Slouchy Hat in Trinity Stitch

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:
Hermione's Hat

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:
Slouchy Hat in Trinity Stitch

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. 🙂

To see my notes on Ravelry — use this link.

Next post — Beret in Bee Stitch.

4 thoughts on “Slouchy Hat in Trinity Stitch”

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

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How to Knit a Helpful Swatch – Part 4 Swatching to Estimate Yardage NeededHow to Knit a Helpful Swatch – Part 4 Swatching to Estimate Yardage Needed

I have covered the basics of how to make a Gauge Swatch and calculate your stitch and row gauge in my previous three posts. Today’s topic will cover some basic math to help you estimate the yardage that you need using your yarn, your needles, and your gauge to make a sweater.

Let’s say you want to make a sweater using yarn from your stash and you need to know if you have enough to make it. To make this estimate, you need the measurements for the sweater you want to make. If you are using a pattern, the finished measurements should be stated within the pattern – ideally on a schematic. Some patterns may only state the desired measurements within the text of the pattern and you may have to read through to find them.  If you are making the sweater without using a pattern – you would use the measurements of the individual who will be wearing the sweater.

The image below shows a schematic for the back of a sweater of a drop sleeve sweater. The back is 28 inches long from the hem to the neck and it is 20 inches wide. Both the front and the back of this type of sweater are essentially rectangles. 

Schematic of Back/Front of Sweater

The schematic for the sleeves of this sweater are shown below.

Schematic of Sleeve

At this point, you have the numbers you need to calculate the number of square inches of fabric that you need to make for this sweater. For the front and back, multiply the length by the width on the schematic and then multiply that number by 2. Using the numbers from my example above:

20 * 28 = 560     560*2 = 1120  square inches for front and back.

The sleeve is a trapezoid shape. The formula for the area of a trapezoid is:

[(b1+b2) * h] / 2

Where b1 is the width at the bottom of the sleeve(8”) and b2 is the width at the top of the sleeve(15”) and h is the length of the sleeve(18”). Using the numbers from the sleeve schematic, the area for one sleeve is 207 square inches. Since you need two sleeves, you then need to multiply the area of the sleeve by two. (414 square inches)

Now, here’s a short cut – if you place your sleeves next to each other so that the tops of the sleeves are parallel – you have a parallelogram. To get the area of this parallelogram you simply multiple the width(15”+ 8” = 23”) by the length(18”). Try it – you’ll get the same number as above.

Add the square inches for the front and back to the square inches for the sleeves and you have the total number of square inches of fabric in the sweater. Now that you know the total number of square inches of fabric you need, you will need to use the yardage and weight information of the yarn you want to use to estimate how many skeins or balls of yarn your sweater requires. The yardage per weight of the yarn will be found on the yarn label – see image below:

You will use the yards per gram value in the estimate for total yardage. Now you need to knit a swatch. The swatch should be in the same stitch pattern that you plan to use for the body of your sweater. This swatch does not need to be the same size as your gauge swatch, but it should be wide enough and long enough to get an accurate weight, length and width measurement.  After you knit this swatch, you will measure its weight using a scale that measures to the nearest tenth (0.1) of a gram. Next measure the length and width of the swatch and multiply these values together. This gives you the number of square inches in your swatch. Now divide the number of grams by the number of square inches.(Do not round). You now know what 1 square inch of your yarn weighs. This is the number you need to calculate how much yardage you need for your sweater.

Example: My swatch measures 3.5 inches by 4.5 inches, which gives me 15.75 square inches. The swatch weighs 9.6 g. Dividing 9.6 by 15.76 gives me 0.622 g/square inch.

Here’s the final set of calculations:

Take the total number of square inches of fabric and multiply it by the number of grams per square inch. This gives you the total weight in grams for your sweater.

