As promised in my last post, my Trinity Stitch Slouchy Hat was knitted in January. This is a semi-slouchy hat knitted in the trinity stitch. The inspiration for this hat came from a thread in the Harry Potter Lovers group on Ravelry. The thread was about the knit hat that Hermione Granger wears in the Deathly Hollows, Part I movie. Here’s a picture from the movie:
There was a great deal of discussion about what stitch was used for the hat, but most of the comments were in favor of either the daisy (star) stitch or the trinity (bramble) stitch. So, I decided to give the trinity stitch a try — and here is the end result:
Pretty close, I think.
I knit the hat using Paton’s Classic Wool yarn on size US 8 (4.5 mm) needles. Colorway is “Bright Red”. I also wrote the pattern for this hat as I knitted it up, so that I could share it with others. Here’s a link if you’d like to download it: Trinity Stitch Slouchy Hat.
I had to convert the Trinity Stitch Pattern so that it could be used in the round. Directions for the trinity stitch knit in the round are included in the pattern. If you download this pattern and enjoy knitting your own hat, please leave me a comment.
Thank you so much for this pattern. I have been trying to figure out how to use this stitch for a hat for some time, and have been unable to figure out how the reductions at the crown could be made without ruining the pattern of the stitch–now I can try out your solution.
Does the decrease as written in your pattern preserve the trinity stitch pattern without an unsightly breakup? I am knitting wrong side out. Much easier to p3tog than k3tog.
Making a slouch hat for my daughter, so 10 to 12 inches before decrease.
Glad I found your pattern.
It did when I knit it up while working on the pattern.
Many thanks for the in-the-round instructions for the Trinity stitch. I made a cable/trinity combo hat about 35 years ago for my then 3rd grade daughter. The pattern was lost long ago but the hat is still intact and beautiful. So I managed to make a new pattern from the hat itself. The original was on straight needles and I really wanted to do it on circulars but couldn’t figure it out. Now I will make another hat following your instructions for the Trinity on circulars. Thank you for bringing joy to an 84 year old lady who loves to knit
In my last post on knitting needles, I discussed the various options for needle materials and types of needles. Today, I will go over needle tips and cable lengths for circular needles.
Needle Tips:
Needle tips vary in both length and sharpness. The sharpness of your needle tip can be an important factor in how your knitted stitches turn out. For instance, it is easier to do knit lace patterns where you are doing increases and decrease with a needle tip that is fairly sharp. A sharp point is helpful when you are attempting to insert your needle into two or more stitches to make a decrease. Sharp points also work well for knitting cables. If you are using a yarn that tends to split when being knit, a blunter needle tip may be a better option than a very sharp one.
Tips of Different Brands of Needles
Now, if you are a knitter that uses your finger to push the left needle tip while transferring a stitch to the right needle – you probably won’t enjoy knitting with very sharp pointed needles. (Your finger will get quite sore as you knit. So, if you decide to use a needle with a sharp tip, you may need to alter your technique to avoid this problem.) The sharpness of knitting needle tips varies from brand to brand. In my experience, my Knit Picks needles have a sharp tip, while my Addi needles are less sharp. Likewise, the sharpness of needle tips can vary with different needle materials. I find my new Hiya Hiya interchangeable tips to be sharper than my Knit Picks needles. I have also purchased a few ChiaGoo needles and they have sharp tips. I actually poked a hole in my index finger while knitting with the ChiaGoo’s.
Needle and Cable Lengths:
The length of a circular knitting needle is measured from tip to tip – and includes both the needle and the cable. This is true of fixed and interchangeable needles. Most fixed circular needles have tips that are about 5 inches long. Interchangeable needle tips can be purchased in lengths from 2 ¾ inches to 5 inches. The matching cables come in lengths that result in the total length of the needle – i.e., if you buy a 24-inch cable for a 2 ¾ inch tip, the cable is actually 18.5 inches – but when you attach the needle tips the total length will be 24 inches. The length of the needle tips is a matter of preference, and you may need to try different lengths to determine what works best for you.
For general purpose knitting, a 24-inch circular needle will usually handle enough stitches for a project. I have several 24-inch cables in my collection and use them frequently. Shorter length needles work better for projects like hats, mittens, and socks. I use 16-inch circulars to knit hats most of the time. Some knitters love using 9-inch circulars for knitting socks – but I have not tried them.
