The rest of the pattern:Work 3 plain rounds in pattern.
Work 1 cable round. Pattern established.
Continue up body of hat, working 5 plain rounds in pattern and 1 cable round (i.e. cable every 6th round), eight more times or until hat body is length you like. Allow enough length to fold up brim, if desired. Pause to begin top shaping after the last cable round.
Decrease in pattern for top of head:
Immediately following a cable round, work one round plain in pattern.
1st decrease round: *p2, ssk, k2tog, p2, (k1, p1)4x; repeat from * 6x. 12 sts decreased (2 per pattern multiple), 84 remain (pattern multiple = 14 sts). The outside rib sts consume the inside rib sts. The rib is now only 2 sts wide.
Next row: *p2, k2, p2, (k1, p1)4x; repeat from * 6x. This is essentially a plain pattern round, just with a narrower rib.
2nd decrease round: p2, k2, p2, ribble decrease; repeat from * 6x. 24 sts decreased (4 per pattern multiple), 60 sts remain (pattern multiple = 10 sts).
How to work the ribble decrease:
Think of the eight sts as renamed H-A from left to right on the needle. They need to be reordered to be decreased in pattern. The knits & purls need to be paired off.
Original order of stitches H(p) G(k) F(p) E(k) D(p) C(k) B(p) A(k)
Placement after reordering H(p) F(p) G(k) E(k) D(p) B(p) C(k) A(k)
Using a cn or spare dpn, reorder the stitches. Essentially, you need to switch the locations of the 2nd & 3rd sts, and the 6th & 7th sts. To work the decreases in pattern, ssk A&C, p2tog B&D, k2tog E&G, ssp F&H. (The last pair are slipped knitwise individually and set back on the left needle as for a standard ssk. The backs of both sts now face left instead of right. The right needle should be inserted left to right up through the back of st H, then up through the back of st F, then the yarn pulled through from front to back to purl the two sts tog.)Plain row in reduced pattern: *p2, k2, p2, (k1, p1)2x; repeat from * 6x. The ribble is now the same apparent width as the rib.
Cable round in reduced pattern: *p2, k2, p2, R2F, p2, k2, p2, R2B; repeat from * 6x. The ribble is worked the same as before, just with fewer sts. Now the cable is only 2x2 sts instead of 4x4.
Repeat plain row in reduced pattern: *p2, k2, p2, (k1, p1)2x; repeat from * 6x.
3rd decrease round: *ssp, k2, p2tog, (k1 p1)2x; repeat from * 6x. 12 sts decreased (2 per pattern multiple), 48 sts remain (pattern multiple = 8 sts).
Plain row further reduced: *p1, k2, p1 (k1, p1)2x; repeat from * 6x. The purl gap framing the rib is narrower – just one st wide not two.
4th decrease round: sl1, *k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k1, p2tog; repeat from * 6x. The last p2tog will use the p st that was slipped at the beginning of the round. 12 sts decreased (2 per pattern multiple), 36 sts remain (pattern multiple = 6 sts). The 2 k rib sts have been reduced to 1 sts. The purl st that precedes the rib has been reduced away. One way of looking at it, is that the rib section has been reduced to a mere k1, p1, while the ribble section is still (k1, p1)2x. Of course, this means that the entire hat is now nothing but 1x1 ribbing.
Plain row 1x1 ribbing: (k1, p1)18x.
Cable round: *k1, p1, R2F, k1, p1, R2B; repeat from * 3x.
Repeat plain row 1x1 ribbing: (k1, p1)18x.
5th decrease round: s1, *k2tog, p1, k1, p2tog; repeat from * 6x. The last p2tog will use the k st that was slipped at the beginning of the round. 12 sts have been decreased (2 per pattern multiple), 24 sts remain (pattern multiple = 4 sts). The remainder of the ribbed section has been consumed by the ribbles. The hat is now all 1x1 ribbing, but also can be viewed as a series of six 4-st ribbles.
Technical note: Since the next row (6th decrease round) is easier to work if all the sts are mounted Eastern (facing right) instead of Western, you may wish to wrap the yarn the “wrong” way for all sts on this round in ordered to change their facing.
6th decrease round: ssk 12x. 12 sts remain. The front and back sts of the ribbles are joined together. Once again, you may wish to work this round Eastern mount to set up for the next and final round.
7th decrease round: ssk 6x. 6 sts remain.
Break yarn. Run end through final 6 sts at least twice. Pull closed. Secure loose end somewhere inside the hat.
Gloat!
Comments