I was recently asked to design a project for the Bohus inspired story in the newest Vogue Knitting magazine, and immediately thought of creating a hat out of four shades of The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering. Unlike the angora-heavy yarns of traditional Bohus, the Cumbria Fingering has a very subtle halo from the mohair, making for a more graphic and structural knit.
The hat begins with one of my favorite treatments: a provisional Cast on, deep ribbing, and folded brim. The body of the hat is worked in stranded colorwork in a geometric patterning, and the additional purl stitches are reminiscent of the soft, watercolor-esque patterning Bohus is known for.
Hats are a wonderful way to introduce yourself to a new yarn or unfamiliar technique. In the case of this design, (the oh-so-descriptively named “#3 Fitted Hat”), the pattern repeat is only six stitches, and floats are never more than four stitches across. Even with the addition of purl stitches, or a 3rd color in the round, the repeat is easy to memorize, leaving you plenty of opportunity to concentrate on your tension and technique.
SPECIFICATIONS:
• Yarn: The Fibre Co. Cumbria Fingering: hadrian’s wall (75) (MC), scaffel pike (01) (CC1), windermere (66) (CC2), helvellyn (16) (CC3), 1 skein each.
• Gauge: 26 sts + 32 rnds = 4“ (10 cm) in stranded colorwork on larger needles, after blocking.
• Needles: 1 – 16” (40 cm) US 3 (3.25 mm) circular. 1 set US 3 (3.25 mm) dpns. 1 – 16” (40 cm) US 1 (2.25 mm) circular. Spare 1 – 16” (40 cm) US 1 (2.25 mm) circular for provisional cast on.
• Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker, smooth waste yarn of comparable gauge, 3.25 mm (D) crochet hook from provisional cast on.
• Size: 18.5” circumference, unstretched. 8.625” height.
• Skills: Knitting, purling, provisional cast on, stranded Bohus colorwork.
– KGO
I haven’t seen the Cumbria fingering yet, but this hat looks wonderful. I have never knit any colorwork. I find it intimidating. Would this hat be simple enough for a beginner?