Instant gratification should not be underrated, especially in the winter. As soon as I laid my hands on a skein of Spud & Chloe Outer, I was a goner. Ultra soft, dense, and comforting—this is a hot-chocolate-on-a-cold night kind of yarn, and I wanted to be wearing something made from it right away. Lucky for me, the yarn knits up so quickly that I was, in fact, wearing something from it within hours of squeezing my first skein.

Shroom knits up lightening fast at two and a half stitches per inch and will be hugging your head—or the head of a lucky recipient—sooner than you can forage for a basketful of Boletus edulis.

And wouldn’t you rather head to your LYS instead of the mall for your last-minute shopping? I thought so.

SIZE
Child[adult] (Shown in both sizes.)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: stretches to fit 18-22 inches
Length: 9 [10.25] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Spud & Chloe Outer [65% superwash wool/35% organic cotton; 60 yd/55 m per 100 g skein]; color peat (flannel); 2 [2] skeins.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 US #9/5.5mm 16-inch circular needle
1 US #11/8mm 16-inch circular needle
1 set US #11/8mm double-point needles OR longer circular for magic loop method

Notions
Yarn needle
Stitch marker

GAUGE

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

I highly recommend using Spud & Chloe Outer for the best results. Substitution in this case will be a bit tricky because Spud & Chloe Outer is technically a "super bulky," but its wool/cotton fiber content gives it unique properties. If you plan to use another yarn, swatch carefully: many other super bulkies will be too thick and not drape nicely. To get a similar slouchy effect with another yarn, you might try a bulky-weight yarn that is a bit lighter in weight than Outer but lofty enough to be knitted at a gauge looser than the ball band suggests.

Be sure to cast on loosely; use a needle one size larger if you tend to CO tightly.

1x1 Rib (worked in the round over a multiple of 4 sts)
Round 1: [K1, p1] to end.
Repeat this round for 1x1 rib.

Puff Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 3 sts; stitch count does not stay the same – check count after Round 4 only.)
Round 1: [Yo, k1, yo, p2] to end.
Round 2: [K3, p2] to end.
Round 3: [K3, p2] to end.
Round 4: [K3tog, p2] to end.
Adapted for knitting in the round from Barbara Walker’s (first) A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

K3tog: Knit 3 sts together.

DIRECTIONS
Using US #9/5.5mm 16-inch circular needle, CO 48 sts. Place marker and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

Work in 1x1 rib until piece measures 3.5[4] inches from CO edge. Change to US #11/8mm 16-inch circular needle, and work in Puff Rib for 3[4] repeats.

Piece should measure about 6.75[8] inches from CO edge. 48 sts.

Work round 1 of Puff Rib stitch once more. 80 sts.

Decrease for crown as follows, switching to double-pointed needles or magic loop when necessary:

Round 1: [K3, p2tog] to end.  64 sts.

Round 2: [K2, p2tog] to end. 48 sts.

Round 3: [K1, p2tog] to end. 32 sts.

Round 4: [K2tog, p2tog] to end. 16 sts.

Round 5: [K2tog] to end. 8 sts.

8 sts remain. Break yarn, leaving 8-inch tail.

FINISHING
Thread tail through remaining sts twice and fasten off inside hat. Weave in ends. Wash gently and dry flat if you like, but do not block.

Lee has been known to wear her favorite hats -- indoors and out -- all winter long (although not all of them at once). She is the designer of several patterns published in Knitty, including Sugar on Snow and Unmentionables.

You can see more of her work on Ravelry, where she is “workwoman,” and in Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain.