Tag Archives: Fringe Hatalong Series

Hatalong No. 2 PREVIEW

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Fringe Hatalong No. 2 PREVIEW and yarn notes

It pleases me greatly that so many of you have asked when the next Fringe Hatalong is. I loved having so many people knit along on the first one, the Audrey hat, and am happy you’re eager for more! So let’s talk about Hatalong No. 2:

This one is another allover textured stitch, but in this case it’s a really intriguing stitch combination I haven’t done before — and you probably haven’t either. It looks like a TON of fun, but it’s also just one combo/maneuver that repeats all the way up the hat, so I feel like it will be doable for everyone who can knit and purl. And the pattern is written out, not charted. (We’ll do charts next!) So if Audrey was a small step forward for you, this will be a fun one to try to your hand at. And if you’re a more experienced knitter, this should be plenty entertaining for you, too. Given the uniqueness of the stitch, you will want to swatch to get the hang of it (and check your gauge, of course) before you start your hat.

The pattern will again be free here on the blog, and I’ll unveil it next Thursday. Meanwhile, there’s the matter of yarn—

Because of the allover texture, I would recommend using a light color (solid, heather or light tweed) that will show off the stitch work and not compete with it. I’d steer clear of anything variegated or marled on this one. And the pattern calls for 140 yards.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Cirilia tells me the finished hat sample weighs 80g, so that’s roughly 111 yards. If you’re using the Road to China, that means you have about 19 yards to swatch with!

Recommended yarn: The pattern was just recently published but was written awhile ago for a book that was several years in the making, and the recommended yarn has since been discontinued. It’s written for the aran/heavy-worsted weight of Road to China from the Fibre Co./Kelbourne Woolens, which is a beautiful, luxurious blend of baby alpaca, silk, camel and cashmere. If you want to knit with the recommended yarn, check with your local shop to see if they still have any Road to China (not to be confused with RtC Light or RtC Lace), and if not, the good news is it’s available on Kelbourne’s website for as long as the supply holds out. Again, the hat calls for about 140 yards, so note that you’ll need two skeins in your chosen color. And if you use the code “Fringe25” at checkout, you’ll get 25% off the RtC. (Thank you, Kelbourne!)

Suggested substitutions: I asked the designer to recommend some alternative yarns, and her suggestions included Fibre Co. Terra or Organik, Zealana Heron, and Malabrigo Rios.

Stash diving guidance: If you want to knit from stash and don’t have any of those yarns on hand, you want to look for 140 yards of something in the heavy worsted-aran range with the same baseline gauge as Road to China, which is 16-18 stitches per 4 inches. (If you don’t have the ball bands on every ball in your stash, or the band doesn’t list a baseline stitch gauge, I highly recommend looking things up in the Ravelry yarn database. You can search for pretty much any yarn on the planet and it will tell you the yardage, recommended gauge, fiber content, etc.) If you can find something with a similar fiber content, so much the better.

I took a dip into my own stash and what’s pictured above are three yarns I have handy that are in the right gauge range and I’m excited to swatch with. On the left is Purl Soho Worsted Twist, which is a heavier worsted with magnificent stitch definition.  In the middle is an unspecified aran-weight merino from Camellia Fiber Co. (Not currently available BUT Craft South has several colors of her exquisite Merino Aran.) And on the right is Lettlopi, the aran-weight Icelandic yarn that comes in a multitude of colors. (Note that the first two were given to me; the third I purchased at Tolt — and don’t worry, I also have lighter colors! This one just made the best photo, ha.)

So you’ve got a week to think about what yarn you might want to use. I’ll announce the pattern next Thursday, the 16th, and we can all get started swatching the fun stitch pattern and then get knitting!

The lovely Audrey

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The lovely Audrey - free knitting pattern

This whole Fringe Hatalong Series idea was a good one, I can already tell. I finished my lovely Audrey hat — my third FO for the year — and feel confident it would not have happened had I not invited you all to knit along with me. I would have gotten sucked into the next sweater without a palate cleanser or quick finish to bolster me, as this has done. And I know I already said this, but it’s such a joy to watch hat after hat appear on the #fringehatalong tag at Instagram. (140-odd posts and counting!) There are far fewer listed on Ravelry — if you’ve made a project page for your hat, I’d love it if you’d add “fringehatalong” in the tags field so yours will show up with all the rest. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to see every color and pompom and modification. Meanwhile, I love this pretty little hat and am debating whether to leave it au naturel or toss it in a pot of avocado pits.

If you haven’t cast on yet, it’s not too late! The free Audrey Hat pattern is right here, and there’s no schedule. If you have questions, you can always ask them on the pattern post.

I also hope everyone has made the Seattle Children’s Hospital donation of a dollar or two that Anna requested in offering us the pattern for free. Part of my original idea for the Hatalong series was to feature a charity in each installment — a potential recipient for those of you who are knitting with the intention of giving it away — so I was very pleased that Anna was one step ahead of me in suggesting a small monetary donation for this round. From here on out, I’ll be directing attention to charities in need of hats. But if you are wanting to donate your finished Audrey, check with your local hospital hospice or chemo unit.

