Totally Tubular Head Hugger

Totally Tubular Head Hugger

design by Denelle Bratcher of Knuts4Knits

Skill: advanced beginner

The following is my version of the popular “panta” patterns floating around the Net. It’s great for the times you’d like a hat to keep your head and ears warm, but you still want to keep your hair pulled up. I’ve modified it so that there is less bulk at the nape and the slipped stitch edging looks good with the ribbed rows. It’s meant to be pulled a bit lower on the brow, so I widened the top part of the band.

If you like the pattern, please drop a line. If you find mistakes, I’d appreciate hearing about those as well. I’m still new at this. Boy, it takes a lot of time to write down each step. I appreciate the “real” designers even more now!
Supplies:

About 80 yards of Blue Sky Alpaca, DK weight . You could use a worsted weight as well if you’d like a slightly wider version.

sizes 4 and 6 needles

safety pin to mark right side (or tie a piece of contrasting yarn)

tapestry needle for weaving ends
Gauge:
approx. 5 st per inch

Size:
adult, one size fits most (finished piece is 19″; stretches to 20 or 21″)

Shaping Stitches used:

M1: Make 1 stitch

K2 tog :  Knit 2 stitches together as one

SSK:  Slip one knitwise, knit the next st, lift slipped stitch over that stitch

Sl1 wyif:  Slip one with yarn in front
Note: When slipping one (Sl1) for the three-stitch tubular edge, slip the yarn purlwise with yarn in front (wyif). Be sure to return yarn to the back when you make the subsequent knit stitches. The first and last three stitches will be done in this manner throughout the pattern. It makes a very nice, neat, rounded edge. (Thank you, Annie Modesitt.) It’s easily memorized, but I’ve chosen to italicize the edge stitches to make them more discernable.

Pattern:
With smaller needles, CO 16 st.

(a provisional CO is optional if you want to graft the ends or use the three-needle bind-off)

Section A:

(RS) Row1: K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, *P1, K2* repeat from * to * until 4 st remain; P1, K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1.

Mark the right side.

(WS)Row 2: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *K1, P2* repeat from * to * until 4 st remain; K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl1 1 wyif.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 for 1.5″. End with RS row.

Section B:

(WS)Row 1: : Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *K1, M1, P2* repeat until 4 st remain; K1, M1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif. (20 st)

(RS) Row 2: K1, Sl1 wyif, K1, *P2, K2* repeat until 5 st remain; P2, K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1.

(WS)Row 3: Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif, *K2, P2* repeat until 5 st remain; K2, Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 2″. End with RS row.

Section C:

Change to larger needles,

(WS)Row 1: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl wyif, *M1, K2, M1, P2,* repeat until 5 st remain; M1, K2, M1, Sl wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif. ( 28 st)

(RS) Row 2: K1, Sl1 wyif, K1, *P4, K2,* repeat until 7 st remain; P4, K1, Sl1 wyif, K1.

(WS)Row 3: Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif, *K4, P2* repeat until 7 st remain; K4, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 2.5″. End with RS row.

Section D:
(WS)Row1: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *M1, K4, M1, P2* repeat until 7 st remain; M1, K4, M1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif. (36 st)

(RS) Row 2: K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, *P6, K2* repeat until until 9 st remain; P6, K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1.

(WS)Row 3: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *K6, P2* until 9 st remain; K6, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 7″. End with RS row.
Section E (begin to decrease):

(WS)Row 1: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *K2 tog, K2, K2 tog, P2* repeat until 9 st remain; k2 tog, K2, K2 tog, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif.(28 sts)

(RS) Row 2: K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, *P4, K2* repeat until 7 st remain; P4, K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1.

(WS)Row 3: Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *K4,P2* repeat until 7 st remain; K4, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 2.5″. End with RS row.

Section F:

Change to smaller needles,
(WS)Row 1: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *ssk, K2 tog, P2* repeat until 7 st remain; ssk, K 2 tog, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif. (20 st)

(RS)Row 2: K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, *P2, K2* repeat until 5 st remain; P2, K1, Sl1 wyif, K1.

(WS)Row 3: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl1 wyif, *K2, P2* repeat until 5 st remain; K2, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 2″. End with RS row.

Section G:

(WS) Row1: Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, * K2 tog, P2* repeat until 5 st remain; K2 tog, Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif. (16 st)

(RS) Row 2: K1, Sl1 wyif, K1, *P1, K2* repeat until 4 st remain; P1, K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1.

(WS)Row 3: Sl1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif, *k1, P2* repeat until 4 st remain, K1, Sl 1 wyif, K1, Sl 1 wyif.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 for 1.5 “. End with RS row.

TO FINISH: Bind off stitches and sew narrow ends together, weaving in the tail, OR, for a seamless finish, you can kitchener stitch the ends together OR , if you used a provisional cast on, you can put the live stitches on a needle and use a three-needle bind off.