The beanie idea I have been sitting on for a year came together pretty quickly yesterday and this time I’m going to post the pattern straight away. But first I’d like to acknowledge the pattern that inspired this idea.

There’s a beanie pattern in last year’s Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar by Judy Gibson called the Braid-edged Cap that I’ve made a couple of times. (One for me then one for Mum because she liked mine so much she had to have one for herself.) The cap’s rows go from crown to brim rather than around the head, using short rows for shaping – though a non-wrap version of the method – and have a cable around the brim. I rather liked this sideways knitting method of making a hat, and was curious to see how well stocking stitch would work instead of garter stitch. I figured I’d need proper wrapped short rows if I was using stocking stitch.

I also kept thinking about knitting a skirt last winter. I prefer a-line or gored skirts but most patterns I’d seen were straight. It occurred to me that this short row shaping of knitting sideways might be a way to make a skirt in the shape I liked. The short rows would curve it over the hips and add a little flare, and I could add a purl ridge to give a gored effect.

A skirt is a big garment to try out a new method on, so why not try it a beanie first? I ordered the yarn and that, as I said in a previous post, was as far as I got.

Until now:

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Wedgie beanie

Bendigo 12 ply Rustic in Midnight Tweed
US 8 needles (5mm)
Gauge: 16 st per 10cm

Cast on 36 st
Wedge:
Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit
Row 3: knit
Row 4: slip 1 as if to purl, p26, wrap next st, turn
*Row 5: knit
Row 6: slip 1 as if to purl, p to wrapped st, p wrap with st, p1, wrap next st, turn*
Rep from * to * until last stitch wrapped
Next Row: knit
Last Row: slip 1 as if to purl, p to wrapped st, p wrap with st

Knit 6 more wedges (perhaps 7 for a man’s size?), cast off.
Sew cast on and cast off edges together. Thread yarn through ends of stitches at crown like a drawstring, pull closed and secure. Fold up brim.

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I used Elizabeth Zimmermans invisible cast on method and then grafted the edges together rather than seaming them. It seemed unnecessarily cruel to specify that on the pattern. I know many knitters hate grafting.

I have to confess I nearly frogged the whole thing when I was close to finished because when I wrapped it around my head as a test I discovered that not only was it a bit long, but the brim curled underneath. As I said to the beau, I was a bit worried I’d made a hat that looked like a tea cosy or gumnut.

But when I folded up the brim all was right with the world again. I no longer looked like a gumnut baby, just a woman with a blue hat on.

This rolling edge is going to be a problem if I do go on to knit a skirt. I may have to knit a garter stitch edge.

As for the title, that also came from me desribing the method to the beau as ‘a hat made of several wedges – it’s a wedge-ey hat… Oh dear. I can’t believe I just said that.”.