Montgomery

Montgomery Cabled Slouchy Hat by Justyna Lorkowska

What is Being Made

Montgomery is a cabled slouchy hat featuring a relaxed, comfortable fit with a decorative pompom finish. Designed by Justyna Lorkowska, this downloadable knitting pattern creates a versatile hat suitable for various seasons and occasions. The slouchy silhouette is achieved through strategic shaping that allows the fabric to drape elegantly while maintaining structure through cable work.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level project employs several key knitting techniques to create its distinctive appearance. The hat features cable work, which creates textured vertical or twisted patterns throughout the design. Central double decreases (abbreviated as cdd in the pattern) are used for shaping, allowing the designer to create a tailored fit. The hat is worked in the round, a technique that eliminates the need for seaming and creates seamless, professional-looking results. Knitters can choose between working with circular needles using either the standard method or the magic loop technique, providing flexibility based on personal preference and available tools.

Stitches and Stitch Details

The Montgomery pattern utilizes fundamental and decorative stitches to build its structure:

• Stockinette stitch (St st) forms the primary fabric base, creating a smooth, classic knit surface
• Ribbing provides elasticity and helps the hat maintain its shape, worked with smaller needles (3.5mm/US #4) to create tighter tension
• Cable stitches created using a cable needle to twist stitches over one another, forming the decorative textured elements
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) decreases for shaping the hat crown

The pattern includes standard knitting abbreviations such as BOR (beginning of the round), CO (cast on), and k (knit), which are essential for following the written instructions.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Montgomery hat is designed to be worked with worsted weight yarn, specifically using one skein of Swans Island All American Collection Worsted. This yarn blend combines 75% wool and 25% alpaca, providing warmth, durability, and a soft feel against the skin. One skein contains 192 meters or 210 yards per 80 grams, offering sufficient yardage for the complete project.

Needles and Tools Required

The pattern calls for two sets of needles in different sizes to accommodate different sections of the hat. 4.5mm/US #7 needles are used for the main body of the hat and are sized to achieve the required gauge. 3.5mm/US #4 needles, which are three sizes smaller, are used for the ribbed cuff to create a tighter, more elastic edge. Both needle sizes should be 60 centimeters (24 inches) in length and can be worked as circular needles, double-pointed needles (dpns), or long circulars using the magic loop method.

Additional tools include three stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and construction points, a cable needle for manipulating cable stitches, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, and an optional pompom maker to create the decorative finish.

Gauge Information

The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 24 rows over 10 centimeters (4 inches) when working stockinette stitch in the round using 4.5mm/US #7 needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the proper hat dimensions and fit. Knitters are encouraged to swatch before beginning and adjust needle size as needed to match the specified gauge.