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.   I'd  like to acknowledge Roberta Kelley's Sideways Hat.

This pattern is now on Ravelry!  If you've made it, please share!
Currently, I have the details on a small lady size on the SK155,  a young child size and a large adult size done on the LK150.  If you have other details on sizing/machine/yarn, please let me know.


Machine:  SK155 Bulky, instructions for LK150 in brackets (can be made on any machine by matching gauge and knowing how to do short rows)
Yarn:  TLC Essentials "Surf n Turf" and Bernat Super Value Dark Brown.   Look for a yarn with a suggested gauge of  17-18st/4" on 5mm/US8 needles.  Total weight is  116gr .  LK150 Toddler size, 104gr of Patons Decor (suggested gauge 20st/4" on 4.5mm needles)
Gauge:  T4 (I'd suggest T4* or T4** if you're a larger lady).  17st/4" and 22rows/4" on the SK155 or T6 on the LK150; 17st and 24 rows.

 

Using  a smooth, highly contrasting waste yarn, cast on 80 sts (90st on the LK150).  This will allow for a fold back cuff, about the center 20 stitches. If you don't want a cuff, cast on 20sts less.

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 and knitting that row.

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 (important if you've been changing colours for each 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.  If you graft it from the purl side, you will need to turn it right side out through the end holes before tightening them up.

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.
I have made a large adult version with Bernat Mosaic on the LK150 by doing one extra short row per wedge.  For one wedge, it'll be on the left side, the next wedge it will be on the right edge.  This means if you're alternating colours, you'll have more ends to weave in, but for a yarn like Mosaic, it's not a problem.  The hat turned out to be a bit too big on my 21 1/2" head.  If you're getting 5.5 rows per inch, and add one more row to each wedge, you'll get it 1.45" bigger.  If you're getting 6 rows/inch, 8 more rows is 1.3".