by Carissa Browning

Legend speaks of a fearsome warrior sworn to defend the sanctity of the swatch, to protect the work in progress, and to guard against dropped stitches. She rights wrongly-twisted cables and exacts revenge on those who would take Elizabeth Zimmermann's name in vain. She is armed with the sharpest of scissors in one hand and a darning egg in the other. The soft click, click, click of needles heralds her approach, and she leaves a trail of yarn scraps in her wake. They call her "The Knitter." So watch your p's and k's lest you be her next target.

Show her you too are a formidable foe with this heroic helm. It begins at the crown with a magic cast-on, but only half the stitches are worked at a time. Rectangles are created on alternating sides of the hat, each increasing in width by picking up stitches from the edges of the previous piece. The final two sections feature short-rows to even things out before working a simple ribbed border. A tubular bind-off gives the appearance that the ribbing slides right off the band.

SIZE
Infant[Child, Teen/Adult Small, Adult Large]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 9.25[11.5, 13.75, 16] inches, unstretched
To fit head circumferences: 10-14[14-17, 17-21, 21-24] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Berrocco Ultra Alpaca [50% alpaca, 50% wool; 215m/197yd per 100g skein]
Solid blue version: 62104 Briny Deep; 1[1, 1, 1] skein
Solid grey version: 6206 Moonshadow; 1[1, 1, 1] skein
Blue with grey version: 62104 Briny Deep; 1[1, 1, 1] skein; color 6206 Moonshadow; 1[1, 1, 1] skein
Grey with blue version: 6206 Moonshadow; 1[1, 1, 1] skein; color: 62104 Briny Deep; 1[1, 1, 1] skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #6/4mm circular needle

Notions
stitch markers
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

This pattern suggests the use of Judy's magic cast on and the tubular bind off

The majority of this hat is worked back and forth in rows, alternating sections on each side of the hat. However, a circular needle is most convenient as the cable will hold the live stitches on the opposite side until you are ready to switch sides again.

Pay attention to the method specified for picking up the stitches: it might be different from what you normally do. This method creates the neatest edge for this application.

Colors
For single color version, work with MC throughout. For two-color version, alternate colors for the sections, cutting the old color and joining the new color.

Pu&k [pick up and knit]: with left-hand needle and wrong side facing, pick up stitches by lifting the first purl bump next to the selvedge edge on each row, then knit these stitches (see image below).

SSP: slip next two stitches as if to knit, return to left-hand needle without twisting them, and purl together through back loop.

M1: use the backwards loop make 1: make a backwards (e-wrap) loop and place it on the right needle.

DIRECTIONS
Section A
Using Judy's Magic Cast On method CO 16[20, 24, 28] sts, (8[10, 12, 14] per needle).

You'll work back and forth on half the stitches at a time.

Row 1 [RS]: K8[10, 12, 14], turn.

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, m1, p to last st, m1, p1, turn. 10[12, 14, 16] sts on this side.

Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, m1, k to last st, m1, k1, turn. 2 sts increased.

Row 4 [WS]: Sl1, m1, p to last st m1, p1, turn. 2 sts increased.

Rep Rows 3-4 until there are 16[20, 24, 28] sts on this side, ending after Row 3[4, 3, 4].

Infant & Teen/Adult Small Only:
Next Row [WS]: Sl1, p to end.

Last Row [RS]: Sl1, k to end.

Child & Adult Large Only:
Last Row [RS]: Sl1, k to end.

All Sizes continue:
Section B
Rotate to begin working on other side of hat, with RS facing.

Row 1 [RS]: Pu&k 4[5, 6, 7] along selvedge edge, k8[10, 12, 14] from other side of magic cast on, pu&k4[5, 6, 7] along other selvedge edge, turn to work WS. 16[20, 24, 28] sts

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p to end.

Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k to end.

Rep Rows 2-3 3[4, 5, 6] times more.

Section C
Rotate to work other side.
Row 1 [RS]: Pu&k 4[5, 6, 7] along selvedge edge, k16[20, 24, 28], pu&k 4[5, 6, 7] from other selvedge edge. 24[30, 36, 42] sts

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p to end.

Row 3 [RS]: Sl1, k to end.

Rep Rows 2-3 3[4, 5, 6] times more.

Section D
Rotate to work other side.

Rep Section C.

Section F
Rotate to work other side.

Row 1 [RS]: Pu&k 4[5, 6, 7] along selvedge edge, k12[15, 18, 21], k2tog, pm, k10[13, 16, 19], pu&k4[5, 6, 7]. 31[39, 47, 55] sts

Row 2 [WS]: Sl1, p to m, p2tog, p to last 2 sts, w&t. 30[38, 46, 54] sts

Row 3 [RS]: K to 2 sts before m, k2tog, k to last 2 sts, w&t. 29[37, 45, 53] sts

Row 4 [WS]: P to m, p2tog, p to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t. 28[36, 44, 52] sts

Child, Teen/Adult Small, and Adult Large Only:
Row 5 [RS]: K to 2 sts before m, k2tog, k to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t. –[35, 43, 51] sts.

Adult Large Only:
Row 7 [RS]: K to 2 sts before m, k2tog, k to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t. -[-, -, 49] sts.

Infant and Teen/Adult Small Only:
Row 5[-, 7, -] [RS]: K to 2 sts before m, ssk, move m so it is before ssk just worked, k to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t.

Row 6[-, 8, -] [WS]: P to 2 sts before m, ssp, p to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t.

Child and Adult Large Only:
Row -[6, -, 8] [WS]: P to m, ssp, move m so it is after ssp just worked, p to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t.

All Sizes:
Row 7[7, 9, 9] [RS]: K to m, ssk, k to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t.

Row 8[8, 10, 10] [WS]: P to 2 sts before m, ssp, p to 2 sts before previous wrap, w&t. 24[32, 38, 46] sts.

Rep these two rows 0[1, 1, 2] more times. 24[30, 36, 42] sts.

With RS facing, there should now be 3[4, 5, 6] wrapped sts on the left, each with a corresponding k st; 4[5, 6, 7] wrapped sts on the right with corresponding k sts; and 10[12, 14, 16] k sts in between.

Last Row [RS]: K to first wrapped st, removing marker, *k next st tog with wrap, k1; rep from * to end.

Section G
Rotate to work other side.
Row 1 [RS]: K16[20, 24, 28], k2tog, pm, k12[16, 20, 24], w&t. 31[39, 47, 53] sts.
Row 2 [WS]: P to m, p2tog, p to last 2 sts, w&t.
Rep Row 3 through Last Row of Section F.
Prior to Last Row, there should be 4[5, 6, 7] wraps on the left with corresponding k sts; 4[5, 6, 7] wraps on the right with corresponding k sts; and 8[10, 12, 14] sts in between. Total sts on this side should be 24[30, 36, 42].

Edging
Setup Round: K around entire hat, working wrapped sts tog with wraps. 48[60, 72, 84] sts.
Ribbing round: [K1, p1] around.
Work ribbing as set for 8[10, 12, 14] rounds.
BO all sts, using tubular bind off, or stretchy bind off method of your choice.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block.

Carissa lives and knits in Dallas, Texas, where she leads a squeaky clean life, always swatching and never stopping in the middle of a row. She is in no way menacing and would probably not know how to handle herself in a fight.

More of her work can be found at CarissaKnits.com, or look her up on Ravelry.