Who are you?

Just who is PULSH?

I'm Charisa Martin Cairn. Originally a Texan, I can now be called a native Pacific Northwesterner -- I've been here over 30 years. I love all things fiber, live in the NW with my partner the amazing artist, Carol. Have three full grown kids (two above, I'm on the left.) And, I am a lucky, lucky duck.

Hallowigs!

Dreamy Hallowigs (using Red Heart yarn, of course)


Silly Hallowigs

Clever Austrians!

Austrian sock wool (Fortissima Colori, #9076), engineered to look like you did a lot of work, when in fact, you only used one skein of wool (per sock!) Knit from the toe up - starting with Judy Brecker's perfect cast on that needs no adjusting.. This is the ONLY way I'm knitting socks from now on. Knitting from the toe means they always fit! I used this basic "How to" by Judy Gibson and Peggy Pignato -- ignoring the cast on instructions, because I used Brecker's perfect start...but other than that, I followed "Gibson/Pignato's instructions -- making adjustments to knit on two circular needles instead of 4 double points...but that is my preference.

Lifestyle Top Down Hats, No Swatch Needed

Wherein I provide you with a guided tour to taking your knitting into your own hands and knitting hats that always fit.

Click to download the PDF version of this article.

Not a pattern, but a lifestyle
Inspired by Susan Pierce Lawrence’s Live Dangerously, Don't Swatch[i] method of hat-making. Building on Susan’s theme and some basic rules, you can create any type of hat you can think up.

Let me walk you through the Manos Beret (photo, above):

1.       Cast on 8 stitches using Emily Ocker's cast on. You will be knitting in the round with two circular needles. The sample is knit with Manos del Uruguay wool.

2.       Increase 8 stitches every other row until the circle is slightly bigger than the top of the head you are knitting for, by about 3-4". (Place markers at the increases,  use the type of increase desired: K2 in one stitch, YO, etc)

3.       Continue knitting, no increases for about 2-2.5".

4.       Next row: decrease by 10% by *K 8, K2tog* all the way around. Note, if you knit a bigger circle, say, one that is 4" bigger than the head, you might need to perform more decreases than just 10%. The goal of this decrease row is to make the opening about your head size – try on as you go.

5.       The band was knit in K1P1 ribbing until it was double the length you want.

6.       Cast off loosely, then fold the band in half and sew to inside of hat. 

 Using this no-swatch, top-down method, you can knit any hat, any size, any stitch pattern. Play!
Want it floppy, knit it big! Want a skull cap? Knit is 5-10% smaller than the head it is intended for. The possibilities are almost infinite. Hats take from 100-250 yards of yarn (bulky yarn requires less yardage than fine yarn.) The type of hat you end up with can be decided based on the yarn, the head you are knitting it for or both. Use the needle size that is appropriate for the yarn you have chosen.

For a beanie, start with 8 stitches, increase every other row, and stop increasing when your circle is about 5-10% less than the measurement of the head. Then knit in pattern and/or ribbing until the hat fits. Loosely cast off.

For a pillbox, start with 8 stitches, increase every other row, and stop increasing when your circle is the measurement of the head. Knit in your chosen pattern until the hat fits (is the right length). Add a turn back brim if desired in another pattern or just extend the length in pattern, loosely cast off and fold back.

For a beret, start with 8 stitches, increase every other row, and stop increasing when your circle is the same size as a large plate (bigger than your head measurement). Knit without decreasing for several inches (3-6 inches, more will make a billowy beret), then decrease as I mention in the Manos beret walk-through. Knit a ribbing (K1P1/ or K2/P2, or a garter band which, in the round is K1 row, P1 row), loosely cast off and fold back.

You will knit your hats with confidence because they will fit! Look around you and try on hats. Pull out your pocket measuring tape to jot down the dimensions. Replicate at home! 


Hats I've made - as you can see, my head prefers the pillbox shape so there's more of 'em.
Click a photo below for big.

   
   

 

[i] Susan Pierce Lawrence wrote up directions for how to knit a hat from the top down without a swatch. You can scroll to the bottom of the page in this link or you can purchase the directions here for$3 USD. I prefer her directions that were given online - because she talks about doing a slightly pointed top with a 6-stitch cast-on, or a flat top with an 8-stitch cast-on in her archived blog entry. The purchased pattern only refers to the 8 stitch cast on, and doesn't refer to the Ocker cast on, which is invaluable when creating a circle.

Summer Knitting

I haven't been slacking on the knitting, just the posting. Recently completed:
Two Color Fair Isle Socks, Woman's size 9. Knit Pick's Simple Stripes Fair Isle Socks pattern and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn, Rainbow Colorway. The Knit Pick's pattern is deisgned specifically for their own self striping yarn, and the bands of fair isle patterning should be distinct. It turns out that Lorna's color repeats are much shorter, so the intended effect is lost. However, I got back to kntting two color with two hands, and the socks are fine, just different than I expected. The black is Paton Kroy sock yarn (black, although this shade is not shown on their web site). Knit on Clover double points bamboo, size 1.

Comments:  I knit the heel per the instructions with just the black wool and was very unhappy with the look. Short row heel just looked crappy. I elected to knit an afterthought heel in two colors to give the heel more durability. The afterthought heel is the only way to go with highly patterned socks. Now that I look at the socks, I would prefer the heel in black, and should have just done two strands of black (knit like a two stitch fair isle).

Close Up of the afterthought heel, and my favorite band in sock: