Ish-mael

From 1530 until the early 1600s, Basque whalers annually crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Canada. During the ice-free months of June to January, scores of workers established a semi-permanent station dedicated to processing the harvest on the shore of the Strait of Belle Isle, a narrow channel on the whales' migratory route between Newfoundland and the mainland of Labrador.

In the winter of 1577, the sea ice set early, trapping ships. Unable to return to their homeland in northern Spain and southern France with a full hold of processed whale oil, many were forced to stay in Labrador, where they died of exposure and scurvy.

In the 1970s, the site was rediscovered. More than 62 graves and the remains of 140 whalers were found in the cemetery. Some of the graves contained textile fragments.

(Piecework Magazine, Jan/Feb 2014)

NOTES I am still a beginner knitter. I started this hat without a plan, I just looked at the pictures and tried to make something that looked kind of similar. Used a ball of mystery yarn from my nan. And it turned out great! And then I blocked it. And it was too big (the guy who never knits swatches finally got bit in the arse, who would've thought). My tension is okay-ish but on the tighter side, so if your head is bigger than mine, you'll be grand. Also, I've never written a pattern before, so I hope it makes some sense.

YOU WILL NEED

≈ 80g of DK weight yarn

A set of 4mm (US 6) double-pointed needless

Darning needle

A piece of cardboard (or something else to wrap the yarn around to make a tassel)

Scissors

SIZE ↕ 31cm (12”) (without the tassel) and ↔ 25cm (9.5”) (my head is 55cm (21.5”), and it fits quite well, but it could stretch a bit more and still look good)

DIRECTIONS

SEED STITCH STRIPES

Cast on 84 stitches and join in the round

Work in seed stitch for 11 rounds (round 1: *K1, P1*; staring with round 2 you just P the knits and K the purls)

Purl 1 round

Knit 8 rounds

Purl 1 round

Work in seed stitch for 7 rounds

Purl 1 round

Continue in stocking stitch (*K*) until the hat measures 11-12cm (4.5”) from cast on edge

CROWN DECREASES AND PURL STRIPES

(It's a lot, I know. But I like the look of these better than the usual crown decreases, they're a bit less visible)

Dec#1: K5, *K2tog, K10* × 6, K2tog, K5 [77]

Knit 4 rounds

Dec #2: K5, *K2tog, K9* × 6, K2tog, K4 [70]

Knit 3 rounds

Dec #3: K4, *K2tog, K8* × 6, K2tog, K4 [63]

Knit 3 rounds

Dec #4: K4, *K2tog, K7* × 6, K2tog, K3 [56]

Purl 1 round

Knit 1 round

Dec #5: K3, *K2tog, K6* × 6, K2tog, K3 [49]

Knit 1 round

Dec #6: K3, *K2tog, K5* × 6, K2tog, K2 [42]

Purl 1 round

THE CONE (idk what to call it)

Knit 2 rounds

Work 5 rounds of *K1tbl, P1* rib (you don't have to twist the knits if you can make the 1×1 rib look neat. I can't, so…)

Continue in stocking stitch for 7-8cm (3”) (or more, depending on how floppy you want your hat to be)

Dec #1: K3, *K2tog, K5* × 5, K2tog, K2 [36]

Knit 3 rounds

Dec #2: K2, *K2tog, K4* × 5, K2tog, K2 [30]

Knit 2 rounds

Dec #3: K3, *K2tog, K3* × 5, K2tog, K1 [24]

Knit 2 rounds

Dec #4: K1, *K2tog, K2* × 5, K2tog, K1 [18]

Knit 1 round

Dec #5: *K2tog* [9]

Cut yarn and thread it through the remaining 9 stitches, pull tightly (I usually do it twice), secure on the wrong side

TASSEL

Make a tassel (I used a paint brush case instead of a piece of cardboard and wrapped yarn around it 45 times)

Attach it to the hat

FINISHING

Weave in all ends

Block the hat

CONGRATULATIONS