cables to have a go with (spoiler: I loved them so much I’m getting new Chiaogoo interchangeables for every new project now).
This was my first time using the tubular cast on for ribbing and I’m a convert. It’s a little fiddly to get used to, especially when needing to switch stitches over to do 2x2 instead of 1x1 ribbing but a lady in my knitting group was really helpful in getting me going.
Once I was working the ribbing of this hat, the project was finished in a week - it was lovely and simple with just a straight tube being worked until the last few inches where 4 pairs of decreases are worked to form the crown. It needed blocking to open out the ribbing and reduce the amount of negative ease for more comfortable wear but it’s a much warmer hat than the one it’s replaced and fits perfectly.
Oslo Hat
I then got to work on my own Oslo hat for which I followed the second largest size in the pattern. Using yarn from Adventures in Yarncraft that I’d spotted on my previous visit to The Woolhound Oxford, I held together a strand each of the sock tweed and sock luxe yarn in the colourway Forest which gave a lovely amount of tweedy flecks without being overwhelming.
The type of cast on isn’t specified for this pattern so I chose my usual go-to which is the long tail cast on. If I were to make this pattern again, I’d likely choose Judy’s magic cast on as it would make knitting down the brim to the cast on row a little easier.
Make it stand out
I really like the construction of this hat, the brim being stitched down means the double fold can’t unfold itself and the way the hat is turned inside out to keep the right side of stockinetter visible from the outside across the whole hat is wonderful.
The body of the hat as in the pattern is a little too long for my head and in future I’d shorten it by an inch or so as my finished hat has a little space at the top of the crown making it a little baggy which isn’t my preferred style but I like it enough to not bother frogging and reknitting.
My finished project looks very professional and is very warm which has been wonderful in the recent sub-zero temperatures we’ve had. This was my travel knitting project so I wasn’t quite knitting monogamously on it, but as I had annual leave over Christmas and New Year, I still got it finished in just under 2 weeks so it’s a pretty speedy knit for such a solid finished item.
