February 25, 2013
-
EZ’s Maltese Hat
Been under the weather lately with this flu/cold bug and have just been hibernating and knitting. So decided to give the Elizabeth Zimmerman Maltese Hat a try. What a fun knit it is for one. EZ suggest a size 10 1/2 needle although she does recommend that the tight knitters ease up a bit on their tension, LOL. I didn’t have the size 10 1/2 but did have size 10. I got the 5 1/2 stitches to 2 inches for the gauge but I do have a big head so some adjusting will probably need to be made. So this one is knit using a size 10 needle. In knitting the deblth of the hat she suggest knitting 10 rounds or more if you want a deeper hat. I ended up knitting for 20 rounds and still think I’ll have to knit more to fit my head
. The area above the face is made by casting on 14 stitches and then joining in the round to knit the rest of the hat. It’s being modeled by block head whos got a big noggin like myself. Just a wee bit shy of 22 inches. After knitting this hat I really like it but its too snug at the top for my liking. So for it to fit me big gourd I tried using a number 11 needle and knitting loosly but it was working up HUGE. So I think I’ll try it again in the size 10 needles and knit with a looser tension and also cast on 18 instead of 14 stitches giving 60 stitches instead of the 56 stithes in the pattern. Hopefully that will give enough room for me mellon, Ha. I might add just a few more rounds for the depth of the hat as well and then start with the decreasing for the top. Printed out a Michaels coupon for 50 % off one item and I may venture out to see if I can find some 10 1/2 double points which would probably solve the size issue for me but will still have to add extra rows for the depth of it. The yarn used is called BAZINGA! by Plymouth Yarn. Bought it a while back ago to try something out in it and its great for this hat. Was thinking it might be fun to knit it up on really large circulars and then felt the hat and see what happens there. The short row shaping on this hat is really neat how it goes to give the ear flaps. EZ ROCKS!
