Phillips, a free knitting pattern from Knitty.com.

INTRODUCTION

Phillips

beauty shot by Merri Fromm

Tangy

Named for these wonderful models, Phillips is a quick and easy design meant to use leftover or new yarn.

The slip stitch pattern works just one color per row but still looks rich and interesting. Choose a Beanie with a folded brim, or a Slouch with a single layer short brim. You can use up those special bits of yarn that are small but too good to toss.

spacer model: Abi Phillips (cream and amber slouch hats), Ray Phillips (beanie)

spacer photos: Merri Fromm

SIZE

Adult sizes S[M, L]
shown in size M with – 3 inches/- 7.5cm of ease at head circumference

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Choose a size approximately 3 inches/7.5 cm smaller than your head circumference.

Circumference: 16[18, 20] inches/ 50.4[46, 51] cm
Depth – Beanie: 11 inches/28 cm unfolded
Depth – Slouch: 9.5 inches/24 cm

MATERIALS

Yarn
Beanie (blue, shown above left)
All leftover yarns without labels: 125 yds/114 m for MC, 13 yds /12 m each for various colors

Slouch with amber-color brim (shown below):
Laine X Novita DK [70% Falkland wool, 15% Bluefaced Leicester, 15% Bluefaced Kerry Hill; 246yds/225m per 3.5oz/100g skein]; color: Golden Amber; 1[1, 1] skeins, plus 13 yds/12 meach of Tender Fog (CC1), Heathered Teal (CC2 ) and Whispering Petal (CC3).

Slouch with cream-color brim (shown above right):
Laine X Novita DK [70% Falkland wool, 15% Bluefaced Leicester, 15% Bluefaced Kerry Hill; 246yds/225m per 3.5oz/100g skein]; color: Cloudy Cotton; 1[1, 1] skeins, plus 35 yds/32 m each of Tender Fog (CC1) and Weathered Driftwood (CC2)

Yarn Characteristics
The samples shown use DK-weight 2-ply wool. Search your stash for any smooth yarn with good elasticity to help the pattern show well. I used both low-contrast tweed colors in the cream-colored slouch hat and more contrasting solid colors in the amber slouch and beanie.

You will need about 100[100, 125] yds/ 91[91, 114] m of the MC for the single layer brim and 125[125, 150] yds/ 114[114, 137] m of the MC for the double brim, 25[25, 38] yds / 23[23, 35] m of contrasting color(s) for the beanie and 70[70, 88] yds/ 64[64, 80] m of contrasting color(s) for the slouch.US #3/3.25 mm 16-inch/40-cm circular needle

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #5/3.75 mm 16-inch/40-cm circular needle
US #5/3.75 mm needles for smaller circumference

Notions
stitch marker
yarn needle

GAUGE

22 sts/36 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in Ladder stitch pattern
24 sts/36 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in Stockinette stitch

Note: gauge is always taken after blocking.

PATTERN NOTES

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

Construction method: This hat is worked in the round, from the ribbed brim to the crown.

Color usage: You may use one CC throughout, but all 3 samples switch the CC colors. I used the following arrangements:

Beanie hat: Work the Ladder Stitch with a new CC every repeat until you run out. The arrangement is meant to use up all those pretty but small leftovers.
Amber Slouch Hat: Worked 4 rounds of 5 times each with CC1, CC2 and CC3. Cut each CC when you’re finished with it.
Cream Slouch Hat: Leaving them both attached throughout, alternate four rounds of the Ladder Stitch with CC1 with44 rounds of the pattern in CC2, until you have completed 15 full repeats of the pattern, ending with CC1

Techniques:

Tubular cast on.
M1R: Find the strand between the last stitch worked and the next stitch on the left needle, use the left needle to pick up this bar from back to front, knit this new stitch through the front loop.
sl1p wyib: slip the stitch as if to purl with yarn held at the back
CDD (centered double decrease): S2kpo - Slip two stitches to right needle as if to knit them together, knit the next stitch, then insert the left needle from left to right into the two slipped stitches and pass them over the stitch just knit. 2 sts decreased.

