Icy Blue Koolhaas

Although it is spring the weather here in London has been very changable for the last few weeks. Some times it's really nice and then the next day it's pooring down and icy cold. So last month I cast on for another hat. This one I fell in love with the moment I saw it. It's called the Koolhaas hat, named after the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Some of his work I really like, some I do not. But this hat is a good design and has a fantastic structure. It reminds me of designs both modern and arabesque.


Great structure...

The pattern is published in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007 which I ordered online around Christmas. The magazine is chuck full with fantastic projects as I stated in my blog post: Knitting books & magazines. If you can get your hands on this mag I strongly advise you to do so as it's well worth it. However it seems to be pretty much sold out. No worries, you can also purchase the Koolhaas hat pattern seperate for $4.50 at the Interweave shop

I had two skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky that I bought for half price in the John Lewis sale. I really liked the colour and wanted to make a hat, so I decided to make the Koolhaas hat even though the pattern asks for a lighter weight yarn. I tried making a gauge swatch, but it was no use. The pattern was directed for knitting in the round and the gauge was not stockinette but the pattern. My test swatch would have been so big, I though I might as well cast on and try it out. So I tried several times until I found that 80 stitches was the right gauge for my head. The Koolhaas pattern is a multiply of 10 stitches so 80 would do.


Matches my eyes.

Project Details

Pattern: Koolhaas hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky
Colour: 17011 (blue)
Amount: 2 skeins, 130 m / 142.0 yards (I had about 1/2 skein left over)
Needles: 5 mm (US 8) for ribbing, 5.5 mm (US 9) for pattern

Cast on 80 stiches using 5 mm needles. Switched to 5.5 mm (us 9) needles for pattern. Pattern repeat over 8 sts, hence the 80 sts cast on instead of the 104 (needed for thinner yarn).

Repeated pattern 3 times then worked the crown decreases. Was not happy with size. It didn't came down enough and left my ears too exposed. So I put it back on the needles after froggin it a bit and added about 5 extra rounds in the decrease crown section. It now has a slight point which you can only see when it's not worn, but when on my head you can't really see it.

Over verdict: Absolute Gem! Fantastic to knit and great look. Colour is fab too as it matches my eyes. I am thinking of making a lighter weight yarn version later in the year in boreaux red.

Ravelry links:
My Koolhaas hat
The Koolhaas hat pattern