Designer comments from Rox

This stuffed brim hat is one I’ve wanted to make again for many years, and this seemed like the perfect time. In the course of the project I realized that celebrating Mother’s day can continue even after one has no more mothers physically remaining.

I remember that special glint in my Mother-In-Law Beth’s eye when I gave her the prior version of this hat as she was getting ready to start chemotherapy. Rather than thinking about losing her hair, she was thinking about all of the hats she could design and knit. That was just the kind of person she was. It was probably why she did so well during all of the treatments. The doctors and nurses were even surprised at her stamina. Well, she was too busy making hats to feel down! She loved bringing whole bags full of to the hospital so the nurses could distribute them to other chemo patients. We later figured out that she knit over 200 hats that year.

Beth liked the look and ease of the twisted rib pattern. It gives good body to the fabric and looks a bit dressier than plain rib, so she used it a lot. When I wanted to knit my very first hat many years ago, she wrote a simple hat pattern for me on the spot and it used the twisted rib as the main stitch pattern. I remember her searching for a blank piece of paper amongst the mountains of miscellaneous things on the side table next to her favorite end of the sofa. This was her letter writing and bill paying place, her television viewing place, her newspaper reading and coupon cutting space, her needlepointing place, and what would become again her knitting place. Now, when I start to dig through the pile on my side table, you know what I’m thinking, don’t you?

One of the things I did prior to giving Beth her hat was to collect some small silk flowers in all of her favorite colors so she could embellish it to tie to colors of the outfit she was wearing each day. The stuffed brim acts like a pin cushion for embellishment and that way, nothing abrasive would be against sensitive skin. This also gives a good place to put jewelry pins or even theme pins – one of Beth’s favorites said: “Getting Old Is Not For Sissies”.

What a mix of emotions goes through one’s head when making a healing gift for someone. What amazing energy, like the sun pulling water into clouds so that clouds can wash the earth and feed the oceans and wash our tears away. Sometimes we get even more than we give. Maybe I understand now why Beth was so generous.

Pattern

This is a close-fitting hat designed as a potential chemo cap but very stylish for most head and face shapes. It is based on a hat I designed for my mother-in-law, Beth, when she started her fight with cancer. Twisted rib was one of her favorite stitch patterns for hats (she knitted well over 200 chemo caps that she gave as gifts during this period of her life). In the case of a chemo cap, the stuffed brim gives the illusion of hair, while providing excellent comfort in the softness of Artfibers Bjork bamboo/viscose/silk yarn. Silk or dried flowers or other embellishment can be inserted into or pinned onto the stuffed brim to further tie into the colors of that day’s outfit.

Two Sizes: Child/Small Adult (Medium/Large Adult)
Yarn: 153 (170) yards of Artfibers “Bjork” yarn. This amount includes extra yarn to allow for differences in the way people knit.
Gauge: 18 sts to 4 inches on U.S. size 6 needles

Tools and Materials: U.S. size 6 circulars 16″ long and U.S. size 6 double pointed needles.
Darning needle (bent point is easier to use). Approximately 34 (38) grams of poly-fil or other stuffing material.

Abbreviations:
K2tog: Knit the next two stitches together as one stitch.

1. Using circular needles, cast on 88 (96) sts (do not cast on tightly!). Place marker to indicate the end of a round. Join to first stitch, being careful that the stitches are not spiraling on the needle.
2. Work in the round in Stockinette Stitch (all knits) for 1 inch.
Next round: increase 8 sts as follows:
*Knit 10 (11) sts then increase in the next stitch by knitting it through the front then through the back. See your technique book or video if you have never done this. Repeat from * to the end of the round. You should have 96 (104 sts).
3. Work in the round in Stockinette Stitch (all knits) for 3/4 inch.
Next round: increase 4 sts as follows:
*Knit 23 (25) sts then increase using the technique described, repeat from * to the end of the round. You should have 100 (108 sts).
4. Work in the round in Stockinette Stitch (all knits) for 3/4 inch.
Next round decrease 4 sts as follows:
*Knit 22 (24), k2tog. Repeat from * to the end of the round. You should have 96 (104 sts).
5. Work in the round in Stockinette Stitch (all knits) for 1 inch.
Next round: decrease 8 sts as follows:
*Knit 10 (11), k2tog, repeat from * to the end of the round. You should have 88 (96 sts).

You have now completed the section that will form the stuffed brim and are ready to make the vertical sides of the hat.

6. Change to Twisted Rib as follows:
Round 1-3: K2, p2, repeat to the end.
Round 4 (twist row): *Knit into the second stitch, then into the first stitch in order to cable twist these two stitches. Purl the next 2 sts. Repeat from * to the end. You may also use a cable stitch holder to twist the stitches if you prefer, by slipping the first st onto the cable needle and holding it to the back, knitting the next st, then knitting the st from the cable needle. Please see a video or technique book if you are unclear on how to do either of these instructions.
Repeat these 4 rows until you have completed 7 (8) sets complete.
7. Work one row in all knit sts.

You are now ready to make the top of the hat.

The following decrease rows form the top of the hat (change to double pointed needles when sts no longer fit comfortably on the circulars):
Round 1: *K9 (10), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 2 and all even numbered rows: knit the round with no decreases.
Round 3: *K8 (9), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 5: *K7 (8), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 7: *K6 (7), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 9: *K5 (6), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 11: *K4 (5), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 13: *K3 (4), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 15: *K2 (3), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 17: *K1 (2), k2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 19: *K2tog (k1, k2tog), repeat from * to the end.
Round 20 Small Size: Cut the yarn approximately 7 inches long, and using a darning needle run the yarn through the remaining stitches, put tight, bring the yarn to the inside of the center hole and tie a knot.
Round 20 Large size: “K2tog, repeat from * to the end.
Round 21 Large size: same as row 20 for Small Size.

You are now ready to stuff the brim.

1. Turn the bottom edge of the hat up to where the bottom of the twisted rib begins (purl side out). Using a flexible stitch like Invisible Stitch for shoulder seaming, start sewing the cast on edge to the row just below the start of the ribbing. Using a non-stretch seaming technique might result in a hat that fits too tightly, so test to make sure your seam has some give to it.
2. After sewing approximately every 1.5 inches, insert poly-fil or stuffing of choice, using your finger to pack it in evenly. It should be firm enough to fill out nicely again if you squeeze the brim a little with your hand, but not “hard” feeling. Think in terms of the hat being put in a tote bag at times. You wouldn’t want it to come out compressed. The last 1.5 inches is a little awkward, so take your time with it, or whip stitch that section if you find that more comfortable. The stitches are not easily visible once the brim is done.
3. Weave in all yarn ends and you are finished!

Now have some fun wearing and embellishing your “Cloche Friend”.

This hat is available as a kit that includes yarn and stuffing for $15.  If you’d like one, please pick a color here and then place on order by email at artfibersyarn@earthlink.net.  We’ll send you a secure payment link by return email.

Tags: chemo cap, clche, free pattern, hat, knit, knitting

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm and is filed under about, design, pattern. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.