Gothic Lace Composition Slouchie

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I like a good composition hat.  My fingers get bored, and knitting an entire piece in the round quickly becomes tedious and tiresome.  I need a bit more adventure in my knitting projects.  Which sounds like an odd thing to say.

I also recently bought myself a couple new books of knitting stitches, and I've been itching to try out some of the stitch patterns.  This is one of the simple ones; it's Gothic Lace, which is on the beginner end of the spectrum, and can also be found online with a chart, if that's your preference.  Increases are yarn overs, and decreases are both ssk and k2tog.  A good one to allow yourself to mildly zone out while knitting...a sitcom stitch but not a drama/suspense stitch, if you will.

This hat is made out of lovely, silky-soft Malabrigo Rios in Glazed Carrot.  I've had it in my stash for a few years and finally decided I couldn't resist any longer; I had to make something out of it for myself.  It has interesting color variations from the dyeing method, and it's just so, so pretty and soft.

The brim piece is knit straight, blocked, then wrapped around and stitched together to hold in place.  Stitches along the side are picked up and then knitted stockinette in the round for a few inches before decreasing in a star-shape.

I used size 8 circular needles, and the buttons are salvaged from a craft store bargain bin.  They don't match, but they're all about the same color.

Gothic Lace Composition Slouchie

To knit the brim:
CO 25 stitches.  Knit garter stitch for 5-6 rows and then switch to the Gothic Lake pattern described below.  I left two stitches on either end for a border; the border stitches on the left side of the RS are garter, while on the right side they're stockinette.  The garter border makes the bottom of the brim and looks a little like ribbing, while the stockinette border makes the stitches easier to pick up in the round.

Gothic Lace pattern:
Row 1:  k2, k2tog, yo, k1, *(ssk, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, k2tog, k1) repeat*, yo, ssk, k2
Row 2 (and all even/WS rows): k2, then purl all
Row 3:  k2, k2tog, yo, k1, *(ssk, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, k2tog, k1)*, yo, ssk, k2
Row 5:  k2, k2tog, yo, k1, *(ssk, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, k2tog, k1)*, yo, ssk, k2
Row 7:  k2, k2tog, yo, k1, *(yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1)*, yo, ssk, k2
Row 9:  k2, k2tog, yo, k1, *(k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2)*, yo, ssk, k2
Row 11:  k2, k2tog, yo, k1, *(k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k3)*, yo, ssk, k2

k2tog = knit 2 stitches together knitwise
yo = (yarn over) wrap the working yarn around the righthand needle to create a new stitch
ssk = (slip, slip, knit) slip 1 stitch knitwise, slip, 1 stitch knitwise, then put the lefthand needle through the back loops and knit them together
sl1-k2tog-psso = slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit the next 2 stitches together, then pass the slipped stitch over

Continue in the Gothic Lace pattern until the piece measures about 22 inches, or wraps comfortably around your head with just a little stretch, and overlaps 1-2 inches or so.  The overlap creates a flap for the button detail, which makes them look more functional.  Then BO and block.

Once the piece is blocked, wrap one end over the other (RS out) with the garter stitch end overlapping the other (for the flap).  Secure it together with a few quick sewing stitches using a yarn needle (use the same yarn as your project so you can't see it).  Pick up stitches from the stockinette side.  You want to end up with 70 stitches, so you may need to increase stitches for a row in the round, depending on how many you were able to pick up.  I ended up having to make about 10 stitches, which I did by knitting in the front and back of evenly distributed stitches.

To finish the hat:
Using dpns or circular needles, knit stockinette in the round (knit all stitches) for about 3 inches before starting the decreases described below.

Decrease row 1: *k5, ssk, k2tog, k10, ssk, k2tog*
Decrease row 2 (and all even decrease rows): knit all stitches
Decrease row 3: *k4, ssk, k2tog, k8, ssk, k2tog*
Decrease row 5: *k3, ssk, k2tog, k6, ssk, k2tog*
Decrease row 7: *k2, ssk, k2tog, k4, ssk, k2tog*
Decrease row 9: *k1, ssk, k2tog, k2, ssk, k2tog*
Decrease row 11: *ssk, k2tog*
Decrease row 13: *sl1, k2tog, psso*

Once you are left with only a few stitches, cut the working yarn and thread it through the stitches left on the needles.  Pull together and thread through the center, then weave in.

The flap on the brim piece now needs some buttons.  I did four in a similar color, and placed them evenly down the length of the flap.  You could do a contrasting color, or several different colors if that's your fancy.  I used thick embroidery thread in orange, because my yarn needle wouldn't fit through the button holes.  The color is similar enough to my yarn color that you can't tell it's not the same.  These buttons are not functional; they're just pretty and add a bit of flair.

And now you have a unique slouchie hat that was super fun to make!  Enjoy!