hat pattern

Here's one of my favorite Christmas gifts - no, not the hat, the knitting needles! My dear, sweet husband went to an unfamiliar store and asked around to try to find a good Christmas surprise for a knitter. He's a keeper! The needles are bamboo, my first pair, and I really like them.

So that's how the hat project started - a new pair of needles I wanted to test out. My mother-in-law works with a program called Look Good Feel Better, and I wanted to make a chemo cap for them. I had some Serenity Chunky Weight yarn left over from my Wild Thing hat that I intended to use. But could I find a hat pattern, suitable for chemo patients, for two needles, size 11, and bulky yarn? Of course not. So I made up my own. And since I could not find such a pattern when I needed it, I thought I would share it here so that maybe someone else could use it.

Kim's Bulky Yarn Two-Needle Chemo Cap (for lack of a better title)

Size 11 needles, Serenity Chunky Weight yarn or other similar bulky weight yarn; small amount of worsted yarn, button, and size J crochet hook for flower; yarn sewing needle.

Gauge: 3 stitches and 4 rows to the inch in stockinette stitch

Cast on 63 stitches.

Rows 1-9 - work in seed stitch, *k1, p1* across.

Rows 10-21 - stockinette stitch (knit one row, purl one row)

Begin decreases:

Row 22: *knit 7, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 23: purl

Row 24: *knit 6, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 25: purl

Row 26: *knit 5, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 27: purl

Row 28: *knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 29: purl

Row 30: *knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 31: purl

Row 32: *knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 33: purl

Row 34: *knit 1, knit 2 together*, repeat across

Row 35: purl

Row 36: *knit 2 together*, repeat across

You should end up with 7 stitches. Break off your yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing. Thread the yarn through the remaining stitches and pull up tightly. Sew the seam and weave in ends.

For the flower, I use the flower in this pattern, omitting the felting and adding a button in the center. They are unreasonably fun to make. If you only knit and do not crochet, here are some knitted flowers you might use.

And of course, if you prefer knitting in the round without a seam, just switch the purl rows to knit rows. You'll also need to *p1, k1* on the even rows on the seed stitch portion to make it come out right (knit the purls, purl the knits).

Happy Knitting!

Note:  I am hearing from a few knitters that this hat has turned out short.  There is at least one reason for this:  It was first designed as a chemo cap, and therefore needed to be a bit small.  Chemo patients do not have the bulk of hair to fill out a cap.  So by all means, if you have hair, and if it looks short to you, work a few more rows before beginning the decreases!

Also, different types of yarn will have a different gauge on the rows per inch, so if you use a different yarn you may want to account for that as well.