Austrian Block Hat

Austrian Block Hat
Size Adult Small

I wish I had a super-good story for this hat, but I don't. Basically, I had the yarn (left over from the Little Red Hooded Cowl), I saw the stitch pattern, and the hat-baby I imagined would result from the combination of the two seemed neat. And, whaddya know, it IS neat, and makes a quick, unisex knit perfect for your last-minute holiday gifting needs (not that we're there yet!).

Sizes: Adult Small (Adult Large)

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Chunky (75% Acrylic, 22% Wool, 3% Rayon; 143 yards [131 meters]/100 grams); #999  - one skein 

A closer look at the pattern.
So blocky!

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 9, one 16" circular needle in size US 10, one set of double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 10

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 14 stitches = 4 inches on size 10 needles 

And now it's time to make a hat! Using your size 9 needle, then, cast on 70 (80) stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll work a ribbing row, as follows:

Ribbing Row: * k1, p2, k2, p1, k2, p2; rep from *

Knit this ribbing row 8 times (10 times) and transfer your work to your size 10 needle. Now it's time to begin the main pattern, which is a Austrian Block Pattern from page 146 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. To do it, we'll need some terminology, as follows:

rt (right twist): knit two together, leaving stitches on left-hand needle; next, insert right-hand needle from the front between the two stitches just knitted together, and knit the first stitch again.  Finally, slip both stitches from left-hand needle together

lt (left twist): with right-hand needle behind left-hand needle, skip one stitch and knit the second stitch in back loop; then insert right-hand needle into the backs of both stitches and k2tog-b (knit two together through back loops, inserting right needle from the right)

And now that that's out of the way, we'll continue like so:

Row 1: * k1, p2, k5, p2 *

Row 2: * k1 through back loop (k1-tbl), p2, rt, k1, lt, p2 *

Rows 3 - 10: knit rows 1 & 2 four more times

Row 11: * k3, p2, k1, p2, k2 *

Row 12: * k1, lt, p2, k1-tbl, p2, rt *

Rows 13 - 20: knit rows 11 & 12 four more times

Knit rows 1 - 20 once, and then knit rows 1 - 13 once more (both sizes). Then we'll begin our decrease, as follows.

Decrease Row 1: * k3, p2tog, k1, p2tog, k2 * (56 stitches (64 stitches))

Decrease Row 2: * k1, lt, p1, k1-tbl, p1, rt *

You may want to transfer your work to your dpns about now...

Decrease Row 3: * k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, ssk * (42 stitches (48 stitches))

Decrease Row 4: slip the first two stitches of hat from your first dpn to your third; then, * p1, k1-tbl, p1, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso * (28 stitches (32 stitches))

Decrease Row 5: slip first stitch of hat from your first dpn to your third; then, * k1, p3tog * (14 stitches (16 stitches))

Decrease Row 6: * k2tog * (7 stitches (8 stitches))

Clip yarn tail, thread through remaining 7 (8) stitches, and pull tight. Thread to inside of hat and knot. Tuck in ends.