Going To Byzantium

It's another hat!


I called it Byzantium because that's the name that came to mind when it was finished, partly because of the colour - like the light through stained glass, and partly because of the quirky shape.

It's another Katia wool - Sherpa, I think.

I wanted to experiment with making a hat out of a tube knitted on circular needles. I'm sure it's nothing new; I'm sure there are hundreds of patterns out there for such hats.
But I made up this one myself.

I swatched to get my gauge. Then worked out the circumference I wanted, and the height. My poor old calculator is getting a thorough workout from all this knitting. Who would have thought it? Maybe there's a nifty little computer program out there that does the same thing, but I haven't found it yet.


The reverse stocking stitch idea came from my 30 year old Mon Tricot 1300 Stitch Dictionary. I like the way it gives stretch in the vertical direction.

And of course, you experienced knitters out there already knew that a hat knitted as a tube will give "ears" on each side. I know it now!

They were so cute, I just had to add tassels to them. Wrappimg wool round a credit card to make a tassel worked just fine! (Probably the most benign use of a credit card ever known!)
I used a store-bought covered bead for the top of each tassel. I was really pleased to find just the right colour - it blends perfectly.


I closed the top seam using a three-needle bind-off. It's the first time I'd ever done one of those - I was pleased with how well it worked, especially given how chunky this wool is.








This is a fun hat - I have resolved to grow old disgracefully, and become truly eccentric. I will wear this one out to fun events, like the Mid-Winter Festival as per this mention, and barbeques, and anywhere I please!