June 17, 2005
Fat Hat
While I'm waiting for the most current number from the great folks at F.I.R.E., and just in case there’s still one hat-shaped hole taunting you from your Dulaan box, you’re breaking out in “gotta knit now” hives, and you have a couple of hours to kill, I slapped together a pattern for the MegaUltraBulkyChunky hat, renaming the hat along the way (see below).
The Usual Disclaimers: I have no idea if a pattern like this exists on the Net, in a book, in a pamphlet, or otherwise, but if it does, I’ve never clapped eyes on it. And while, as I said, my first hat started out as an attempt to knit a Ken Hat, the Variation on the Ken Hat, a Butthole hat, or a Half-Assed Hat, I lost all control over the project and it metamorphosed into something completely different.
The hat is now officially called the Zud Hat. In Cuzzin Tom’s interview with Arizona National Public Radio, he mentioned a Mongolian word, "zud" (pronounced "zood"), which is defined as “winter weather that's atrocious even by Mongolian standards.” (Imagine!) CT further mentioned that zud conditions occurred two years in a row in Mongolia...which led to the death of millions of livestock...which led thousands of nomads to move into the city...which led Ulan Bataar to overflow with impoverished migrants...which led to orphaned and homeless children and people killing each other over the right to pick through a garbage pile ...which led to Dulaan...which led to this hat.
The Zud Hat
Materials
Gauge
Feh, not really sure since I didn’t do a swatch, just leapt right in. The Magnum yarn band says 1.5” per inch on size 15s. With the 13s, I think I’m getting about 2 stitches to the inch in rib but I’m the Queen of the UpTight Knitters.
Size
Since this hat is ribbed from top to bottom, it fits a variety of heads but, in general, I’d say adult medium to large.
Cast On
Loosely cast on 48 stitches. I use long-tail cast on.
Put a stitch marker on your right-hand needle. (Even if you don’t normally use stitch markers, I recommend doing this since later on in the pattern I’m going to do a switcheroo on you and this stitch marker will help you find the beginning of the round.)
Fold-Up Brim
Join, being careful not to twist the stitches, and k1, p1 around.
Continue k1, p1 until the brim is 2.75” long.
Optional Fold Row
Knit around. This optional row creates a crisp edge for turning up the brim of the hat. I like how this looks and works but it does have the drawback of not allowing you to adjust the brim lower or higher.
The Crown and the Switcheroo
Continue to knit in rib but now using p1, k1. When you turn up the brim, this will allow the knit ridges of the crown to fit into the purled depressions of the brim, and vice versa. This makes for a nice, neat, head-hugging fit.
Knit until the measurement from the cast-on edge is approximately 9.5” or 9.75”.
Decrease
Round 1: *P1, k1, k2tog. Repeat from * around. You will now have 36 stitches.
Round 2:* P1, k2. Repeat from * around. (Here is where I switch to the dpns, putting 12 stitches on each.)
Round 3: *P1, k2tog. Repeat from * around. You will now have 24 stitches.
Round 4: *P1, k1. Repeat from * around.
Round 5: K2tog around. You will now have 12 stitches.
Round 6: K2tog around. You will now have 6 stitches.
Finishing
Break off your yarn, leaving a tail long enough to run through the remaining stitches and to weave in.
Using the embroidery needle, run the yarn through the six stitches, removing the dpns as you go. Pull gently on the yarn to tighten and neaten the stitches at the top of the hat. Run the embroidery needle down through the middle of the top of the hat. Snug everything up, and weave in the end of the yarn.
Weave in your cast-on end, turn up the brim, and do the Happy Dance.
Well heck. Now I have to make one of these too. I have made at least one of all the others so now my box won't be complete without a Zud. Besides, it's not like it's a sock pattern or anything. *ducking*
Hope everyone has a great day!
Posted by: Stalker Angie on June 17, 2005 11:01 AMYou might want to think about doing the brim ala the Nothing but a T-shirt. There the brim is stockinette with a turning row. Then you do an equal number of rows (if you did 10 before your turning row, you would do 10 after your turning row), then you turn them and do a knit 2 together across. It means that the brim won't slip (not that yours looks like it stands a chance of that either). Great hat!
Posted by: Seanna Lea on June 17, 2005 11:57 AMsnappy little trick in fit, that! Better go get busy; I love the happy dance (known in our house as the yippie-skippie dance)I'm hoping the gods allow a Dulan ron-ron-ron weekend....
Posted by: marylee on June 17, 2005 12:41 PMWell, dayum. 1.5 stitches to the INCH? When is someone going to make a yarn that's ONE stitch to the inch? (maybe they already have, but I still think it's just funnier than hell).
So how long's it take you to make one of these? Does it beat my 50 minutes for a Ken hat? If so, maybe I'll try it this weekend. Like I have nothing else to do. Only just umpteen bazillion-trillion things. But of course this is much more FUN.
Posted by: Norma on June 17, 2005 12:59 PMNo, Norma, your 50-minute Ken hat is still the wiener, I mean, winner. This hat takes, oh, a coupla-three hours. I started my current one during lunch yesterday and finished it up while doing some solid uninterrupted TV watching last night.
StalkerA, I'm very impressed with the fact that you made one of all the other hats. That was my PLAN, but...
Seanna Lea, that's the thing about this hat--when you put it on, it just feels like part of your head, and feels as if it's going to stay there forever, come hell or high water, not because it's tight but because the ribbing really makes it mold to your head. I want to make one of these hats for myself for this winter. And rumor has it TMK wants one too.
Oh, and if anyone knits this hat (hint, hint, StalkerAngie, Marylee, Norma), I'd lerv a photo!
Posted by: Ryan on June 17, 2005 01:13 PMI'm thinking of it. I'll have to figure out what yarn to use. Perhaps I'll just use some LP bulky and make it smaller, or maybe double it. LP bulky is 3/inch. Maybe I'll do that, and make it smaller, for a kiddo. First I've got to finish that other tutti-fruity mitten. I'm about to sit down to that now. Thankfully it's pouring buckets here, so I don't feel guilty about not doing the gardening.
Posted by: Norma on June 17, 2005 01:37 PMnice hat. no seriously. considering my hats look all outta whack (that ribbing pulling in bit) I am very impressed. *sigh. my hats look fine on.. but sad when not on a human head (and since they were knit for kids.. no head in this household will work.
Posted by: anj on June 17, 2005 01:46 PMNorma, in an ideal world, I, too, would have knit a hat for a kid, but I hate knitting hats flat and wanted to use a circular needle and wanted to use bulky yarn and, well, there you are--an adult hat. I'm sure this pattern is very tweakable; knock yerself out.
Anj, when I was Guild this week, I was given some hats that are just like yours, kind of squooshed-looking but then someone put one of the hats on and, baddaa-bing, badda-boom, just like you said, it looked like a real, normal hat!
Posted by: Ryan on June 17, 2005 01:59 PMFine. One of those by Monday. I gotta get this box out of here.