Star Stitch Hat

Or, the ‘Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks’ Hat.

 I have written my first pattern! Read below to make this hat:  Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks Hat

 

 

 

After making the very popular HH, FD scarf, I felt like there should be a matching hat pattern to go along with it. Since the actual stitch is what makes the scarf fantastic (and this stitch is sort of tricky, when you’re knitting in the round), it took a bit of designing. I made a chunky hat, so you’ll have to gauge when you’re doing it in worsted weight.

 

Materials:

 

- set of size 10 dpns

- 1 skein of chunky weight malabrigo (I used colorway damask!)

- stitch markers, if you feel so inclined

 

The ‘star stitch’ is as follows:

 

Multiple of 4 sts + 1

Row 1 (RS): Knit all stitches

Row 2: P1 (MS, P1) rep. to end

Row 3: Knit all stitches

Row 4: P3, MS, (P1, MS) rep. to last 3 sts, P3

 

Repeat these four rows

MS: Make Star:

P3 together but leave the stitch on the left needle. yo, then purl same three stitches together again. 

 

MAJOR IMPORTANT NOTE: 

Because Star stitch is a both-side stitch (you have to approach stitches from the backside) this pattern is worked INSIDE OUT. When you’re finished, you can turn the hat the right way and the pattern will look correct.

 

So, actually, the stitch pattern reads like this in the round:

Row 1: Purl all stitches

Row 2: P1 (MS, P1) rep. to end

Row 3: Purl all stitches

Row 4: P3, MS, (P1, MS) rep. to last 3 sts, P3

 

 

Brim:

 

- CO 72 sts, dividing them equally between needles

(18 on a set of 5)

- Knit in 1×1 or 2×2 ribbing until you have a nice two or three inch brim.

- Increase one stitch before beginning patterned rows.

 

Hat Body:

 

- Remember that you are working inside out.

- Work in pattern for six or seven inches, or more, depending on your preference.

- End with pattern Row 4.

 

 

Okay, I’ll admit it. I fudged here a bit. I wanted the pattern to carry up and not to have a lot of stockinette at the top, but it’s tricky. Luckily, if it’s too long you can fold the brim up, and if it’s too short you can leave the brim down.

 

When working in the pattern, you’ll notice that you have a purl row between every patterned row. I just placed all of my decreases during these rows and knit in the pattern elsewhere. The problem is that sometimes these decreases landed where the pattern would be in the last few rows. If you prefer a neater and tidier hat and don’t care about stockinette at the top, I suggest just decreasing these without worrying about the pattern.

 

Decreases:

 

Row 1: (also pattern row 1) *purl 16, k2tog*, p1

Row 2: pattern row 2

Row 3: *p14, k2tog*, p1

Row 4: pattern row 4

Row 5: *p12, k2tog*, p1

Row 6: pattern row 2

Row 7: *p10, k2tog*, p1

Row 8: pattern row 4

Row 9: *p8, k2tog*, p1

Row 10: pattern row 2

Row 11: *p6, k2tog*, p1

 

Continue until you have only two stitches on each needle, break yarn and thread through to BO – make sure when you pull the yarn you pull it at the top so that when you turn the hat inside out it doesn’t show. 

 

Turn inside out and wear your “Simple and sweet, like holding hands and feeding ducks” hat!

 

**The idea for this hat was from the Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks scarf **