Featured in the School of SweetGeorgia Spin to Knit a Hat online course with Rachel Smith, Rachel’s Wraps per Inch Hat pattern is a perfect opportunity to knit and test out your handspun yarn. It offers us the knowledge and practice of learning how to calculate the knitting weight of our freshly spun yarn. Filled with information on how to knit a large range of sizes, have fun experimenting with your handspun while knitting hats for the whole family!
SPIN TO KNIT A HAT COURSE
One of the major differences between commercial and handspun yarn is that we don’t have a ball band to tell us the knitting weight of our handspun. Rachel Smith’s Spin to Knit a Hat course guides us through transforming that unique hand-dyed braid into yarn that can replace commercial yarns in knitting patterns. She covers essential topics like colour management, fibre preparation, and understanding concepts such as wraps per inch.
This course also helps handspinners look at how to be really intentional with sampling their handspun. Creating mini samples so you can see how the colour plays differently in your yarn structure.
For the Wraps per Inch sample hat, SweetGeorgia Team member Greta worked with our SweetGeorgia Corriedale fibre. Using the Farm to Table colourway, Greta created a beautiful 2-ply handspun gradient. The braid resulted in 310 yds/ 284 m which measured 12 wraps per inch.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of holding a beautiful braid of hand-dyed fibre and imagining all the possibilities. A single braid of fibre is the perfect amount for smaller accessories, and these projects serve as excellent wearable samples. They allow us to see how our yarn handles wear and tea. We can also see how our colour planning translates into knitted fabric — a fun knit swatch you can wear!
If you’re interested in further exploring these techniques, we invite you to move on to larger projects like sweaters, or develop more advanced spinning skills for items like socks. Rachel offers courses in the School on these topics: Spin to Knit Socks and Spin to Knit a Sweater. You can also find further spinning inspiration and information at our blog.
Happy spinning and sampling!
Handspun Gradient in the Wraps per Inch Hat
Equipment
- 1 Circular Knitting Needles 16" / 40 cm long, in the size necessary to obtain gauge
- 1 Circular Knitting Needles 16" / 40 cm long, one size smaller than that required for gauge
- 1 Double pointed or Circular needles in the same size as circular needles (or preferred needle for working small circumference at the crown)
- Additional tools: (1) BOR stitch markers, (20) stitch markers, tapestry needle
Materials
- 1 braid SweetGeorgia Corriedale Fibre in Farm to Table
Instructions
- Download the pattern either from the SweetGeorgia online shop or via the School of SweetGeorgia (available for SOS members).
- Follow the pattern directions for how to determine your wraps per inch (WPI) and gauge. Using these measurements, choose a size with a brim circumference 5-15% smaller than head circumference.
- Once you reach the hat's desired length, work the crown decreases as in the pattern. Change to double pointed needles as stitches decrease.
- Cut yarn, leaving a 6" / 15 cm tail. Thread tail through remaining stitches and pull tight. Weave in ends. Wet block to measurements. Enjoy!
Notes
Link to Pattern
Link to pattern
