I Love This Hat!

Absolutely no affiliation with "I Love This Yarn".   :)

 This is my version of the Magic Sideways Hat, sized up to fit me.  My first attempt was a little large, would probably fit a man, and I'll include that info in the pattern.  I'd also like to acknowledge Roberta Kelley's Sideways Hat.

This pattern is now on Ravelry!  If you've made it, please share!

Machine:  SK155 Bulky (gauge can easily be matched on 8mm and 6.5mm machines)
Yarn:  TLC Essentials "Surf n Turf" and Bernat Super Value Dark Brown.  These had slightly different gauges, but look for a yarn with 17-18st/4" on 5mm/US8 needles.  Total weight is  116gr ; I was aiming to use up the entire 142gr ball of TLC Essentials, but was uncertain, so I used two colours to be "safe" (my first attempt was all in the TLC, and it was too large (used the method at the end to make it bigger) and I ran out of the yarn with a couple rows left).
Gauge:  T4 (I'd suggest T4* or T4** if you're a larger lady).  17st/4" and 22rows/4"

 Using an open cast on and smooth, highly contrasting waste yarn, cast on 80 sts.  This will allow for a fold back cuff, about the center 20 stitches.  You can eliminate this if you don't want the cuff--it will be warm!  I've made the body of the hat shorter for smaller sizes, but I'm finding the cuff is too smaller --a bigger cuff is better than a too small one.  If you're making this for a smaller head--child size 6 and up--I'd keep it at 80sts. 

Knit about 6 rows with waste yarn, ending with carriage on left (COL).

Make sure Russell Levers are set to the I position, and put the first needle on the left side to hold position.  Change to main yarn, and knit across.  The yarn will drape over that first needle.
COR, put first needle on right to hold position, and knit across.
Repeat these two rows, using claw weights as the short rows start forming, ending with COR after putting the 8th needle into hold on the left edge.

Put the 8th needle to hold on the right edge, and start knitting back across.  If using a machine with Russel Levers, once you've cleared those held stitches on the right, put the left lever to II.  If using a Bond, etc, push the left needles back to work position.  Push slowly and firmly.
COL.  If using a second colour, change colours here.  Put left needle to hold.  Start going across, and once you've cleared that first needle on the left, put the right Russel Lever to II (or put them back into work position).  Knit across, getting those right stitches back into work. 

Put Russel Levers BACK to I before continuing!

 You're going to do eight wedges.  With the last one, there are two options.  To keep the same number of rows in the last wedge, change to waste yarn before knitting back to the left to put those 8 needles back into work.  You can change to WY right where you left off, or move the carriage to the side and go that way.  The main yarn will be between the center part of the hat and the stitches in hold on the right and you need to cut it (don't need to leave a long tail). When you graft, you will start at the end and work across, which means you'll have an extra tail to weave in.
If you're not too fussy, instead, you can knit the left stitches into work using the main yarn, cut the main yarn leaving a tail 4x the width, and then change to waste yarn and knit across, getting those right needles.  Knit a few rows of waste yarn. You can then use the main yarn to graft across.

 I really like how the top of this hat mimics a "standard" hat with an 8 segment decrease pattern.  Much smoother and less bulky than the double thick hat patterns that start at one end and knit to the other end and just double up the sts 4 rows from the end.

This is what it looks like once you've grafted the first row to the last.  When grafting through the short rowed sections, make sure to get the wraps with the stitches.  There are lots of tutorials on how to graft.  Some people like to do it following the waste yarn, some like to put it onto hand knitting needles and do it that way, some like to take it off the machine, flip it around, and graft on the machine.  You won't be able to graft it from the purl side and turn it inside out though.

This hat is super quick to make, and if you leave waste yarn between them, you can do a long strip of hats on the machine, then separate them later and graft while watching TV.

To adjust to a larger size, once you've got 8st in hold, you can knit to the left, putting those sts back into work.  Do not put the first left needle back to hold, and knit across, getting the right sts back to work.  Do not put the right stitch to hold, and knit back to the left.  Now start putting a needle to hold like above.  This adds two rows to each section, so you might want to see how that will affect your size based on your gauge.  You might even try doing that on every other segment if you need 8 more rows, rather than 16 more rows.