A Trio of Patriotic Hats

by Lakeside Designs

Trio of Patriotic Hats

A Trio of Patriotic Hats

These hats were designed to be knit for The Ships Project, a support group which provides handmade items to troops serving in our Armed Forces. For more information, visit the project's website at:

www.theshipsproject.com

For a larger picture of the hats, click here.

For the PDF version of the pattern, click here.

MATERIALS:
3 skeins of worsted weight yarn (each 3.5 oz/100g - 210 yds/192 m)
(1 skein each of red, white and blue)
16" circular knitting needles in size #7
Double-pointed knitting needles in size #7
Stitch marker (for marking beginning of round)
Tapestry needle for weaving ends

SIZE:
Mens' medium/Womens' large (about 20" circumference, unstretched)
(To change hat size, add or subtract stitches in multiples of eight.)

GAUGE:
4.5 stitches/inch on #7 needles

YARN NOTE:
I used Paton's Decor, which is 75% acrylic and 25% wool, in the following colors: Barn Red #1714, Winter White #1614, Navy #1643. I made four hats from the three skeins, with a small amount of red left over and enough white and blue left over for a fifth hat.

HINTS FOR WORKING WITH COLORS:
To avoid an obvious jog when changing colors for the stripes, use Meg Swansen's "Jogless Jog": When you finish a stripe, knit the first round of the next stripe using the new color. When you come to the end of the round, insert the tip of your right needle into the stitch below the first stitch of the round (it will be of the previous color), lift it, and put it onto the left needle. Then knit the two stitches together (with the new color), and continue knitting.

If you weave in the ends as you go, finishing will be much quicker. To do this, *** insert the tip of the right needle into the next stitch, then lay the yarn end to be woven over the tip of the right needle, holding it taut with your left forefinger. Knit the stitch, keeping the wrapped yarn out of the stitch by moving it to the back off the tip of the needle once the working yarn has been wrapped around the needle. Knit the next stitch as usual. *** Repeat steps between asterisks until the end is secure (woven into about six or seven stitches), then cut off remaining yarn. To eliminate bulk and reduce the chances of the woven yarn showing through when joining a new color, weave each color end separately, the old color in the first round and the new color in the second round.

"Stars" Pattern for all three hats:

Round 1: *K3 blue, K1 white* around.
Round 2: Knit with blue
Round 3: Knit with blue
Round 4: K1 blue, *K1 white, K3 blue* around, end K1 white, K2 blue.
Round 5: Knit with blue
Round 6: Knit with blue
Round 7: *K3 blue, K1 white* around.

HAT #1 (left - red and white striped with blue "stars" band in the middle):

Cast on 88 stitches with red. Place marker on needle and join, being careful not to twist stitches.

Work in K2, P2 rib for 8 rounds. (To add a cuff to be turned up, work 20 rounds.) Break off yarn.
With white, knit for 8 rounds. Do not break yarn!
With blue, knit 2 rounds, then begin "Stars" pattern, carrying white up from previous stripe.
When pattern is complete, do not break off white. Knit with blue for two more rounds, then break off blue.
With white, knit 8 rounds. Break off yarn.
With red, knit 1 round.

Then begin decreases, changing to double-pointed needles when needed:

*Knit 6, K2tog* around – 77 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 5, K2tog* around – 66 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 4, K2tog* around – 55 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 3, K2tog* around – 44 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 2, K2tog* around – 33 stitches. Knit 2 rounds even.
*Knit 1, K2tog* around – 22 stitches.
*K2tog* around – 11 stitches.

Break yarn, leaving a 6" tail. Thread the yarn onto a tapestry needle and run the needle through the stitches in the direction of the knitting, removing them from the needles as you go. Run the needle through the stitches again, then pull tight. Take the yarn to the inside and weave in the end.

Weave in all ends, including the cast-on tail.

HAT #2 (center - bands of red and white, with blue "stars" top):

Cast on 88 stitches with red. Place marker on needle and join, being careful not to twist stitches.

Work in K2, P2 rib for 8 rounds. (To add a cuff to be turned up, work 20 rounds.)
Continuing with red, knit for 10 rounds.
With white, knit for 7 rounds. Do not break yarn!
With blue, knit 2 rounds, then begin "Stars" pattern, carrying white up from previous stripe.
When pattern is complete, break off white and knit with blue for two more rounds.

Begin decreases, changing to double-pointed needles when needed:

Weave in all ends, including the cast-on tail.

HAT #3 (right - variation on #1 with extra stripes):

For this hat, you can carry the colors up as you work, or break off the yarn and rejoin each time, weaving in ends.

Cast on 88 stitches with red. Place marker on needle and join, being careful not to twist stitches.

Work in K2, P2 rib for 5 rounds.
With white, knit for 5 rounds.
With red, knit for 5 rounds.
With blue, knit 2 rounds, then begin "Stars" pattern.
When pattern is complete, knit with blue for two more rounds, then break off blue.
With red, knit for 5 rounds.
With white, knit for 3 rounds.

Then begin decreases on 4th white round, changing to double-pointed needles when needed:

*Knit 6, K2tog* around – 77 stitches.
With white, knit 1 round even (5 rounds of white completed). Break off yarn.
With red, knit 2 rounds even.
*Knit 5, K2tog* around – 66 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 4, K2tog* around – 55 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 3, K2tog* around – 44 stitches. Knit 3 rounds even.
*Knit 2, K2tog* around – 33 stitches. Knit 2 rounds even.
*Knit 1, K2tog* around – 22 stitches.
*K2tog* around – 11 stitches.

Weave in all ends, including the cast-on tail.

This pattern is for charity use only and may not be used or reproduced for sale or commercial purposes. You may print and distribute for charity purposes with the copyright information included. If you find any errors in the pattern, please contact me at the email address above.

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by Laurie Moskow
Email: laurie@knithings.com