Total Number of Square Inches * grams/inch2  = Total grams of fabric

Total Grams/Square Inches = (1120 + 414) * 0.622 = 954.148 g

Now take the yards per gram value from the yarn label. (For example 218 yds/100grams). Divide the yds by the grams to get the number of yards in 1 gram of yarn.  (For example: 218yards/100grams = 2.18 yards per gram.)  Multiply the total number of grams of fabric by the number of yards per gram to get the total yardage for the sweater. Using the numbers from the examples above:

Yards per gram = 2.18 yds/g

Total Yards of Yarn = 954.148 * 2.18 = 2080 yds

To determine the number of skeins, balls or hanks of yarn you need: Divide the number of yards by the number of yards in the skein. Or divide the total number of grams by the number of grams of the skein.  Remember that you will want one extra skein for swatching. (In my example, I would need 9.5 skeins, so I would want 11 skeins with one extra for swatching)

What to do if you don’t have the yarn label

To determine how many yards of yarn you have when you do not have the yarn label or any information, simply measure out 10 yards of your yarn and weigh it. Divide the weight by 10 and you have the weight for 1 yard of yarn. Now weigh the skeins/hanks of yarn and multiply by the weight of 1 yard.  This will give you the number of yards for each skein/hank.


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FO: Plain Vanilla Socks in Serenity Sock YarnFO: Plain Vanilla Socks in Serenity Sock Yarn

Plain Vanilla Socks knitted in Serenity Sock Yarn
I have finished my Plain Vanilla Socks knitted in Serenity Sock Yarn (Premier yarns), colorway Amethyst. This is the yarn that I wrote about in a previous post: “A Study of Pooling in a Variegated Sock Yarn”. As I discovered in my study of how this yarn pools, by using 54 stitches on size US 2 (2.75mm) needles, I got a “striping” effect as the yarn pooled. You can see the result in the picture above.

Serenity Sock Yarn is a variegated yarn with color changes that are fairly short and don’t necessarily produce stripes when the number of stitches increases. The yarn itself has a nice soft feel to it and it knits up nicely, but I did experience a tendency of the yarn to split at times. The yarn is 50% Merino Wool, 25% Bamboo and 25% Nylon and has sufficient stretch for a well-fitting pair of socks. Anyone planning on using this yarn should definitely knit a swatch with the number of stitches they are planning to use for their socks to see if it knits up in a way that they like.

There was a pattern printed on the inner label that called for a gauge of 9 spi on US 2 (2.75mm) needles. The pattern is based upon 64 stitches. Now, I got an spi of 6.25 on US 2 needles, which is a significant difference and I cannot speak to how it would pool at the stated gauge of 9 spi. I know that I knit more loosely and guess that in order to obtain 9 spi, I would have to use US 0 (2.25 mm) or US 00 (1.75 mm). I really prefer to knit socks on a little bigger needles. These socks were for me to wear around the house and they fit my feet perfectly.

Socks in Serenity Sock Yarn (on my feet)

As for the pattern used for these socks — I really didn’t use one. I knit a 3 X 1 ribbing for 1.5 inches, then switched to stockinette stitch and knit until the cuff measured 6.5 inches. I did a short row or mitered heel and then knit the foot and toe in stockinette and grafted the toe when I had 9 stitches remaining on each side of the sock. I used the Magic Loop method and knit the socks two at a time.

Yarn SubstitutionYarn Substitution

Substituting yarn

The question comes up every so often at the knitting meet-up and in the Ravelry forums. It takes the form of “Can I use this yarn instead of that yarn?” and any of a number of variations. And the answer is almost always: “It depends.”

Oh, we want this answer to be a simple “Yes”. But it seldom is. Usually the knitter has a valid reason for wanting to use a different yarn than what was used in the printed pattern: Lack of availability, wanting/needing a different colorway, dislike of the particular yarn, etc. If the knitter happens to select a yarn of similar weight and make-up, the substitution will probably go reasonably well – providing, of course, that the knitter can achieve the stated pattern gauge with the chosen yarn. This is the happiest of all occurrences – the yarn you want to use works out well with the pattern and you can just relax and knit happily on your project.

The subject of matching gauge could constitute the contents of an entire article, if not a book. For the sake of brevity, I will simply state that gauge is essential and that any knitter who wishes to produce a well-fitting garment needs to pay attention to gauge – IF she is following a pattern that contains the concept of “fit” as part of the design. (Gauge is less important with scarves & shawls).

Lindy’s Advice #1: When substituting yarns, it is best to select a yarn that is of the same weight and has the same characteristics as the original yarn. But do a gauge swatch to make certain you do not need to make adjustments so that the garment fits correctly.

