Mrs Mallow

Mrs Mallow Knit Hat by Helena Granholm

What Is Being Made

Mrs Mallow is an intermediate-level knit hat designed by Helena Granholm. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a finished hat measuring approximately 30 cm from the cast-on edge, featuring an elegant lace construction suitable for those with intermediate knitting experience.

Craft and Primary Technique

This project uses knitting as both the primary and sole craft method. The hat is worked in the round using circular needles, which is the standard approach for seamless hat construction. The pattern progresses from the cast-on edge upward, building the hat structure through repeated rows of knit stitches and decorative lace elements.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Mrs Mallow pattern employs several key knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit stitch (rm) – The foundation stitch used throughout the hat
• Purl stitch (am) – Used as needed in the pattern structure
• Knit two together (2 rm tills) – A right-leaning decrease used for shaping and lace definition
• Yarn over (omsl) – Creates the openwork and lace pattern characteristic of this design
• Left-leaning decrease (LLR) – A centered decrease technique where two stitches are lifted as if to knit together, one stitch is knitted, and the lifted stitches are passed over the knitted stitch
• Centered double decrease (CDHPT) – An advanced decrease where two stitches are lifted as if to knit two together, one stitch is knitted, and both lifted stitches are passed over the knitted stitch

The lace pattern repeats every 20 stitches across the round, creating a consistent decorative motif. The core pattern sequence alternates between a lace row (Varv 1) containing the decrease and yarn-over combinations, and a plain knit row (Varv 2) that allows the lace to develop visually.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Mrs Mallow hat is designed to work with sport weight yarn, which provides a lightweight yet structured fabric ideal for lace knitting. The pattern recommends IMAGINE organic wool in Soft Merino Thin, which yields 50 grams per 167 meters. The total yarn requirement is approximately 70 grams or 233 meters.

The pattern specifies circular needles size 3.5 mm for the main knitting. Proper needle selection is emphasized as important for achieving the correct stitch gauge and overall hat fit.

Gauge and Finishing Details

The stitch gauge for this pattern is 26 stitches and 32 rows over 10 x 10 centimeters in the lace pattern when blocked and lightly stretched. Maintaining accurate gauge is critical for proper hat sizing and drape. The pattern notes that adjusting needle size may be necessary to achieve the correct gauge with your chosen yarn.

The lace pattern is worked in repeating rounds until the hat reaches 30 centimeters from the cast-on edge. The finished hat features a blocked lace fabric with gentle stretch, characteristic of sport weight merino wool construction.