The Bankhead Hat
I have hunted throughout my knitting career for a classic winter hat pattern that is great for everyone. In 2018, I FINALLY found it! Meet the Bankhead Hat by Susie Gourlay. This is a free pattern on Ravelry so a huge shout out to Susie for sharing her gorgeous hat for free! The pattern was originally released in 2012 and since then has added more sizes (ranges from a baby 12 inch to an XL adult 24 inch size) and has smoothed out the decreases. This hat is knit from the bottom up so you will need to be able to close with double pointed needles or a magic loop. The pattern uses a maximum of 200 yards of worsted weight yarn for the largest size, so this is a perfect project for that one beautiful skein you’ve got waiting in your stash.
Knit this Bankhead Hat in Sept. 2018 for my dad using superwash BFL in the Triple Crossroads colorway by Llady Llama Fiber Co. that I hand spindle spun.
This pattern is EXCELLENT for a first time knitting in the round project. Out side of basic knit and purl stitches, the only other things you need to learn are ktbl and sl2kpsso. The ktbl is knitting through the back loop of your stitch. It is utilized in the ribbing of this hat and this quick tutorial on YouTube by VeryPink Knits was very helpful. The sl2kpsso is a slip 2 knitwise, knit one, and pass 2 slipped stitches over. This double decrease is used in the crown decrease and took a few watches to fully prepare myself for it. I was worried I was twisting the stitches and this YouTube tutorial by Kym Hretz was helpful to me.
I loved this pattern so much that I immediately got to work making one for my brother and one for my sweet nephew. I hand spun and knit both out of the superwash Merino combed top in the colorway Urban Decay from Llady Llama Fiber Co. The ribbing on this hat has a wonderful stretch that bounces back. The ktbl gives a great definition to the ribbing and keeps the finished fabric dense and all the holes of the loops closed. I did lightly block my hats, but not so much as to see the seed stitch detail in the 4x1 ribbing of the body when it’s laid flat. It's a lovely detail that is much more visible in the designer’s picture on Ravelry or when the hat is worn. I knit the toddler size for my nephew so he had room to grow. I knit the XL for my dad so that the hat didn’t squish his hair and my husband who has a 24.5 inch head circumference was very comfortable in it. My brother got an adult L size and it fit perfectly!
I can’t wait to make another one this winter for someone in my family! I bet this hat also looks fabulous with a pompom on top. The pattern is easy to follow and something I could get in to a rhythm with for knitting while watching TV. It works up quickly and I would definitely recommend it to someone looking to take the plunge on knitting in the round or if you were looking for some mindless (but not boring) knitting. Even the story of what inspired the designer is a fun bit to read. You can find Susie Gourlay via her website, through her Ravelry profile, on Instagram or on Facebook. A few of her other designed pieces have already caught my eye.
What color are you going to use for your Bankhead hat? Let me know in the comments below!