Perhaps the most frustrating of experiences with yarn substitution is the situation where you have selected a yarn of similar weight and characteristics – but try as you may, you cannot achieve the stated gauge. The advice is usually to go up a needle size or two if your gauge has more stitches and to go down needle sizes if your gauge has fewer stitches. If this works, then wonderful! Proceed with the project. But if, in spite of the change in needle sizes, you still cannot get the stated gauge – well, this can be a significant problem. Being off a half a stitch doesn’t seem like much, but when multiplied over a large number of stitches (say 100 or more), it becomes quite significant and the result is a garment that doesn’t fit properly. You have two options in this situation: 1) try a different yarn (yep, try another one) ; or 2) get out your calculator and start calculating the adjustments needed to ensure a proper fit.

Note: If math makes you anxious and you would never consider recalculating the number of stitches you need to make the garment using your yarn and your gauge – then skip this next part.

Here are the basic calculations you’ll need to make the appropriate adjustments:

Pattern Gauge states “20 stitches and 20 rows = 4 inches” (5 stitches/inch and 5 rows/inch)

To adjust pattern width (i.e. your stitch gauge is different):
Your stitch gauge is 22 stitches = 4 inches. Which is 5.5 stitches per inch

Pattern instructions state that the back of the garment measures 25 inches at the bottom and says to cast on 125 stitches. To adjust for your gauge, you would need to cast on 25 X 5.5 = 137.5 stitches – you will need to round down to 137 stitches so that you have an odd number of stitches, since the pattern has an odd number.
You will need to make similar calculations for width measurements throughout your pattern – it is best if you go through and do this before you starting knitting.

Adjusting pattern length may or may not require some math. If the pattern has instructions that use length (inches) rather than rows, it really isn’t necessary to calculate the number of rows required with your gauge, because you can simply knit to the desired number of inches.

However, if the pattern contains instructions such as “knit 40 rows then begin shaping” – you may want to calculate the adjustments needed, as follows:

Your row gauge is 30 rows = 4 inches – which is 7.5 rows per inch

Pattern row gauge is 20 rows = 4 inches (5 rows per inch)
To calculate the number of rows you need to knit to be equal to the 40 rows called for in the pattern :
40 rows ÷ 5 rows/inch = 8 inches
8 inches X 7.5 rows/inch = 60 rows – so instead of knitting 40 rows then begin shaping, you would knit 60 rows.

A shortcut in these calculations would be to go through and calculate the number of inches that need to be knit using the row gauge of the pattern and then just knitting to the calculated length.

This can be a daunting bit of calculation – but it will result in a better fitting garment with your desired choice of yarn and is thus, worth the effort.

So far, I have discussed what considerations are needed when substituting a yarn of similar weight and characteristics with another. Now about substituting an entirely different weight of yarn…

I have attempted this several times and have not been happy with the result each time. Hence, Lindy’s Advice #2: No matter how much you love the yarn you want to substitute and the pattern, if the yarn is not the same weight and/or does not have the same characteristics as the yarn used in the pattern – DO NOT use that yarn with that pattern.

I know, I know – you really want to use this yarn, but it’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I feel your pain, I really do. But don’t do it, you won’t be happy with the result.

I think every knitter has tried using bulky yarn for a worsted weight pattern or visa versa. The results have probably been disappointing and the garment was either too big or too small. It certainly was for me.

I know of many knitters who have attempted to double-strand worsted weight or sport weight yarn to substitute for bulky weight. It can be done with some success, but once again – you have to do a gauge swatch and make the necessary adjustments for differences between your gauge and the pattern gauge. You just can’t get away from the math…

But wait! There is a way to substitute yarn so that it doesn’t drive you crazy: “Free yourself from the pattern”.

Huh? What do I mean by that? Well, as a knitter you will eventually reach a point in your knitting experience when you begin to understand the basics of garment design and construction. Granted there are literally hundreds of thousands of written sweater patterns available. But any sweater has a front, a back, two sleeves and a neck. If you understand how to construct the basic parts and match them to your desired body measurements – you really don’t need a specific written pattern.

Let’s start with that pattern you want to knit with a different weight of yarn. What are the characteristics of the garment? How are the sleeves shaped? How is the front shaped and how is the back shaped? What do you like about this pattern?

Does the pattern use a textured stitch patterning or does it have a particular colorwork patterning? Are there charts for the stitch pattern(s) or the colorwork pattern(s)? You can use these to make your own customized sweater with your chosen yarn.

How? Well, it will require some thinking, some planning, some math (sorry!) and a very good set of body measurements. Armed with the knowledge of sweater design – you can go from carefully following a written pattern to using the pattern as an inspiration for your own custom designed sweater.

I will outline how to do this in my next post. Off to find my sweater design references…