CHARTS

Ladder Stitch – Multiple of 6 sts, 4 round repeat
Rounds 1–2: With CC, *k4, sl1p wyib, k1; repeat from * to end.
Rounds 3–4: With MC, *k1, sl1p wyib, k4; repeat from * to end.
Repeat Rnds 1–4

DIRECTIONS

Brim
With smaller circular needle and MC, using Tubular or other stretchy cast-on of your choice, CO 80[90, 100] sts.
Place marker and join for working in the round.
Ribbing round: [K1, p1] around.

For short brim:
Work ribbing as set for 1.75 inches/4.5 cm.
For folded brim:
Work ribbing as set for 6 inches/15 cm.

Hat main body
Change to larger needle and knit 1 round.

For Beanie:
Increase round: *K 8[5, 5] , M1R; rep from * 9[17, 19] times more. 90[108, 120] sts.

For Slouch:
Size Small only:
Increase round: *K 3[—, —] , M1R; rep from * 23 times more, then *k 2[—, —] , M1R; rep from * 3 times more.   28[—, —] sts increased, 108[—, —] sts.

Size M and L:
Increase round: *K -[3, 2] , M1R; rep from * around. -[120, 150] sts.

Join CC – see Pattern Notes for details on color usage.
Next round: Work Ladder Stitch round.

For Beanie: Work Ladder Stitch for 5.5 inches/14 cm, ending with Round 4 of the pattern.
For Slouch: Work Ladder Stitch for 6.5 inches /16.5 cm, ending with Round 4 of the pattern.

To adjust length, work more or fewer rounds here, always ending with Round 4 of the Ladder Stitch pattern.

Crown
Break CC yarn and continue with MC.

As work gets too small for circular needle, change to your preferred needles for small circumference.

For Beanie:
Decrease round 1: K6, *CDD, k9; rep from * 6[8, 9] times more, k to end of round. 76[90, 100] sts.
Decrease rounds 2, 4, 6, 8 10: Knit.
Decrease round 3: K5, *CDD, k7; rep from * 6[8, 9] times more, knit to end of round. 62[72, 80] sts.
Decrease round 5: K4, *CDD, k5; rep from * 6[8, 9] times more, knit to end of round. 48[54, 60] sts.
Decrease round 7: K3, *CDD, k3; rep from * 6[8, 9] times more, knit to end of round. 34[36, 40] sts.
Decrease round 9: K2, *CDD, k1; rep from * 6[8, 9] times more, knit to end of round. 20[18, 20] sts.
Decrease round 11: K2tog around. 10[9, 10] sts.

For Slouch:
Decrease round 1: K6, *CDD, k9; rep from * 8[9, 11] times more, knit to end of round. 90[100, 126] sts.
Decrease rounds 2, 4, 6, 8 10: Knit.
Decrease round 3: K5, *CDD, k7; rep from * 8[9, 11] times more, knit to end of round. 72[80, 102] sts.
Decrease round 5: K4, *CDD, k5; rep from * 8[9, 11] times more, knit to end of round. 54[60, 78] sts.
Decrease round 7: K3, *CDD, k3; rep from * 8[9, 11] times more, knit to end of round. 36[40, 54] sts.
Decrease round 9: K2, *CDD, *k1; rep from * 8[9, 11] times more, knit to end of round. 18[20, 30] sts.
Final round: K2tog around. 9[10, 15] sts.

Break yarn and draw through remaining stitches to close the crown.

FINISHING

Wet block by soaking hat in room temperature water with a gentle wool wash. Press in a towel to remove excess water, then you can lay flat to dry. For my samples, I stretched the body of the hats over upside down bowls. If needed, the bowl can be placed on a bottle to drape the hat over. Be sure to leave the ribbing unstretched.

Weave in ends.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

designername Merri lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she spends her days doing a little bit of wellness coaching and a lot of dreaming about what she's going to knit next, while working on her current knitting project. As a resident of Minnesota, she feels knitting is a required life skill. She lives with her husband and the crazy new rescue cat, Trig.

Find more of her work on Ravelry.