INTRODUCTION

Toukulele

by Angela Acito

For me, a cozy winter scene is sitting around an outdoor fire under a starry, clear winter night, bundled in knitted garments and accessories, while someone plays an acoustic ukulele or guitar.

This pattern is a homage to my favorite musical instruments. The cable pattern in this hat creates a ukulele or acoustic guitar motif, making it a great gift for the musicians in your world.

It is a fast knit using one skein of Aran/Heavy Worsted weight yarn greater than 150 yards.

I have not had a lot of success knitting and wearing full cabled beanies, as I find the cabled ribbing does not allow enough stretch at the crown of the hat and tends to pull away from my head. For this hat, the cabling occurs close to the brim, and there is a stretchy wide rib at the crown which helps the hat stay on and allows for a bit of slouch.

model: A. Acito, M. Cheung

photos: A. Acito, R. Cheung, M. Cheung

SIZE

 S[M, L]
Shown in size M.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference:  17.5[19, 21] inches/ 44.5[48, 53] cm
Depth:  7.5[8.25, 8.75] inches/ 19[21, 22] cm adjustable to preference

Choose a size approximately 2-4 inches/5-10 cm smaller around than your actual head measurement.

MATERIALS

Yarn
Pink hat:
Fleece and Harmony Signature Aran [100% Wool; 150 yd/137m per 100g skein]; color: Quartz; 1[1, 2] skeins

Grey hat:
Briggs & Little Heritage [100% Wool; 215 yd/196m per 113g skein]; color: Medium Grey; 1 skein for all sizes

Yarn Characteristics
Both hats shown use 100% wool from Atlantic Canada. Fleece and Harmony Signature Aran (shown in Quartz/pink) is a soft, bouncy, yet robust 3-ply untreated wool. The Briggs & Little Heritage is a rustic Heavy Worsted yarn spun in 2-ply (shown in Medium Grey). Both yarns contribute to a warm, sturdy hat that hugs your head on a cold day.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
US#6/4mm 16 inch/40cm circular needle
US#8/5mm 16 inch/40cm circular needle
US#8/5mm needles for small circumference in the round

Notions
cable needle
stitch marker
yarn needle

GAUGE

16 sts/24 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette stitch using larger needle
20 sts/24 rounds = 4 inches/10cm in pattern repeat section using larger needle

PATTERN NOTES

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

C6B: Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold cable needle at back of work, k3, then k3 from cable needle.
C6F: Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold cable needle at front of work, k3, then k3 from cable needle.
C4B: Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold cable needle at back of work, k2, then k2 from cable needle.
C4F: Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold cable needle at front of work, k2, then k2 from cable needle.

CHARTS

Work from chart or written instructions as you prefer.

Round 1: P1, k14, p1.
Round 2: P1, C6B, k2, C6F, p1.
Rounds 3-7: P1, k14, p1.
Round 8: P1, C6F, k2, C6B, p1.
Round 9: P3, k4, p2, k4, p3.
Round 10: P3, C4B, p2, C4F, p3.
Rounds 11-13: P3, k10, p3.
Round 14: P3, C4F, k2, C4B, p3.
Rounds 15-24: P7, k2, p7.
Rounds 25, 26: P6, k4, p6.
Round 27: P16.

DIRECTIONS

Using the smaller circular needle and long tail method, CO 88[96, 104] stitches. Place marker and join for working in the round.

Ribbing round: (K1, p1) around.
Work Ribbing as set for 1[2, 2.5] inches/ 2.5[5, 6.5] cm, or preferred length.

Change to larger circular needle.

Setup round: [K 6[8, 10] , pm for cable pattern, p1, k14, p1] four times.

Body round: [K to cable pattern marker, work cable pattern across next 16 sts] four times.

Work as set until cable pattern is complete.

Decrease rounds:
As hat gets too small for circular needle, change to small circumference needles.

Round 1: [K to cable pattern marker, p5, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p5, place marker for end of cable pattern] 4 times. 80[88, 96] sts.
Rounds 2, 4, 6, 8, 10: [K to cable pattern marker, p to next marker] 4 times.
Round 3: [K to cable pattern marker, p4, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p4] 4 times. 72[80, 88] sts.
Round 5: [K to cable pattern marker, p3, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p3] 4 times. 64[72, 80] sts.
Round 7: [K to cable pattern marker, p2, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p2] 4 times. 56[64, 72] sts.
Round 9: [K1, ssk, k0[2, 4], k2tog, k1, p1, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p1] 4 times. 40[48, 56] sts.
Round 11: [K 0[1, 1] , ssk, k 0[0, 2] , k2tog, k 0[1, 1] , remove cable pattern marker p2tog, p2, p2tog, remove second marker] 4 times. 24[32, 40] sts.
Round 12 – size S only: [K2, p2tog twice] 4 times. 16 sts. Skip to Final round.
Round 12 – size M only: [K4, p4] 4 times.
Round 12 – size L only: [K1, ssk, k2tog, k1, p4] 4 times. 32 sts.
Round 13, size M and L only: [SSK, k2tog, p2tog twice] around. 16 sts.
Final round, all sizes: K2tog around. 8 sts.

Cut yarn and pull through final sts to secure.

FINISHING

To block, handwash and lay flat to dry. Weave in ends.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Angela lives in Toronto, Canada where she works as an Engineer. She enjoys all types of fiber crafts, but her favorites are knitting and crochet where she enjoys designing her own patterns. She lives with her husband and two sons who support and inspire her.

She can be found on Ravelry as AngelaEh.

Pattern & images © 2022 Angela Acito