Selfi

Selfi Hat by Helena Granholm

What is Being Made

Selfi is a knitted hat design created by independent designer Helena Granholm. This intermediate-level project produces a fitted hat suitable for various head sizes, featuring decorative lace patterning throughout the main body and a shaped crown that tapers to a neat finish.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques to create both structure and visual interest. The hat is worked in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles (DPNs), which allows for seamless construction and a polished final product. The pattern incorporates lace-making techniques through strategic yarn overs and decreases that create openwork sections. Two strands of yarn are held together throughout the entire project, which adds depth and creates a more substantial fabric from lighter-weight materials. The transition from circular needles to double-pointed needles occurs when the circumference becomes too small for comfortable circular needle work, a standard technique for crown shaping in hat construction.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Selfi pattern uses essential knitting stitches including knit (K), purl (P), and strategic decreases. The main body features a repeating six-round lace pattern that combines knit 2 together (K2tog) decreases with yarn overs (YO) to create an openwork design. The specific sequence is [K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K1] on the first row, followed by [K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK] on the second row, with stockinette stitch (knit rounds) filling rows three through six. This four-round repeat is worked five times total. The crown shaping uses slip, slip, knit (SSK) decreases paired with K2tog to evenly reduce stitches, creating a symmetrical tapered finish.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Selfi pattern is designed to be worked with two contrasting yarns held together simultaneously. The main body uses Penny Lane Yarns' Fingering Lane, a 100% merino superwash yarn available in 100g skeins with 400 meters (437 yards) of yardage; approximately 40 grams of this yarn is required. The accent yarn is Kidsilk Lane, a luxurious blend of 72% kid mohair and 28% silk, supplied in 50g skeins with 420 meters (459 yards) of yardage; approximately 20 grams is needed. The sample shown was knitted in the Avocado colorway. Working with two strands creates a blended color effect and increases the fabric weight and warmth.

The pattern specifies gauge as 26 stitches and 28 rows per 10 centimeters when worked with the larger needle size on blocked and slightly stretched fabric. Needle selection is critical: knitters should choose a needle size that achieves the correct gauge after blocking, as this ensures proper fit and fabric drape. The pattern requires both circular needles (for the main body) and double-pointed needles (for the crown), with the transition occurring when the decreases make circular needle work impractical.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, the Selfi hat is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle lace patterning and seamless in-the-round construction. The combination of yarn overs, multiple decrease types (K2tog and SSK), and the transition between needle styles requires attention to pattern reading and stitch tension, making it an excellent project for developing advanced knitting competencies.