one last spindle hat: Circulus

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Sarah Sipe’s Circulus (Ravelry link) has been released. This is the last of the six hats we have designed based on ancient spindle whorls; the others can all be found in the ebook collection, Our Heads are Spinning. (Out of print) (Ravelry link)

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Whorls featuring circle designs have been found at archaeological sites around the globe; the circle-with-dot is nearly as widespread. The whorl that inspired this particular design came from a Roman-era Coptic site (Egypt), but similar whorls have been retrieved from German, Sassanian (Iran), Bactrian (Afghanistan), and Mexican sites.

This beanie features a variation on the banjo cable with a two-row nupp in the center to mimic the common circle-with-dot motif.


Size:
Measurements are made with hat blocked and stretched to appear like the example. This is a very stretchy hat due to the ribbing, and will fit a head up to 4 inches [10cm] larger than circumference noted.

  • Child: 9 inches [22cm] deep and 17 inches [43cm] in circumference.
  • Adult Woman: 10 inches [25cm] deep and 20 inches [50cm] in circumference.
  • Adult Man: 11.5 inches [29cm] deep and 22 inches [56cm] in circumference.

The example shown is an Adult Woman size on a 22 inch [56cm] head.

Gauge:
16 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches [10cm] in stockinette worked in the round on larger needles.

Materials:

  • 100 (110, 120) yards [91 (101, 110)m] worsted yarn (Sample in Miss Babs Yowza, Pumpkin)
  • US size 6 [4mm] needles for working in the round.
  • US size 8 [5mm] needles for working in the round.
  • Tapestry needle.

Techniques:

You should be able to knit in the round, do cables with a cable needle, and be familiar with a nupp.

(I’m feeling a little melancholy as well as excited – this collection of spindle hats is dear to me and has been a large part of this last year for me.)