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Jen Hewett for Fringe Supply Co. limited edition project bagUNRELATED NEWS YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR: The fourth and final installment of our limited-edition Jen Hewett project bags has arrived! As before, when they’re gone they’re gone! For this edition, we went back to the linen and jute drawstring bag from edition one. So if you’ve collected all four, you’ll have two linen and two cotton. The preorders have shipped and that left only about 70 bags available in the shop, so if you want one, don’t hesitate! We also got partial shipments of the amazing skim balm and Bento Bags this week, so see if what you’ve been wanting is there while you’re at it! If not, don’t worry, there’s more on the way.

Fringe Hatalong No. 1: Audrey by Jessie Roselyn

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Fringe Hatalong No. 1: Audrey by Jessie Roselyn — a mini-knitalong

My darling friend Anna Dianich of Tolt Yarn and Wool commissioned Jessie Roselyn to design a set of patterns for her Snoqualmie Valley Yarn last fall, and it’s super charming. (You know I love a good chevron stitch!) The complete Audrey Collection includes a hat, mittens and socks all in the same reverse-stockinette-with-chevrons stitch pattern. The hat, though, can be worn either side out and was photographed both ways. The photos on the model above show it stockinette side out, which is how I actually prefer it, so that’s the modified pattern I’ve chosen for the first Fringe Hatalong Series knitalong and am publishing below, with Anna’s permission.

In addition to the mittens and socks, the PDF version of the pattern includes a chart, so if you want the chart, the additional patterns and/or to have it in PDF form, you can purchase the complete set at Ravelry. I’m very grateful to Anna for giving us (this modified version of) the hat pattern for the knitalong. A portion of the proceeds from the pattern yarn is going to Seattle Children’s Hospital and Anna asks that, in exchange for the free hat pattern, you please donate a dollar or two to the same cause. You can make a donation through Seattle Children’s Hospital’s site.

The full hat pattern is below!

I’ll be answering questions (to the best of my abilities) in the comments section on this post. I hope you’ll share pictures of your hats here (link to wherever from the comments), on Ravelry and Instagram using the hashtag #fringehatalong. But I will only be able to answer questions posted here in the comments.

NOTES FOR BEGINNERS: In addition to being just knits and purls, this pattern is written with beginners in mind, including indications for where you should reset your row counter if you’re using one. (You could also just make tick marks or check marks on paper, or whatever works for you, as long as you’re consistent in doing it!) I would add that the stitch pattern for the body of the hat (beginning with the Pattern Rounds) is based on a 12-stitch repeat. To make it easier to keep your place and catch mistakes quickly, you might want to use 10 extra stitch markers to separate the repeats. You’ll already have one marker marking the beginning of your round, and that marker should be different from the rest (a different size, shape or color) so you know which one is the BOR (beginning of round) marker versus the rest of them. When you get to the first Pattern Round, work the first 12 stitches as indicated (p1, k11), then place a marker; work the next 12 stitches (p1, k11), place another marker, etc. On the successive rounds, you’ll simply slip each marker from the left to right needle as you come to them. You might drop them when switching to DPNs or during the last of the Top Shaping rounds once they’re in the way, but keep your BOR marked. Also, I strongly recommend you use the nicely stretchy Long-Tail Cast On.

For details on how to swatch for this hat, I’ve spelled that out in the comments. For general guidance and advice on how to knit a hat, see Anatomy lessons and Gauge and size.

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Audrey Hat pattern by Jessie Roselyn

Fringe Hatalong No. 1: Audrey by Jessie Roselyn — a mini-knitalong

CONSTRUCTION NOTES
This pattern provides instructions for two levels of slouchiness: You can work an additional pattern repeat to create a more slouchy fit.

Hat is knitted in the round with a circular needle. When you reach the point where there are not enough stitches to stretch around the circular needle, switch to double-pointed needles. The hat may be worked entirely on double-pointed needles if you don’t have a circular, or if you prefer that method to knit in the round.

[see note on dimensions below]

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MATERIALS

YARN
Approximately 175 yd / 160 m of light DK weight yarn
Sample shown in 8″ fit knitted in Snoqualmie Valley Yarn (100% wool, 250 yd/230 m per 100g skein)

GAUGE
5 stitches/9 rows = 1 in/2.5 cm in pattern stitch

NEEDLES
Needle sizes are recommendations only; always use needle size necessary to achieve given gauge.
US6/4.0 mm needles — a 16-in/40-cm circular needle and set of double-pointed needles (or use your preferred small-circumference method)

NOTIONS
Stitch marker, row counter, tapestry needle

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HAT INSTRUCTIONS
CO 88 stitches. Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Setup Rounds
Rounds 1-10: [K2, P2] repeat to end
Round 11: [K4, M1] repeat to end (110 stitches)
Round 12: [K5, M1] repeat to end (132 stitches)
Reset row counter.

