Try 3 New Knitting Skills in This One Vortex Hat
Here’s the perfect project to try three new knitting skills: start with the Duality Crochet Cast On, experience the impact of the diagonal Showy Decrease line and finish up with the Double Decker Hat Top. All easy, all fun.
Your New Go To Hat
I tend to knit projects twice. The first, off the cuff with lots of scribbled notes and the second for pattern purposes, carefully recording each and every stitch, option and tip along the way. Sometimes, however, I get carried away and knit another, and another … The versatility of this hat makes it your perfect go to hat. You can knit it for ten different people and it will never look the same!
The Vortex Hat is one of the first projects I sketched out when playing with the Showy Decrease. I could picture the contrast of the decreases against a the smooth stockinette top before I even picked up needles. The Duality Crochet Contrast Cast On adds some contrasting horizontal elements with a nice side to side element that works nicely with the i-cord bind off. It allows you to start in the middle of any project.
As you can see, the design options are numerous. Have some fun with it! I knit the original two years ago and set it aside, moving on to other Showy Decrease experimentation. But when it came time to photograph the hat, I noticed the color was not popping off the screen and the star of the show, the Showy Decreases, were hard to see. I needed another sample.
And so I knit one in a bulky gauge, and then I knit another that had some stripes, and the next day yet another in the long color-way changes of Mochi Plus.That’s when I discovered the impact of the Duality Crochet Cast On and so (you’ve got it), I knit another.
This last hat was knit in one of the most beautiful and inspiring places I know, Lake Tahoe. I found the perfect knitting spot by a big fire pit next to the lake and started knitting, ordered a cuppa tea, kept knitting, made some new friends, kept knitting, ordered some lunch, kept knitting, switched to a glass of white wine with my new friends, and kept knitting. And finally I was done.
The pattern that includes all these design options so you can design your own (or two, or three …). I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
The Vortex is the first in a trio of hats that demonstrate the Showy & Subtle Decrease. The Rip Cord and Yosemite hats explore other options. This is the easiest of the three.
Here are some relevant links for your convenience:
- More about the Showy Decrease & free tutorial download.
- The Vortex Hat Ravelry Link
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