The Ganomy Hat For Non Gnomes

Subtitled: The Ear Flap Surprise Hat.

All credit to Elizabeth Zimmermann.

I've written this pattern for DK weight yarn That is 22 stitches to 4 inches. Instructions for Knitting Worsted ( 20 sts t0 4 ") and Chunky (14-16 sts to 4 ") in brackets.

Use needles appropriate to the yarn you are using.

You will also need markers. 4 of one colour (A), two of colour B, two of colour C The colour thing is anal. I day dream when I knit and need the colour 'alarm' to keep on track. If you don't have that problem, any colour will do.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cast on 106 (96, 76) sts.

2. Join in the round and work 4 ridges in garter stitch. That is 8 rounds of knit one round, purl one round.

3. Shaping Set Up - but first a little theory.

The ear flaps are shaped by two decreases at each side of the hat. To prevent the hat from getting smaller and smaller because of these decreases, an equal number of increases are made at the front and back of the hat.

The shaping is a two-round repeat. Round one will be two decreases at the right ear, two increases at the front, two decreases at the left ear, two increases at the back.

Round two will be knit even - no decreases, no increases.

SET UP

Round One: Mark the beginning of the round with a marker ( colour C)

** Knit one. Place marker (PM) (Colour A).

Increase one by knitting into the front and back of the next stitch ( K f&b)

Knit 15 (13, 10) sts. K 2 tog, PM ( Colour B) SSK

Knit 30 (27, 20) sts. K f&b of next stitch. PM (Colour A) Knit one. You are at the centre front.

Repeat from ** across second half of hat.

Round Two: Knit even.

4. Repeat rounds one and two until hat is about 4 1/2 inches high.

5. Now, change the front and back increase stitches to decrease stitches as follows: Place a marker (Colour C) between the two stitches that are presently between the two front markers. Remove the current front & back markers.

You now have 4 markers. One at each ear, and one at the front and one at the back.

Round One. Beginning at centre back ** slip marker, SSK, Knit to two stitches before the next marker, K 2TOG. Repeat from ** around hat.

Round Two: Work even. No decreases.

Repeat Rounds one and two until hat measures about 7 inches.

6. K2tog. Repeat around.

7. Work one round even.

8. K 2 tog. Repeat around.

9 Repeat step 8 until there are about 8 - 10 stitches remaining.

10. Cut yarn. Thread thru stitches. Pull tight.

For those of you with minds that yearn for a little more design info, there is about 14% of total stitches between centre back and each ear and about 28% between each ear and centre front. There you go. I've given away the secret to my genius. I simply took EZ's pattern numbers and worked out the percentages. I copy well. All credit to Elizabeth Zimmermann.