Matilda & Tillie: knit cloche hat pattern

Matilda & Tillie
Peace Fleece worsted weight knitting yarn (70% wool, 30% mohair), 4 oz/200 yds, color of your choice
XS, S, M, L, XL (18", 20", 22", 24", 26")
US 6/4.0mm dpns, 1 set of 5
US 6/4.0mm circular needle (16")
US G/4.25 mm crochet hook

Hats for chilly seasons, these close-fitting wool cloche hats are designed to keep out cold and blustery winds. The heather mohair blend yarn enhances the vintage style; the crown and brim colors look subtly different depending on the angle and the light.  Tiny flecks of many colors make these wearable with just about any color in your wardrobe.  These hats will also travel well, easily stuffed into a coat pocket or a bag, and can be dressed up easily with pins, brooches, and other decorations. 

The crown is knit from the top down, ending right above the ears. The brim is worked separately as a long bias strip with increases and decreases to shape it as you go and is sewn to the crown.  A simple knit i-cord or crocheted cord trims the hat and covers the seam.  Matilda has a plain brim; Tillie has a shaped brim with a knit-in hem, which can be worn with the narrow edge at the back (allowing for jacket and coat collars) or at the side for retro flair.

Left: Matilda, Peace Fleece "Tundra", size medium (22")
Right: Tillie, Peace Fleece "Zarya Fog", size medium

Peace Fleece can be purchased online directly from peacefleece.com, or from Kpixie.com or Granola Yarn.

Matilda & Tillie is now available for sale as a USD $5.50 .pdf download (you will need a PayPal account or a credit card).

The printed-on-paper pattern is available through yarn shops:
Granola Yarn
www.granolayarn.com
Granola Yarn is an online only shop and carries Peace Fleece as well as potential substitute yarns (O-Wool Classic and O-Wool Balance).

Pollywogs Yarn and Fiber
www.mypollywogs.com
7 Bush Ave.
Wayland NY 14572
phone 585-728-5667 / fax 585-728-3133
Pollywogs carries Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted and Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, both good potential substitute yarns.

Tangle
store.tangleonline.com
140 Ouray Ave #A
Grand Junction, CO 81501
Tangle carries some of the potential substitute yarns listed in the pattern, including SWTC Karaoke and Cascade Eco Wool.

Substitute yarns:
You may substitute a worsted weight yarn on the sturdy end of the yarn spectrum; I would not recommend any soft, floppy yarns like alpaca.
Southwest Trading Co. Vickie Howell "Rock"
Hemp for Knitting "HempWol"
Cascade "Eco-Wool"
Vermont Organic Fiber Co. "O-Wool Classic" and "O-Wool Balance"

A note on gauge: Peace Fleece comes in solid, flecked, and heathered versions, which may be slightly different thicknesses, so do check your gauge and change needle sizes if necessary.  The pattern is worked at a tighter than usual gauge to get a fairly dense, slightly stiffer fabric.  If this is hard on your hands, be sure to take time out to rest and stretch your hands and arms! 

Knitalong?  I'm hosting one on Ravelry!  If you'd like to start one, please feel free to!  I chose to host on Ravelry because it's easier for me, but until the beta phase is over, it won't be accessible to the general public.

Errata:

Corrections to the Tillie brim instructions:
begin decreases
Row 4 should begin: sl1, p2, sl marker, inc 1
begin increases:
Row 2 should begin: sl 1, p2, sl marker

Corrections to the Matilda and Tillie brim instructions:
row count for both brims should be
Total brim rows: 132 (156, 168, 180, 192, 204)

Not an error, but but an omission:
Closing the gap at the top of the crown:
The cast-on will leave a small hole at the top.  After knitting the crown, thread the tail of the cast-on through the cast-on stitches and pull tight to close the hole.  Weave in the

If you purchased your pattern before 23 January 2008, you have the most current version and do not need the corrections. If you purchased the pattern as a download, you were sent an email with the corrected pages as a link or as an attachment. If you did not get an email/purchased a printed pattern through a shop, you may download the corrected pages for free using the Add to Cart button below. You will be asked for a first name, last name, and email address (information will not be sold or given out; will be used for any future updates necessary). If you do not wish to give the information, you will still be able to download the update; just type in something like "No Name" for first and last name and "noemail@noemail.com" for email address.