by Amy van de Laar

A painting containing itself in miniature, a film within a film, a knitting pattern that looks like knitting: these are examples of the self-referential Droste effect.

This hat is the result of a challenge I set myself. Could I come up with a cable pattern that looks like stockinette stitch? I found the final piece of the puzzle — a closed-ring cable technique — in Barbara G. Walker's Charted Knitting Designs.

SIZE
Adult S[L]
to fit head circumference up to 22[24] inches

Sea-green hat shown in size S
Natural brown hat shown in size L

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 15[18] inches unstretched
Length: 9 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Natural brown hat:
Skeinz Silver Lining Merino [100% NZ Stewart Island Merino; 119yd/109m per 50g skein]; color: Clifton Stone; 2[2] skeins

Sea-green hat:
Vintage Purls Max [75% Superwash NZ Merino / 25% Nylon; 227yd/208m per 100g skein]; color: Abel Tasman; 1[1] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below — every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 16-inch US #6/4mm circular needle
1 16-inch US #3/3.25mm circular needle (for ribbing)
US #6/4mm needles for small circumference in the round, for crown decrease: DPNS, 1 long circular or two short circulars, as you prefer

Notions
cable needle
1 stitch marker
yarn needle

GAUGE
20 sts/29 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch (after blocking)
26 sts/32 rounds = 4 inches in Droste Cable stitch (after blocking). Each repeat should measure 2.75 inches wide by 1.5 inches high.

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

'Closed ring cable' stitches are special increases and decreases used to create the u-shaped and n-shaped loops in the cable pattern. They are worked as follows:

knit into bfv: Knit into the back and front of the next stitch, then insert your left-hand needle behind the vertical strand in front of the two stitches just worked, and knit it through the back loop. 1 stitch increased to 3.

Decrease 5 to 1: Slip the next 2 stitches knitwise, removing the marker if necessary. *Lift the second stitch on the left-hand needle over the first stitch and off. Now slip that first stitch to your right-hand needle and slip the second stitch on that needle over it. Return the first stitch on the right-hand needle to your left-hand needle and repeat from * once more. Replace marker if necessary, and purl the stitch.

M1p: Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit, and the following stitch; then purl into the back of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

p1 elongated: Purl stitch, wrapping the yarn around twice. This will give you more room to work the ‘knit into bfv' increase in the next round.

T2/1L: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, p1, then k2 from cable needle.
T2/1R: Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold in back, k2, then p1 from cable needle.
C4L: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, k2, then k2 from cable needle.
T4L: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, p2, then k2 from cable needle.
C4R: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, k2, then k2 from cable needle.
T4R: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, k2, then p2 from cable needle.

Transition Pattern
Round 1: [P1, (k2, p2) 3 times, k2, p1] around.
Round 2: [M1p, p1, T2/1L, T2/1R, p1] around. 2 sts increased per repeat.
Rounds 3-4: [P3, k4, p5, k4, p2] around.
Round 5: [P3, C4L, p5, C4R, p2] around.
Rounds 6-9: [P3, k4, p5, k4, p2] around.
Round 10: [P3, k4, p2, p1 elongated, p2, k4, p2] around.

Droste Cable Pattern
Round 1: [P3, C4L, p2, m1r, knit into bfv, m1l, p2, C4R, p2] around. 4 sts increased per repeat.
Rounds 2-3: [P3, k4, p2, k2, p1, k2, p2, k4, p2] around.
Round 4: [P1, T4R, k2, T4R, p1, T4L, k2, T4L] around.
Round 5: [P1, k2, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2, k2] 6[7] times, p1, k2, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2. This puts you 2 sts before the end of the round. These 2 final sts will be worked at the start of Round 6.
Round 6: [Decrease 5 to 1, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2] around. 4 sts decreased per repeat.
Round 7: [P3, C4L, p5, C4R, p2] around.
Rounds 8-11: [P3, k4, p5, k4, p2] around.
Round 12: [P3, k4, p2, p1 elongated, p2, k4, p2] around.

Crown Decreases Pattern
Round 1: [P3, k4, p5, k4, p2] around.
Round 2: [P3, C4L, p5, C4R, p2] around.
Round 3: [P2, k2tog, k3, p4, k2tog, k2, ssk, p1] around. 2 sts decreased per repeat.
Round 4: [P2, k4, p4, k4, p1] around.
Round 5: [P1, k2tog, k1, T4L, T4R, k1, ssk] around. 2 sts decreased per repeat.
Round 6: [P1, k2, p2, k4, p2, k2] 6[7] times, p1, k2, p2, k4, p2. This puts you 2 sts before the end of the round. These 2 final sts will be worked at the start of Round 7.
Round 7: [Decrease 5 to 1, p2, k4, p2] around. 4 sts decreased per repeat.
Round 8: [P3, C4R, p2] around.
Round 9: [P2, k2tog, k2, ssk, p1] around. 2 sts decreased per repeat.
Rounds 10-13: [P2, k4, p1] around.
Round 14: [P2, C4L, p1] around.
Round 15: [P1, k2tog, k2, ssk] around. 2 sts decreased per repeat.

DIRECTIONS
Ribbing
With your smaller needles, using the Long Tail method (or your preferred cast-on method for beginning 2x2 ribbing), CO 112[128] stitches.

Place marker, and join to work in the round.

Ribbing round: [K2, p2] around.
Work ribbing as set for 2 inches, ending final round 1 stitch before end of round. This is the new start of round. Move marker.

Body
Change to larger 16-inch circular needle.

Next round: Work Transition Pattern 7[8] times around. 126[144] stitches.

Work as set until Transition Pattern is complete

Next round: Work Droste Cable Pattern 7[8] times around.

Work as set until all 12 rounds of Droste Cable Pattern are complete, and then work Rounds 1-11 once more.

Setup for final Decrease:
Remove marker, p1, k1, replace marker. This is the new start of round.

Round 1: K3, p1, [k4, p1] to last st, k1.

Round 2: [K3, k2tog] around. 28[32] stitches.

Round 3: [K2, k2tog] around. 21[24] stitches.

Round 4: [K1, k2tog] around. 14[16] stitches.

FINISHING
Cut yarn, leaving a tail. Draw it through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Weave in the ends, and block if you desire.

Amy is a 35-year-old Kiwi living in Melbourne, Australia. Her obsessions include knitting (surprise!), singing, Baroque music, taking photos, cheap and delicious food, bees, nature, and admiring beautiful yarn and fiber.

You can find Amy on Ravelry and at her blog, Baroque Purls.