Monk Hat with Pattern!

All these hats I made for the family I'd been living with in Japan, and here's the last one! I made this hat for their Dad, the Zen Buddhist Priest, hence, it's The Monk Hat :)




Supplies: 8mm 16"(40cm) circular needle
(MC)1 50gram ball of worsted weight 100% wool
(CC)1 50 gram ball of worsted weight (or slightly thicker) fluffy boucle-style yarn (I used a wool/acrylic almost eyelasht blend from Filatura di Crosa, but it may be discontinued, i dont know the name) This stuff has the texture of Lionbrand Homespun, actually, but it's part wool. You could really use any other interesting, accent yarn for this part.

guage: 10st/10cm (or 4 in). this is an estimate, actually, i have no ruler right now. Try on your hat after making the brim to test the size.

Holding together one strand each of mc and cc, cast on 48 st. Join.
Knit in garter st (RS knit, WS purl) for 7 or 8 rows, ending on a purl row.
Switch to two strands of the worsted wool (I pull one strand from the center and one from the outside) and continue in stockinette st (plain knitting) until the hat measures 7 inches from the bottom (add a few more rounds for someone with a larger head). The hat should cover your ears when you try it on at this point. If it does not, add a few more rounds.

Decrease rows and finishing: This hat is box-like at the top, it has 4 corners.
Row 1: k10, k2tog
Row 2: k9, k2tog
Row 3: k8, k2tog
Row 4: k7, k2tog
Row 5: k6, k2tog
Row 6: k5, k2tog
Row 7: k4, k2tog
Row 8: k3, k2tog
Row 9: k2, k2tog
Row 10: k1, k2tog
Thread on a yarn needle and run through all the stitches and pull tight.
Pull the yarn on the needle through the center hole and weave in tightly and you're done!

I love garter st brim hats :) they give the look of a folded-over brim without actually having one, but are still warm because of how the fabric pulls together and traps air.