Evangeline

By Susan Crawford

This hat is based on the elegant cloche hats of the 1920s & early 1930s, with a tall crown pulled low over the forehead drawing attention to the wearer's eyes. Many of the written instructions for making cloche style hats in magazines of this period are for crochet rather than knitting, so I thought I would make a knit version of this most stylish of head gear. I have combined the traditional look with contemporary techniques of short row shaping and a seamless construction teamed with a hand dyed yarn. Opt for a 'statement' button like the one used here - in this case a contrasting, vintage button.

This hat is knitted in two parts, beginning with the brim that is knitted from side to side. The crown of the hat is then picked up around the brim and worked upwards in the round. Shaping is added at the nape of the neck using short row shaping.

The pattern is designed to 'show off' this beautiful semi-solid yarn at its best, clearly showing how different it can look depending on length of row and direction of knitting.

The pattern is written for three sizes and is perfect for the intermediate knitter or a knitter wishing to expand their skills to include working in the round and using short row shaping.