Triangles Tam

Three posts in two weeks! I'm guessing that by now it's pretty obvious that school is out for the holidays :) I sure have been enjoying all of this new found knitting time. I've been merrily knitting away on the couch, starting a new Christmas tradition: savouring every version of Pride and Prejudice I can get my hands on. I've watched four so far!

I'm sadly lacking in French posts, something I plan to remedy over the holidays. This will include a full translation of the Triangles! pattern, long overdue. Now that I no longer work in a Francophone environment, I'm starting to think in English a bit. I caught myself counting stitches in English this week, which is a first. (Numbers never came naturally to me in English, and I certainly can't count money or do any math in any language but French, so where does this this stitch-counting in English come from?!)

I'm getting sidetracked. What I'm supposed to show you is this:

Oops. That one's rather blurry, isn't it? I really should make an effort to time my self-portraits during the few hours of sunlight we've been having in the late morning...

It's a slouchy tam to match the Triangles cowl. I wanted to knit my paternal grandmother a hat this Christmas. She is the one who taught me how to knit when I was 7 or 8, these long, skinny, striped garter-stitch scarves that I never quite figured out how to cast off and finish... She kept them in pleather trunk by the television, where I was to leave them before I went home, but was always welcomed to pick up on our next visit. Over 20 years later, and I'd yet to knit her something. Shameful, I know. She looks beautiful in deep, bluish reds, so I dug through my stash and was really pleased to find two skeins of Louisa Harding Kashmir DK.

If you'd like to knit your own, I'm happy to share what I did!

Triangles Tam

Materials:

• US 5 or US 4 DPNs or circular needles for ribbed band. I used US 5, but the result after blocking is a rather slouchy band. I think going down a size to US 4 would create a snugger band that would better keep the wind out.
•  US 6 4 DPNs or circular needles for the body of the hat 
•    1.5 skeins (I used well under 2 skeins) of Louisa Harding Kashmir DK, or any other DK yarn that gives you a gauge of 22 stitches over 4” with a US 6 needle.

Sizes: Only one size, unfortunately, since this was knit to fit my noggin, which has a 24" circumference when measured from top of forehead, down one ear, accross upper neck where it meets my head, back up over the other ear, back to the top of forehead. 

 Mini triangles chart:

Using size US 5 (or, again, US 4) DPNs or a 16” circular needle (or longer, if using magic loop method), cast on 112 stitches. I used the cable cast-on method. Join to knit in the round.

Place marker to indicate start of row. 

Work in 2x2 rib for approximately ¾ of an inch, or 7 rows.

Change to larger, size US 6 needles, and work the next row as follows:

Row 1: *Purl one stitch, purl in front and back of next stich. Repeat from * until the end of row. This is fiddly, it’s true, but you’ll only need to do it for this row, I promise!
(Here’s a good video on how to do the purl in front and back move: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPJCawekDfY)
You now have 168 stitches, which appears like a regular purled row.

Row2: Begin working from 2^nd row of triangle chart. (Chart reads from right to left each row.) Repeat these 6 stitches from row 2 of triangle chart until the end of row (27 more times).

Rows 3-7: Work according to chart.

You have now completed a full repeat of 28 little triangles!

Now work the entire triangle chart 3 more times.

You now have completed 4 reapeats of 28 little triangles.

Next row: Purl 11 stitches. For the 12^th stitch, work a double decrease: [slip 2 stitches from the LH needle to the RH needle as if to purl.  Purl the next stitch on the LH needle. With the LH needle, bring both slipped stitches together over the purled stitch off the RH needle]. Repeat these 12 stitches to the end of row, 11 more times. 14 double decreases completed (28 stitches decreased).

Work rows 2 – 7 of triangle chart.

Next row: Purl 9 stitches. For the 10^th stitch, work a double decrease as described above.

Work rows 2 – 7 of triangle chart.

Next row: Purl 7 stitches. For the 8^th stitch, work a double decrease as described above.

Work rows 2 – 7 of triangle chart.

Next row: Purl 5 stitches. For the 6^th stitch, work a double decrease as described above. 16 double decreases completed (32 stitches decreased). 72 stitches on the needles.

Work rows 2 – 7 of triangle chart.

Next row: *Purl 2 stitches, work a double decrease. Repeat from * until the last two stitches, purl 2. 

Next row:  *Purl 1, work a double decrease. Repeat from * until end of row. 22 stitches left.

Next row: Repeat as above until last stitch, purl 1. 11 Stitches left. Break yarn and thread it through the remaining stitches. Pull gently to close hole, and weave in end.

The hat at this point fits rather close to the head, more like a beanie than a slouchy tam. I blocked mine over a mixing bowl: