Design story

Once her grandmother made her a present, a small, red, velvet cap, and since it was so becoming and the maiden insisted on always wearing it, she was called Little Red Cap. So goes the traditional Brothers Grimm tale of the curious careless girl who stepped into the path of danger. The image of Little Red Cap is one which has been reinterpreted many times due to the obvious symbolism within it as well as the different strands that the story contains. Angela Carter rewrote the tale three times in her collection of haunting dark fairy stories The Bloody Chamber, and the poet Carol Ann Duffy included a version in her collection The World's Wife. Personally, I feel that there's just something to wearing a red hat on an autumn day, and so I created this striking red cap to match the mood of an idyllic October afternoon when the leaves are just beginning to turn golden. Cables sneak up the hat and frame a lozenge-shaped lace pattern, and everything meets at the centre of the crown. It's sure to lift your mood this autumn, whether you're trampling leaves underfoot in a forest or waiting in the queue for the bus.

Materials

Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted (85% wool, 15% mohair, approx 173m (190 yds per 113 gm ball)
1 ball shade M80 (blue blood red)

Set of 5 4.5mm (US #7) double-pointed needles
Set of 5 5mm (US #8) double-pointed needles
A Circular needle of any size, 60cm (24 inches)or longer
Cable needle

Measurements

Hat circumference: 46 cm (18 inches)

Tension

19st x 26 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) in stocking stitch in the round with 5 mm (US #8) needles

Abbreviations

K - knit
P - purl
K2tog - knit 2 stitches together
P2tog - purl 2 stitches together
SSK - slip, slip, knit decrease
SK2togPSO - slip 1 stitch, knit next 2 together, pass the slipped stitch over and off the needle
K1tbl - knit one through back of loop
kfb - knit into the front and back of the st
pfb - purl into the front and back of the st
C6f - make a 6-stitch wide cable to the front
C6b - make a 6-stitch wide cable to the back
YO - yarn over increase
CO - cast on
PM - place marker

Pattern

Brim

Using 4.5mm (US #7) needles, CO 80 sts with the provisional cast-on. PM and join to begin working in the round.

Work 8 rnds in stocking stitch (knit every rnd).

Using 5mm (US #8) needles, P 1 rnd.

Work 8 rnds in stocking stitch (knit every rnd).

Undo the provisional cast-on and transfer the live stitches to the circular needle. Now, working together one stitch from each needle, knit the round. (The circular needle with the CO stitches should be behind the stitches that you have just knit, so that the tighter band of fabric knit with the 4.5mm (US needles is behind the looser band. Working 1 stitch from each needle together all the way round, you are knitting 2 stitches together, effectively deleting the live stitches from the provisional CO and sealing the tube of fabric.)

Cap

For the following instructions, repeat directions from the asterisk (*) till the end of the rnd (total of 4 times). As there are 2 separate patterns in the body of the cap, a gap has been left for clarity, so that the cable pattern is obvious from the lace pattern. This does not indicate that there should be a break in the round.

1. * K6, P3, K6,P2, Kfb, P2.
2. * K6, P1, Pfb, P1, K6, P2, K2, P2.
3. * K6, P4, K6, P2, K1, YO, YO, K1, P2.
4. * K6, P4, K6, P2, K2, K1tbl, K1, P2.
5. * K6, P4, K6, P2, K1, YO, K2, YO, K1, P2.
6. * C6f, P1, Pfb, P2, C6b, P2, K6, P2.
7. * K6, P5, K6, P2, K1, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K1, YO, K1, P2.
8. * K6, P5, K6, P2, K8, P2.
9. * K6, P5, K6, P2, K1, YO, K2, SSK, YO, K2, YO, K1, P2.
10. * K6, P2, Pfb, P2, K6, P2, K10, P2.
11. * K6, P6, K6, P2, K1, YO, K3, YO, K2tog, K3, YO, K1, P2.
12. * K6, P6, K6, P2, K12, P2.
13. * K6, P6, K6, P2, K1, YO, K4, SSK, YO, K4, YO, K1, P2
14. * K6, P2, Pfb, P3, K6, P2, K14, P2
15. * K6, P7, K6, P2, K1, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, K5, YO, K1, P2
16. * C6f, P7, C6b, P2, K16, P2.
17. * K5, SSK, P5, K2tog, K5, P2, SSK, YO, K5, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, P2.
18. * K6, P1, P2tog, P2, K6, P2, K16, P2.
19. * K5, SSK, P2, K2tog, K5, P2, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, K5, YO, K2tog, P2.
20. * K6, P2, K6, P2, K16, P2.
21. * K5, SSK, K2tog, K5, P2, SSK, YO, K5, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, P2.

For the following instructions, repeat directions from the asterisk (*) till the end of the rnd (total of 2 times). There are now 4 separate patterns, thus, gaps have been left accordingly.

22. * K5, SSK, K5, P2, K16, P2, K5, K2tog, K5, P2, K16, P2.
23. * K4, SK2togPSO, K4, P2, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, K5, YO, K2tog, P2, K4, K3tog, K4, P2, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, K5, YO, K2tog, P2.
24. * K4, SSK, K3, P2, K16, P2, K4, K2tog, K1, P2, K16, P2.
25. * K3, SK2togPSO, K2, P2, SSK, YO, K5, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, P2,K3, K3tog, K2, P2, SSK, YO, K5, SSK, YO, K5, YO, K2tog, P2.
26. * C6f, P2, K16, P2, C6b, P2, K16, P.
27. * K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K4, YO, SSK, K4, YO, K3tog, P2, K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K4, YO, SSK, K4, YO, K3tog, P2.
28. * K6, P2, K14, P2, K6, P2, K14, P2.
29. * K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K3, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, K3tog, P2, K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K3, K2tog, YO, K3, YO, K3tog, P2.
30. * K6, P2, K12, P2 K6, P2, K12, P2.
31. * K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K2, YO, SSK, K2, YO, K3tog, P2, K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K2, YO, SSK, K2, YO, K3tog, P2.
32. * K6, P2, K10, P2, K6, P2, K10, P2.
33. * K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, K3tog, P2,K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, K3tog, P2.
34. * K6, P2, K8, P2, K6, P2, K8, P2.
35. * K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K2, YO, K3tog, P2,K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, K2, YO, K3tog, P2.
36. * C6f, P2, K6, P2, C6b, P2, K6, P2.

For the following instructions, repeat directions from the asterisk (*) till the end of the rnd (total of 4 times).

37. * K6, P2, SK2togPSO, YO, YO, K3tog, P2.
38. * K6, P2, K4, P2.
39. * K6, P2, SSK, K2tog, P2.
40. * K6, P2, K2, P2.
41. * K6, P2, K2tog, P2.
42. * K6, P1, P2tog, P2.
43. * K6, P4.
44. * K2tog, K2, SSK, P2tog, P2tog.
45. * K2tog, SSK, P2tog.
46. * SK2togPSO.

Finishing

Break yarn and draw through 4 remaining stitches. Secure on the inside of the cap and weave in all ends.

Find out more about Anushka by visiting her blog byanushka.wordpress.com

This pattern is not to be used commercially or to be resold.  Copyright © Anushka Tay 2008

Photography: Susan Crawford
Model: Anneka Suliman