Pattern Rounds
Repeat pattern rounds 1-15 a total of three times for the 8″ hat (pictured) or four times for the slouchier 9.5″ hat.
Round 1: [P1, K11] repeat to end
Round 2: [P1, K11] repeat to end
Round 3: [P2, K9, P1] repeat to end
Round 4: [K1, P1, K9, P1] repeat to end
Round 5: [K1, P2, K7, P2] repeat to end
Round 6: [K2, P1, K7, P1, K1] repeat to end
Round 7: [K2, P2, K5, P2, K1] repeat to end
Round 8: [K3, P1, K5, P1, K2] repeat to end
Round 9: [K3, P2, K3, P2, K2] repeat to end
Round 10: [K4, P1, K3, P1, K3] repeat to end
Round 11: [K4, P2, K1, P2, K3] repeat to end
Round 12: [K5, P1, K1, P1, K4] repeat to end
Round 13: [K5, P3, K4] repeat to end
Round 14: [K6, P1, K5] repeat to end
Round 15: [K6, P1, K5] repeat to end
Reset row counter; repeat as indicated above for desired length

Top Shaping
[NOTE: this section was tweaked at 8:55am PST to include one extra decrease round.]
Round 1: [K10, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 2: [K9, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 3: [K8, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 4: [K7, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 5: [K6, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 6: [K5, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 7: [K4, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 8: [K3, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 9: [K2, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 10: [K1, K2tog] repeat to end
Round 11: [K2tog] repeat to end
Bind off by pulling working yarn through remaining stitch loops with tapestry needle.

Finishing
Weave in the ends and block.

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ABBREVIATIONS
CO: Cast on
K: Knit
K2tog: Knit 2 together (1 stitch decreased)
M1: Make 1 stitch — insert left needle under bar between stitches from front to back; knit this stitch through back loop (1 stitch increased)
P: Purl

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Pattern and photos © Tolt Yarn and Wool; published with permission

Introducing the Fringe Hatalong Series

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Introducing the Fringe Hatalong Series of mini-knitalongs

Because I’m so focused these days on filling in my sweater wardrobe with handknits, I’ve been knitting fewer total items, which means trying fewer patterns and techniques and also knitting with fewer yarns. My closet might be benefiting, but what about my range of knitting experiences? How will I ever get around to all those intriguing hat patterns I’ve been stockpiling for ages? And how will I ever make a dent in my copious stash of single skeins of delectable yarns? Plus I love the feeling that comes with finishing things, and those moments are farther apart when you’re knitting sweaters. So I decided to make a pact with myself to knit some hats in 2015. I’m trying to resist the urge to be overly organized and formal about this — to just pick a hat and a yarn that I’m itching to spend time with — and I’m asking you all to knit along with me on these. Ergo, the Fringe Hatalong Series. I’m thinking of doing one roughly every other month (we’ll see!), and I’m thinking hats because they’re instant gratification and don’t generally take a lot of yarn, but more important, they offer the opportunity to try out lots of different skills in the form of lace, cables, colorwork, unusual construction methods, etc. Which means who knows what we might get into along the way.

I’m always saying I think a hat is a great first knitting project, but certainly it’s a great way to get past rectangles (scarves and washcloths) and pick up life-changing new skills. Future selections will bring other tricks into the mix, but the first hat I’ve chosen for the Hatalong series also happens to be a great first hat, period. So I’m hoping some of you who’ve never tried knitting in the round before will join in. The only thing you’ll need to know is how to knit and purl in the same row — we’ll cover the rest together. And if you don’t know how to purl, here’s a video for you!

Leading up to the first Hatalong, tomorrow I’ll have a post on how to knit a hat — meaning not just how to join for working in the round, but how to assess a hat pattern and decide if you want to make any modifications to it along the way. And then I’ll have another post about whether hats require swatches (pros and cons) and how to knit and measure a swatch. I’ll be referring back to those two posts for the entirety of the Hatalong series. Then on Thursday, I’ll announce the first hat selection by publishing the pattern here on the blog, but I’ll tell you in the meantime that the recommended yarn is Tolt Yarn and Wool’s Snoqualmie Valley Yarn, which I have in my stash and have been dying to get to, and which can be ordered from Tolt. If you want to substitute with something from your stash, you’ll need at least 175 yards of ideally 100% wool, DK (or light worsted) yarn with good stitch definition. So you want something plied (preferably not a single-ply or roving yarn), and in a solid, heather, semi-solid or tweed — something that will be well showcased by a very simple stitch pattern, and that won’t compete with that simple stitch pattern. Gauge for the pattern is given as “5 stitches and 10 rows = 1 inch in Garter Stitch,” so feel free to start swatching if you’re into that kind of thing. ;)

The hashtag for this series will be #fringehatalong, and I’ll be encouraging you to share your knitalong hats, your questions and comments once we get officially rolling on Thursday.

Are we excited?

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PLEASE NOTE: There is currently no way to take a picture of hats I haven’t knitted yet, so the photos at the top of this post are of hats I have knitted in the past. They are merely decoration for the post and are not meant to be indicative of the specific patterns that will be included in the Fringe Hatalong Series. If you’re curious what they are, though, clockwise from top left they are: Gentian, Stadium Hat (free pattern), Heel Stitch Hat and Gorro Montanhac.