Bobby

Tuck up your hair Rasta style, or pull down over your ears for those nippy mornings, either way this cosy hat is cool! Combining knitting with elegant silk dupion details is signature Amanda Walker, and this project will keep you pleasantly occupied for a few autumn evenings. Bobby would make an extra special Christmas present too!

Hat panels, make eight
Using 5mm needles and yarn A, cast on 16 sts
❑ Rows 1-8: work in garter st (k every st)
❑ Row 9: k2, k2tog, k8, k2tog, k2. 14 sts
❑ Rows 10-16: work in garter st
❑ Row 17: k2, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k2. 12 sts
❑ Rows 18-24: work in garter st
❑ Row 25: k2, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2. Ten sts
❑ Rows 26-32: work in garter st
❑ Row 33: k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2. Eight sts
❑ Rows 34-38: work in garter st
❑ Row 39: k2, (k2tog) twice, k2. Six sts
❑ Rows 40-42: work in garter st
❑ Row 43: k2, k2tog, k2. Five sts
❑ Row 44: work in garter st
❑ Row 45: k2tog, k1, k2tog. Three sts
❑ Row 46: k3tog and fasten off

Using 5mm needles and yarn A, cast on 48 sts using the cable cast-on method
❑ Row 1: k
❑ Row 2: p
❑ Row 3 (RS): k1, k2tog, k to last three sts, k2tog, k1. 46 sts
❑ Row 4 (WS): p1, p2tog,p to last three sts, p2tog, p1. 44 sts
❑ Rows 5-13: cont in this manner, working in st st and dec one st at each end of every row, ending with a RS row. 26 sts
❑ Row 14: p1, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p to last six sts, p2tog, p1, p2tog, p1. 22 sts
❑ Row 15: k1, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k to last six sts, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k1. 18 sts
❑ Row 16: rep Row 14. 14 sts
❑ Cast off

Using the template provided, cut the peak shape out of buckram, and two more from grey silk dupion, adding a one cm seam allowance all the way around. Sew the two pieces of dupion together around the outer curved edges. Turn right side out and press. Place the buckram peak inside the silk peak, then turn in the raw edges and hand slip stitch together enclosing the buckram inside the silk peak. Pin the cast-on edge of the knitted peak along the edge of the silk peak and hand stitch the knitting to the silk around all the edges.

Stitch the eight triangular panels together along the long sides to form a circle, but leaving the last seam open.

BAND
Pick up eight sts from the cast-on edges of each panel for a hat to fit a head sized 56cm in circumference. For a 58cm hat, pick up nine sts along the cast on edges of each panel Change to yarn B and work in garter st for four rows Change to yarn A and work in st st for four rows Change to yarn B and work in garter st for two rows Cast off very loosely. Stitch the last two panels and the band together

TO ATTACH PEAK
Position the right corner of the peak alongside the join in the band, then stretch the band over the top of the peak, lining up the other corner with the outer edge of the fourth panel. Pin in place and secure by stitching through the yarn B cast off edge of the band to neatly cover the cast off edge of the peak.

Cover the button with a small circle of dupion and attach to the centre of the crown of the hat.

Cut a strip of dupion measuring approximately 8cm x 15cm. Fold and press the two long edges in towards each other. Overlap the two ends of the strip and hand stitch together. Fold and press a slightly narrower strip in the same way, then wrap it around the centre of the wider one to make a bow. Attach to the band to cover the join.

Click any of the images below to see a larger, clearer shot

To fit 56cm or 58cm circumference head