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Two Tail Hat by Natalie Langkilde http://www.nataliesknitting.com

edited March 2, '04

Published in the Pennsylvania Machine Knitters Guild Newsletter Spring '04

If you like this pattern, you would probably also like the Wazoo, by Anita Pryor

This was a favorite at my house with my (then) 9 and 11 yr old. It is fun because you can get out all those fair isle patterns and colors and just have fun! It would be cute on a toddler or little kid, too. I did one in shocking neon stripes for a snowboarder in the late 80's.

Done on a standard bed Knitting Machine. Could be bulky or midgauge if you use general directions and your measurements and guage. The cuff could also be done in rib if desired. This hat was doubled for the main head section, then the tail was knit a single layer. We lived in a very cold area of the country! The tail was the scarf, or just dangled down the back.

Note: Mary Lou Solo was used for my hat (blue one had some brushed acrylic added) and I found it was awfully heavy for a doubled hat. It worked better for the a doubled thickness single tail hat, but the double tail doubled thickness hat somehow had more pull backward. A lighter yarn would have doubled nicer because the tail on this hat is so heavy. It tends to pull the hat back off the forehead of the wearer with the heavier yarn. It still worked great!

Directions

1. Find the width and the legnth from brim to top of the head that needs this hat.

2. Make a guage swatch to determine how many st. to cast on, and how deep to make the doubled part of this hat.

3. Cast on EON enough st. to go around the circumference of the head. (Do a permanent cast on if you do not want this a doubled hat)

4. Knit enough rows to cover the head from the top of the heat to the eyebrows. Then knit more (the amount to make up the inches desired) for the cuff, if you want to turn up the cuff. Make note of how many rows you have done and put RC back to 000

5. Then make a turning row for double hat (go to the tail section now if you don't want this doubled). This would be a tension or 2 higher than the main tension of the hat, to help it fold nicer when done.

6. RC 000, Knit the depth of the hat one more time (using the amount of rows found on Direction # 4) and hang EON and knit across to join the doubled part of the hat as for a hem. Now the hat is doubled and ready for the tail.

Tail

7. Knit an inch or 2 more of pattern, then put 1/2 st on one side of "0" on scrap and ravel cord. Take off.

8. RC 000: Keep track from here on out how many rows and how often you decrease. Note the RC as well. Begin decreasing with your preferred method gradually until the "tail" is as long as you like it. I knit mine about 3 feet! Get down to 5-10 st. and take off and gather up with the knitting yarn. You could also decrease by EON the last few rounds to decrease faster down to enough st. to take off and gather up.

9. RC 000: Put the other st. back on from the scrap and ravel cord and do exactly as you did in #8.

10. Sew up hat seam inside and out. Sew up the 2 tails. Tassel the ends as desired.

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