Accidental Hat #2

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Here's another hat for Cap Karma, it will become a chemo cap for a local cancer patient. Sorry, the photos don't look very good due to poor nighttime lighting. I'll see if I can take more photos during the daytime.

I made another Accidental Hat. You can read about how this hat came about here. It's interesting to see how differently these two hats came out, both knit with "worsted" weight yarn. Both hats were knit using the same pattern and the sizes came out significantly different. This showed me that you can't get the same results using yarns that are labeled as "worsted" because not all "worsted" weight yarns are alike. The Red/Blue hat was knit with a lighter worsted weight yarn which resulted in a small size hat that fits snugly on my head. The Green hat was knit with a heavier worsted weight yarn which resulted in a larger hat which fit DH's head. Here are the differences:

Red & Blue Hat (Hat #1)

-- Size: Snug Small size
-- Yarn: 12-13 WPI light worsted weight yarn (thinner than the green yarn in hat #2)
-- Needles: 5 mm (US8)
-- Knit at a gauge of around 19.5 sts per 4 inches
-- Length from brim to top is about 8.75 inches

Green Hat (Hat #2)

-- Pattern changes: Knit exactly the same as hat #1, with the exception of 4 rounds of K2P2 ribbing (instead of 5 rounds). Decrease section is knit the same, the only change is alternating colors every 2 rows.
-- Size: Medium/Large size
-- Yarn: 10-11 WPI heavy worsted weight yarn (thicker than the blue/red yarn in hat #1)
-- Needles: 5 mm (US8)
-- Knit at a gauge of around 17 sts per 4 inches
-- Length from brim to top is about 9.25 inches

This photo shows the alternating colors in the decrease. I changed colors every 2 rows. I think these concentric circles make the hat more interesting.

These photos give you a better comparison of size between the two hats. You can see that the pattern shows up better when there is more contrast between the two colors. You can barely see the pattern in the Red/Blue hat.

Here's an outline of how I knit the Accidental Hat:

Using worsted weight yarn and 5mm (US8) needles, cast on 96 stitches with Color 1, join into round.
Knit 5 rounds of K2P2 ribbing.
Work rounds 1 to 28 of the chart (click here to download Accidental Hat Chart from box.net).
Purl 2 rounds with Color 1.

(Decrease in Hat #1 was worked in color 2. Decrease in Hat #1 was worked in Color 1 and Color 2, alternating every 2 rows.)

Work decrease as follows:
K10, K2Tog
Knit
K9, K2Tog
Knit
K8, K2Tog
Knit
K7, K2Tog
Knit
K6, K2Tog
Knit
K5, K2Tog
K4, K2Tog
K3, K2Tog
K2, K2Tog
K1, K2Tog
K2Tog
K2Tog (4 sts)

Cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches. Weave in all ends.

Stitches used in this hat include:
Knit-Two Purl-Two Ribbing, BW1 pg 39
Pattern # 119, KFPL pg 44 & 112.
Reverse Stocknitte Stitch, MT pg 3
Stockinette Stitch, BW1 pg 10

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