Tea on Tuesday

Afternoon Tea Cloche
This light weight hat is soft and comfortable to wear, but still has enough structure to flatter hat the wearer. It would make a nice chemo cap, as well as a pretty Spring or Summer hat. The embroidery is optional, and done in a free form design. Buttons, ribbons or flowers would also make lovely accents.

Supplies:
1 1/2 skeins bulky weight (5) cotton yarn. [Sample used Knit Picks Comfy Bulky in Sea Foam,] about 150 yards.
A small amount of accent yarn to embroider the hat with. [Sample used Knit Picks Comfy Bulky in Ivory and Honey Dew.]
OR
buttons, ribbons, flowers for decoration.
An adult sized round hat loom. [Sample used the 48 peg Nifty Knitter Purple Hat Loom.]
Loom tool
Crochet hook
Embroidery needle

Pattern:

Crochet cast-on 48 pegs, joining in the round. Working with a single strand of the main color, begin with a purl row, and alternate purl rows with e-wrap knit rows until the hat measures 5 ½ inches. End with a knit row.

Purl 3 rows.

Work 9 rows of 2 over 2 e-wrap knit stitches by wrapping the yarn around each peg of the loom 3 times, until you have 4 stitches. Bring the bottom 2 stitches over the top 2 stitches. Wrap the yarn around each peg of the loom 2 more times, and bring the bottom 2 stitches over the top 2 stitches. Continue until 9 rows are completed. Do not wrap too tightly, as the loops can be hard to pull over, especially when working with cotton yarn.

Decrease by moving every 4th peg to the 3rd peg and knitting the bottom 2 loops over the top 2 loops. Wrap the yarn around the loom 3 times and cut the yarn. Using a large embroidery needle, thread the yarn through each of the remaining loops and remove them from the loom. Gently pull and gather the loops, until a 1 inch opening remains in the center of the top of the hat. Use the needle to bring the yarn through the opening in a criss-cross pattern, and close it. Pull the yarn inside the hat and secure the end.

Using a crochet hook, chain stitch the yarn around the bottom edge of the hat, and around the purled rows at the top of the hat, chaining 3 between each of the chain stitches, to make a small decorative edge.

If desired, use the embroidery needle to stitch a pattern around the hat with the green yarn as a vine, and the ivory yarn as simple stitched flowers. Even the simplest of stitches will have a wonderful effect. Small buttons, ribbons or flowers may also be used.

Copyright 2010 by Invisible Loom and Craft, all rights reserved. For personal use only.