Emily & Kiersten's Gnome Hat

 

My youngest first cousin graduated high school in May.  For her graduation present I gave her a knitting IOU.  Emily's choice was a hat, a slouchy hat to be precise.  After Em received her hat, I made another for her friend Kiersten.

Emily's Hat:

Materials:

2 skeins Crystal Palace Cuddles in Juniper

2 medium sized wooden buttons

Size US 10 circular needles

Size US 10 double points (I don't have US 10 double points, I finished the hat with US 11 double points.)

Gauge: 3 stitches to an inch

Finished Measurements:

From ribbing hat band to point of hat: 13.5 inches

Circumference: 17 inches around at ribbed hat band

Abbreviations:

SSK: Slip two stitches knit wise, knit the two slipped stitches together.

K2T: Knit 2 stitches together

CO 54 stitches

Place marker and join in the round.

*K 3, P 3* Rib across the row

Continue ribbing for 3 inches.

Switch to straight stitch.

Next Row: M1, K to end of row.

Continue knitting all stitches every row until the hat measures 9 inches from CO edge.

Begin Decreases:

Row 1: *K 9, SSK* across row

Row 2 (and all even rows): K

Row 3: *K 8, SSK* across row

Row 5: *K 7, SSK* across row

Row 7: *K 6, SSK* across row

Row 9: *K 5, SSK* across row

Row 11:*K 4, SSK* across row

Row 13: *K 3, SSK* across row

Row 15:*K 2, SSK* across row

Row 17:*K 1, SSK* across row

Row 19:*K2T* across all stitches

Change to double pointed needles when the work is too small to fit on circular needles.

Break yarn, leaving a long tail.  Thread tail through remaining stitches, pull tight and weave in ends.  Sew buttons onto ribbed hat band.

The hat comes to a point on the top, which doesn't show when worn.  Because of the point, my sisters nicknamed it a "gnome hat".

A special thanks to Ellie, who even though I showed up right as she got out of bed still managed to look adorable.