Longer cables are good for projects with a large number of stitches (100+)– like shawls and large size sweaters. Longer cables are also needed when using the Magic Loop method for small diameter knitting. When using Magic Loop, I use either a 40-inch or a 60-inch cable. You can purchase cables for longer lengths from 30 inches to 60 inches.
If you prefer to use the Two Circular Needle method for small diameter knitting, 24-inch circulars work well. Some knitters like to use one needle that is longer than the other when using this method as it helps them know which needle to use for each side of the knitted item. Again, it is a matter of personal preference.
DPN’s and new options
I have a few DPN’s but I rarely use them. This is a matter of preference. Some knitters are devoted DPN users and don’t like to use magic loop or two circulars for small diameter knitting. Technically, circular knitting needles are double pointed needles. But I usually think of DPN’s as a set of double pointed, straight needles with either 4 or 5 needles. The information above regarding materials and sharpness of tips apply to DPNs also.
New options for DPNs are now available. These needles have a short flexible cable in the middle. They are used in the same manner as straight DPN’s. These include:
I knit this scarf as a birthday present for my MIL. She wears scarves all the time and I thought she would enjoy this unique scarf. I knit this using a novelty yarn called “Sashay” by Red Heart Yarns. It’s a very interesting yarn to knit with. And Yes, it ruffles as you knit it up.
The pattern is really simple. You cast on 6 stitches and then just knit every row until you have used up the entire skein. It only takes one skein to make the scarf and when finished it is about 6 feet long.
My MIL was thrilled. She put the scarf on and wore it after she opened the bag. She exclaimed at how soft it was. She said she would be the envy of all the ladies in the independent living facility where she lives. (I made a BIG hit!)
Here’s the details:
Yarn: Sashay (Red Heart Boutique) Colorway: Hip Hop
Needles: U.S. 9 (5.5 mm)
Finished length = 72 inches Width = 3 inches
Notes about knitting with this yarn: See picture below of the yarn before knitted. This yarn is essentially a stripe of lace — with the bottom edge more finished than the top. The bottom is the finished edge of the ruffles. You knit this yarn using the top two strands of the upper edge of the lace. The yarn is quite slippery and it takes some getting used to — I used metal needles for this project and the combination of the slippery yarn and the slickness of the metal needles nearly drove me crazy! I recommend using a type of needle with some grab for this yarn — if I knit it again I will use bamboo needles. Also — it is not possible to weave in the ends on this yarn. When you are done, get out your sewing thread and a sewing needle — you will need to sew down the unfinished edges of the scarf to prevent the ends from raveling.
The clapotis scarf is knitting up nicely. I am now about 3/4 done with the straight row section. So far I have dropped 9 stitches and now have 9 ladders of varying length running diagonally to the edges.
The straight row section is supposed to be complete after 12 repeats of the 12 row pattern. However, the instructions also say that if you want to make your scarf longer, you simply knit more repeats of the straight row section. So, I when I finish three more repeats, I will need to decide if the scarf will be long enough, or if I need to add some more length. The 12 row pattern for the straight rows is really fairly easy to knit and it doesn’t take too long to complete one repeat. I am thinking that I’d like this scarf to be a little longer than the 55 inches stated in the pattern, but will see.
The scarf is really soft and has a nice drape. So far, I’m happy with how it’s knitting up.
Thank you so much for this pattern. I have been trying to figure out how to use this stitch for a hat for some time, and have been unable to figure out how the reductions at the crown could be made without ruining the pattern of the stitch–now I can try out your solution.
Does the decrease as written in your pattern preserve the trinity stitch pattern without an unsightly breakup? I am knitting wrong side out. Much easier to p3tog than k3tog.
Making a slouch hat for my daughter, so 10 to 12 inches before decrease.
Glad I found your pattern.
It did when I knit it up while working on the pattern.
Many thanks for the in-the-round instructions for the Trinity stitch. I made a cable/trinity combo hat about 35 years ago for my then 3rd grade daughter. The pattern was lost long ago but the hat is still intact and beautiful. So I managed to make a new pattern from the hat itself. The original was on straight needles and I really wanted to do it on circulars but couldn’t figure it out. Now I will make another hat following your instructions for the Trinity on circulars. Thank you for bringing joy to an 84 year old lady who loves to knit