Victoire cap

So this is the cap I came up with as a variation on the "Victoria Fingerless Mittens" from the Louisa Harding book, "Knitting Little Luxuries." It's a rather loose fitting cloche. I have a 22" head and it's very comfy on me. I will be expermenting on the weekend with version number two, as the friend whose birthday present this was intended to be is a good 4" shorter than me, not to mention smaller boned. I need to come up with something a bit more snug. Anyway, the how to for this version follows...

Materials

Worsted weight yarn. I used 1.5 skeins of Knit Picks Main Line, which is being discontinued. 82 yards per skein. 7 rows = 1 inch.

Knitting needles, #5 circular, and #5 DPNs.

Stitch markers, tapestry needle.

Picot cast on --- *co 5 sts using the cable method on circular needles, bo 2 sts, slip st on right needle back to left needle - 3 sts co; * repeat from * to co 113 stitches.

(N.B. Use stitch markers every 10 stitches as you finish your picots or you will make yourself crazy counting five and three then 113.)

Place marker and join, being careful not to twist stitches.
R1 - k all sts R2 - p all sts R3 - k all sts.

R4- k1* yo ssk; repeat from * to end.

R5 -k all sts R6 - p all sts R7 - k all sts.

Decrease row - k to last 2 sts, k2 tog.

k2 p2 ribbing for 10 rows.

Switch to stockinette stitch. K until 5" long, switch to DPN's, 28 sts on each needle.

Crown shaping

R1 - k9, k2 tog 10 times. 102 stitches. R2 - k

R3 - k8, k2 tog 10 times. 92 stitches. R4 - k

R5 - k7, k2 tog 10 times. 82 stitches. R6 - k

R7 - k6, k2 tog 10 times. 72 stitches. R 8 - k

R9 - k5, k2 tog 10 times. 62 stitches. R 10 - k

R11 - k4, k2 tog 10 times. 52 stitches. R 12 - k

R13 - k3, k2 tog 10 times. 42 stitches. R 14 - k

R15 - k2, k2 tog 10 times, k 1. 31 stitches. R 16 - k

R17 - k 1, k2 tog 10 times, k 1. 21 stitches. R 18 - k

R 19 - k 2 tog 10 times, k 1. 11 stitches.

R 20 - k 2 tog 4 times, k 1, 5 stitches.

Cut yarn off, leaving a 6" tail. Thread through tapestry needle, work through loops and pull tight; knot off. Weave in loose ends.

It went pretty fast, as most caps do. I had fun making it, will have some more fun coming up with the next variation. If you want to decrease, or increase, I would recommend doing so in increments of 4 stitches to ensure the ribbing alternates as it should. Enjoy.

Improvising

One of my friends decided that she liked the Victoria mittens I made from the Louisa Harding book, Knitting Little Luxuries. She asked me to make her a pair ages ago, and since her birthday is next month it's time to oblige. Thought it would be cheesy to just do the mittens, so I was going to make a cap I'd already made, then I thought I'd add the picot edge from the mitts, then add a cable to the mitts, and I though wait, why don't I start from scratch on a hat.

So I've spent the better part of today adapting the mittens pattern into a new hat. I've frogged it a few times because I didn't like the proportions, but I think I've got it going how I want it now. It's been an interesting process. I guess it's a lot easier coming up with a hat pattern than anything else - a sweater would have been overwhelming. I'm making notes as I'm making changes so that I can write up instructions to share once it's done to my satisfaction. I'm thinking that it's an 8-hour project, if that. Already planning on making more in other colors for other friends for Christmas.

Amazingly enough, I've had a miserable headache all day, and I've manged to be productive even with the headache. I wonder what I could accomplish, design-wise, if I didn't feel like I was dragging?