I just finished knitting Katie’s Kep, the free Shetland Wool Week pattern from 2020.
The crown is definitely the star of the show. Absolutely gorgeous. Both of these pictures are pre-blocking.
I didn’t knit to gauge, but I’m not willing to knit a hat on smaller than US3 needles. The hat is supposed to be 22” but mine is 23” instead, and 9” tall. I don’t swatch for hats. I go by Meg Swansen’s maxim that the hat will fit *someone*! My first hat is a great big gauge swatch.
I’m knitting a second hat, with one fewer repeat of the body stitch pattern. My kit from For Yarn’s Sake has enough of all the CC yarn for a second hat, if I buy an extra ball of the main color, which I did. (There are 5 colorways to choose from.)
I’ve adjusted my cast on, too. I know how to get the crown to work out, based on my reduced number of stitches. Math tells me that my new hat will measure 19”, which gives me some negative ease to help keep it on my head. I might try to remove a few stitches to make it a bit shorter…or not. When it stretches out to accomodate my 22.5” head, that will also make it shorter. Fabric has to come from somewhere! My hats are generally 8” tall.
I’m teaching a Zoom class for For Yarn’s Sake this Sunday, and again later in the month, based on this pattern. (Classes are full. Should we schedule a third class?) We’ll start the class with a discussion on gauge! We’ll also talk about swatching, or not, and ways to adjust the size of the hat. I’m really looking forward to it!
In other class news, I’ve picked a winner for a free class with me at January Vogue Knitting Live. It’s Lauri T! I’ll email her and let her know that she’ll be in my YO? YO! Fun and Fancy Elongated Stitches class. I’m pretty excited about that one, too. I just re-vamped the handout for class, adding more fun stitches. We won’t get through them all in 2 hours, but the handout is a good reference and jumping off point. Congratulations, Lauri!
What new knitting skill do you want to learn in 2021?
PDXKnitterati 
That hat is gorgeous Michele. I am a wee bit tempted by it – but not enough to venture back into colorwork again at this point in my life – lol!!
It’s very pretty, and it’s not hard. But you do have to pay attention to the chart, and I’m much more of an autopilot knitter. One more hat!
Oh colourwork ! – SO outside my knitting skills.
But crikey, you do it well, Michele ! 😀
It’s getting better and better with practice! I keep alternating between holding a yarn in each hand, and holding both in my right. Whatever fits the rhythm of the round better. And I’m knitting a second hat, so I’m getting *lots* of practice…
Oh, you’re a knitting fool ! 😀
Your hat looks great!
I knit 2 of these for Xmas presents ! Used 1 1/2 needles and came out perfect. Used Knit Picks Palette. Nice and thin and not itchy . Girls I knitted these for are the ones that always ask “Is it Itchy?” so Jamison Shetland would have not worked in this case ? I am pretty sure. Love the hat and I will be knitting one for myself also. Not a difficult project . Fun!
I’ve knit 2 Katie’s Keps and reduced the size for the second, mainly the circumference. I like the colors you choose.
Thank you; the colors are great! I was happy to have someone else put them together for me, though; choosing colors is not my forte.
Did you remove a full repeat from your second hat? I’m really happy with how my second one is coming along. It looks more normal for a cap.
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As I recall I cast on fewer, then increased back to normal for the colorwork, and removed a couple “plain” rows of knitting to make the hat shorter. I don’t think I would do that again, because now I see how nicely it slouches in the back, so extra rows are okay. I would still make the brim smaller for my head because the original is very loose.
That would make it blockable to a very nice beret shape, I think! (Going back up to the regular number of sts for the colorwork.)
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I bought yarn for this as a present to me. Mine turned out big (23”) too!
Is it big-okay, or too big?
I haven’t knit on mine for a bit, but I’ll have it out again for class on Sunday. Trying to finish DH’s not-Christmas, not-birthday, maybe Valentine’s Day sweater!
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