by Mercè Janer Olives

Since I’ve learned to spin I have stashed an incredible number of gorgeous skeins of handspun yarn. It's a difficult task to find the right project for each of them, but I am determined to do so, starting with some of my firsts. They are uneven, and lumpy, the colors may not be right, but I love them all the same and I think they have their place in the world.

I find this textured hat and neckwarmer to be forgiving with slight thickness and texture variations in the yarn, also you can adjust the length of the neckwarmer to the amount of yarn you have, provided you can wrap it around your neck.

Both hat and neckwarmer are worked flat, then the sides of the hat are sewn. The peaks are shaped with short rows, and are adapted from an exercise we did in a machine knitting class.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Neckwarmer
Width:  7.5 inches
Length:  17.75 inches

Hat
Circumference unstretched:  18.9 inches
Due to the stretchy nature of handspun yarn, the hat will accommodate a variety of head circumferences.

MATERIALS
Fiber:
Neckwarmer
World of wool [100% merino; top]; color: it was purchased undyed; 3.5 ounces.
I hand painted the fiber with acid dyes in shades of orange, yellow and red, and to set the colors the yarn was wrapped in plastic film and placed in the oven in a baking dish, covered with water.
Hat
World of Wool [100% merino; top]; color: it was purchased undyed; 2 ounces
I dyed the fiber with acid dyes in pastel shades of blue pink and lilac.

Finished Yarn:
Neckwarmer
Ply: 2
Wraps per inch: 10-12
Yardage used: 218 yd
Hat
Ply: 2
Wraps per inch: 12-14
Yardage used: 154 yd

Drafting Method:
Neckwarmer
Short draw worsted
Hat
Short draw


Commercial Yarn Alternative:
Neckwarmer
Manos del Uruguay Maxima [100%merino; 218yd per 100g skein]; color: m6220; 1 skeins
Noro Kureyon [100% wool; 110yd per 50 g skein], 2 balls
Austermann Creative+fiz [100% wool; 109yd per 50g skein], 2 skeins
Hat
Gedifra Fashion Trend Fino Stripe [51% wool, 49% acrylic; 147yd per 50 g skein], 2 skeins

	Spinning Tool: Louët S10; scotch tension, bobbin drive

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set of US #8/5mm straight needles

Tools
4 3/4 inch buttons  [buy buttons after project is complete to ensure they'll fit]
US B-1/2.25mm crochet hook
yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

If there are no more stitches left at the end of the row, simply turn instead of wrap and turn.

When working over wrapped stitches, work the wrap(s) together with the stitch to hide them.

DIRECTIONS
NECKWARMER
Cast on 40 stitches.
Setup row 1 [WS]: Purl.
Setup row 2 [RS]: K10, w&t.

Section One:
Row 1 [WS]: P9, w&t.
Row 2 [RS]: K8, w&t.
Row 3 [WS]: P7, w&t.
Row 4 [RS]: K6, w&t.
Row 5 [WS]: P5, w&t.
Row 6 [RS]: K4, w&t.
Row 7 [WS]: P3, w&t.
Row 8 [RS]: K2, w&t.
Row 9 [WS]: P1, w&t.
Row 10 [RS]: K1, w&t.
Row 11 [WS]: P2, w&t.
Row 12 [RS]: K3, w&t.
Row 13 [WS]: P4, w&t.
Row 14 [RS]: K5, w&t.
Row 15 [WS]: P6, w&t.
Row 16 [RS]: K7, w&t.
Row 17 [WS]: P8, w&t.
Row 18 [RS]: K9, w&t.
Row 19 [WS]: P10, w&t.
Row 20 [RS]: K15, w&t.

Repeat Rows 1-20 5 more times; work Rows 1-19 again.
Next row [RS]: K to end.

Work 4 rows in stockinette stitch, ending with a RS row.

Row 1 [RS]: K9, w&t.
Row 2 [WS]: P8, w&t.
Row 3 [RS]: K7, w&t.
Row 4 [WS]: P6, w&t.
Row 5 [RS]: K5, w&t.
Row 6 [WS]: P4, w&t.
Row 7 [RS]: K3, w&t.
Row 8 [WS]: P2, w&t.
Row 9 [RS]: K1, w&t.
Row 10 [WS]: P1, w&t.
Row 11 [RS]: K2, w&t.
Row 12 [WS]: P3, w&t.
Row 13 [RS]: K4, w&t.
Row 14 [WS]: P5, w&t.
Row 15 [RS]: K6, w&t.
Row 16 [WS]: P7, w&t.
Row 17 [RS]: K8, w&t.
Row 18 [WS]: P9, w&t.
Row 19 [RS]: K10, w&t.
Row 20 [WS]: P15, w&t.
Repeat Rows 1-20 5 more times; work Rows 1-19 again.
Next row [WS]: P to end.
Work 4 rows in stockinette stitch, ending with a WS row.

Alternate section 1 and section 2 3 more times (you will have 8 ‘crest’ ridges), or as many as you need to reach desired length.  BO.

Follow directions for Section Two of Neckwarmer up to row 20.

Repeat Rows 1-20 11 more times; work Rows 1-19 again.

Next row [WS]: P to end.

Work 2 rows in stockinette stitch, ending with a WS row.

Decrease row [RS]: [K5, k2tog] around. 60 sts.
Next row [WS]: P to end.

Follow directions for Section Two of Neckwarmer up to row 20.

Repeat Rows 1-20 3 more times; work Rows 1-19 again.

Next row [WS]: P to end.

Decrease row [RS]: [K1, k2tog] around. 20 sts.

Next row [WS]: P to end.

Decrease row [RS]: [K2tog] around. 10 sts.

Thread yarn through the remaining stitches twice and pull tight to close.

FINISHING
Using mattress stitch, seam the sides of the hat together.

Sew 4 buttons evenly spaced on the right end of the neckwarmer, after the last ridge.

On the left side, make 4 crochet button holes as follows: with a crochet hook, join yarn to the first stitch of the cast on row, work 8 (or as many as required depending on the size of your buttons) chain stitches and join to the 3rd stitch of the cast on row, work 7 chain stitches joining each one to the next cast on stitch, repeat from beginning until you have 4 button holes. 

Weave in ends. Don't block.

Scientist, spinner, knitter and dyer, crafter, lazing in Menorca.