Krunet Cap

Krunet Cap by Mary Jane Mucklestone

What is Being Made

The Krunet Cap is a knitted hat designed by Mary Jane Mucklestone and originally published in Making Magazine No 6: Black & White. This beginner-level project creates a finished cap with a brim circumference of 17¼ inches (44 cm). The design draws inspiration from the visual contrast of a Krunet, a dark-colored Shetland sheep distinguished by a white patch on the top of its head. The cap translates this natural color duality into a knitted textile through strategic use of two-color colorwork.

Techniques Used

The Krunet Cap employs several fundamental knitting techniques accessible to beginners. The hat is knit in the round, a common method for creating seamless circular garments. Two-color colorwork is the primary decorative technique, allowing the knitter to create patterned sections by carrying and switching between two yarn colors. The pattern includes both stockinette stitch sections and color chart pattern sections, requiring the knitter to follow a charted design while maintaining consistent tension across color changes. The cap construction progresses from a larger circumference at the brim and decreases toward the crown, a standard shaping method for fitted hats.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The foundational stitch used in sections of the cap, creating a smooth, flat fabric with a characteristic V-pattern texture on the right side.
• Color Chart Pattern: A two-color stranded colorwork pattern that creates the visual design inspired by the Krunet sheep's black and white coloring. This technique involves carrying unused yarn across the back of the work while knitting with the active color.

Materials

The Krunet Cap is designed to use Shetland Spindrift by Jamieson & Smith, a 4-ply yarn composed of 100% Shetland wool. The pattern calls for 1 skein each of Natural Black 101 (main color) and Natural White 104 (contrasting color), with each skein providing 25 grams and 115 yards (105 meters). Alternatively, the cap can be worked in fingering weight yarn, requiring 115 yards (105 meters) each of main color and contrasting color.

Needles required include three circular needles in sizes US 2, 3, and 4 (2.75, 3.25, and 3.5 mm), each measuring 16 inches (40 cm) in length, plus one set of double-pointed needles in size US 3 (3.25 mm) for working the crown decreases when the circumference becomes too small for circular needles. Additional notions include a stitch marker for tracking the beginning of rounds, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, and optionally a pom pom maker for adding a decorative finishing touch to the cap's crown.

Gauge and Sizing

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this project. The pattern specifies two gauge measurements: 28 stitches and 32 rounds equal 4 inches (10 cm) in the color chart pattern when worked with the largest needles after blocking, and 28 stitches and 34 rounds equal 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch with the middle-size needles after blocking. The use of three different needle sizes allows the knitter to adjust tension and achieve the correct gauge with their specific yarn and knitting style.