That 60's Hat

That 60's Hat

A tam with glam

Or was it the 50's? I can't remember when the color combination of pink and green was so popular, so I've arbitrarily made it in the 60's. Not that it matters very much.

I've had a moment of tam obsession, and this is the result. Unfortunately I can't work nonstop on stranded items because the tension on my left wrist is not good. A little tam, worked in DK yarn would ordinarily take me 2 days at the most, but this one lasted about a week. I have to rest the wrists in between. Too bad, because stranded knitting is just about my favorite type of knitting. Good thing I love working lace almost as much.

Here's the pattern:

Yarn: 300 yards of DK yarn in two colors: color A (main color), and color B (contrast color.) My color A is green, and color B is pink. In the charts, color A is left blank, color B is a square.

Notions: 6 stitch markers. Tapestry needle.

Needles: circular size 5 or size required to achieve gauge. Options: 16” circular needle and then dpns for when the hat reduces in size; 2 circs, either 16 “ or 24”, which you can use throughout the entire hat. Use whatever you are comfortable with.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch over stranded pattern.

Size: Small - Medium. To make larger or smaller, change needle size and get looser or tighter gauge. You can also go down a needle size to do the ribbing.

With color A, Cast on 88 sts and join without twisting. Work k2, p2 ribbing for approx 1-2 inches, or as long as you like that ribbing to be.

Increase rounds: Working still in the main color A, at the end of the ribbing, increase to 139 stitches. I increased the first round by k2, make one. On the next round, I added the number of stitches to make 139.

Begin brim: Note that on rounds 10 and 21, Color A is worked in purl.

On the last pink round, increase to 144 stitches. Place markers so that each of the 6 sections contains 24 sts.

Begin top of hat: Color A is left blank; Color B is indicated with the square.

The pattern begins with column 14; that will be the beginning of the pattern in each section. Work rounds 1 and 2 even with no decreases.

Begin the double decrease on round 3. I used this decrease: sl 2tog, k2, p2sso, which is indicated on the chart by the indentations.

Continue to work pattern by doing the double decrease every other round until you are left with 2 sts per section. Cut the yarn, leaving a 12” tail, and thread through the stitches a couple of times, pulling them tightly so that you don’t have a hole. Using the tapestry needle, weave in the ends.

Wet the hat, squeeze out extra moisture, and block over an upside down dinner plate, or lay out flat, smoothing out the stitches as you go.

Wear and enjoy.

Note: I expected color B to be the “stand out” color. Surprise! Color B became the background color! That’s the fun of stranded knitting.

Please, please, please, let me know if I've made any dopey mistakes. This has not gone to a test knitter, and you know that I goof all the time. So, I need your corrections, OK?

Also, please do not sell copies of this pattern. It's here for the enjoyment of everyone, but it is my pattern, so don't muck up the copyright issues here.

Holly - The bagels and cream cheese were wonderful, but even better was the hot sweet milky tea. And this morning, as usual, I feel much worse than yesterday. I always suffer from post-Yom-Kippur-itis.