So many monochromatic looks lately in Knit the Look, I know, but I love how chic Emily Weiss of Into the Gloss looks in this all-black outfit with the simple grey beanie. And I mean beginner simple. Consider this the Knit the Look installment of my beginners series, because even if all you know is the knit stitch, you can make this hat. Beginner or not, you can use Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s free Roll Brim Hat Recipe and any yarn/weight you like. To get the mini-roll look of Emily’s hat, you could knit it in any sport weight or lighter yarn, but I’d go with something special so it doesn’t wind up looking too plain, like maybe Blue Sky Alpaca’s beautiful Metalico in Silver.
Every knitter should know how to turn a body part measurement and a stitch count (taken from a gauge swatch) into a cast-on count, and this is a perfect place to start. For the true beginners: If you haven’t already, you’ll need to learn to knit in the round on a circular needle (which you can do from this little video, and which will change your life). You’ll just knit every stitch, around and around and around. And by the time you start getting bored with that, it will be time for you to learn the most basic of decreases, which is simply to knit two stitches together (aka “k2tog”). And, once you’ve got too few stitches to stretch around your circular, you get to try your hand at double-pointed needles. All incredibly valuable, foundational skills, acquired one at a time, and at the end, an awesome hat!
Meanwhile, check out Vanessa’s recommendations for recreating the rest of Emily’s look.
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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission