If you could only knit with one yarn weight for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
I love variety (fortunately that was a rhetorical question), but I always come back to worsted weight. Even after making my Eva Hat in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, my favorite yarn to work with so far, I couldn’t help wondering if I could make a worsted weight version.
And so Eva Lynn was born.
It’s the same pattern as Eva, only with a different gauge and a few tweaks to make that larger gauge work. The decreases are a little different, too. But other than that, it’s the same lace and cable pattern that I used with Eva, and you could pair it easily with the Eva Scarf (which can be made with any yarn/needles/gauge, no problem).
Your gauge is important when knitting Eva Lynn, so you can’t skip making a gauge swatch. I knit my swatch in stockinette stitch, for the simplicity of measurement. The lace pattern of Eva and Eva Lynn doesn’t lend itself to grading for different sizes like I would normally do, so I wrote the pattern for an average adult size (22 inch head circumference) with a gauge of 5 stitches per inch. To get a larger adult hat, with a head circumference of 24 inches, use needles and yarn that give you a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch. To get a smaller hat, for a child/teen size with a head circumference of 20 inches, use needles and yarn that give you a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch.
I used Patons Classic Wool Worsted yarn for my Eva Lynn, half a skein or less. I like it because it’s 100% wool, and I like using natural fibers when I can, plus it’s inexpensive. It’s really nice to knit with, and it holds up decently well to frogging and reknitting (I know from experience). It’s also really warm for its weight—it’s not super bulky but it still keeps you toasty. It’s soft, too, though not as soft as some other wools that you’ll find: it’s not as soft as the expensive merinos, obviously, and it’s also not as soft as the wool/acrylic blends.
Before jumping in, I have some tips in the original Eva post on how to follow the chart and how to cable without a cable needle—I’d recommend reading that post if you’re new to either of those.
Eva Lynn Hat
Pattern notes: This pattern is written for an average adult size hat (22” circumference). To make a child/teen size (20”), use needles/yarn that will give you a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch. To make a large adult size (24”), use needles/yarn that will give you a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch.
Needle: US size 7 (4.5 mm), 16” and double pointed (optional).
Yarns used: Patons Classic Wool Worsted Yarn (worsted weight (4); 100% wool; 223 yards/100 grams), 0.5 skeins of Jade.
Yardage: about 100 yards.
Gauge: 5 stitches per inch.
Other Notions: 4 stitch markers (1 different from the other 3 to mark the beginning of the round), cable needle (optional).
Final Measurements: 22”
Stitch Abbreviations:
k=knit
p=purl
yo=yarn over
k2tog=knit two together
ssk=slip slip knit
1/1 rc=Slip one stitch onto cable needle, hold behind work. Knit next stitch. Knit stitch from cable needle.
Chart:
Pattern:
Brim:
Cast on 108 stitches. Join, being careful not to twist stitches. Place marker to mark the start of the round.
Rounds 1-7: k1, p1, repeat to end.
From here you can either follow the chart or the written instructions. I found it easier to place markers at every pattern repeat (every 27 stitches) to keep track of where I was.
Lace pattern:
Round 1: *k4, yo, k2tog, k3, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
All even rounds 2-12: *k9, p2, k4, p2, k2, p2, k4, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 3: *k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 5: *k2, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, 1/1 rc, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 7: *k1, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, k2tog, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 9: *k2, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 11: *k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, 1/1 rc, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, repeat from * to end.
Repeat rounds 1-12 once more.
Decreases:
Switch to dpn whenever your stitches get too tight on your circular needles.
Round 13: *k4, yo, k2tog, k3, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 14: *k9, p2, k4, p2, k2, p2, k4, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 15: *k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, k2, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 16: *k9, p2, k4, p2, k2, p2, k4, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 17: *k2, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, 1/1 rc, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 18: *k9, p2, k4, p1, k2tog, ssk, p1, k4, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 19: *k1, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, k2tog, p2, k2, yo, k2tog, p1, k2, p1, k2, yo, k2tog, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 20: *k9, p2, k4, k2tog, ssk, k4, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 21: *k2, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, k1, yo, k2tog, k4, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 22: *k9, p2, k3, k2tog, ssk, k3, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 23: *k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, p2, k3, 1/1 rc, k3, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 24: *k9, p2, k2, k2tog, ssk, k2, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 25: *k4, yo, k2tog, k3, p2, k6, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 26: *k9, p2, k1, k2tog, ssk, k1, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 27: *k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2, p2, k4, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 28: *k9, p2, k2tog, ssk, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 29: *k2, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k1, p2, 1/1 rc, p2, repeat from * to end.
Round 30: *k9, p1, k2tog, ssk, p1, repeat from * to end.
Round 31: *k9, k2tog, ssk, repeat from * to end.
Round 32: *k7, k2tog, ssk, repeat from * to end.
Round 33: *k5, k2tog, ssk, repeat from * to end.
Round 34: *k3, k2tog, ssk, repeat from * to end.
Round 35: *k1, k2tog, ssk, repeat from * to end.
Round 36: *k2tog, k1, repeat from * to end.
Cut a tail about 6 inches long. Thread tail through remaining stitches. Finish by sewing ends under.
