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Arts & Entertainment

Cameron's Hat, Pass It On!

Knitting Is Meant To Be Shared

There are many reasons to teach your children how to knit.  It’s quiet time that the two of you can spend together, it’s creative and it’s simply amazing to watch.

My son, Cameron, is nineteen.  He knits.  Very well, I might add!  He’s not afraid to tell people.  As a matter of fact, he’s very proud of his work.  It’s that pride that I love.

Cameron learned how to knit when he was sixteen.  He always loved Legos as a little kid (actually Santa still brings him Legos in his stocking) and he would sit for hours creating things of his own accord.  While the lobster boat was one of my favorites, the American flag that he built on 9/11 was inspiring.  He was eight years old. 

I definitely think those small motor skills he honed back then apply to his knitting.  Cameron is very careful and meticulous.  He loves to choose colors, whether it’s for one of his projects or for someone else.  He appreciates texture and will often select a wonderful wool for warmth.  After creating numerous hats and scarves, he’s currently working on his third sweater.  He’s even knit a cover for his laptop and fabulous felted boots!

Cameron has enthusiastically taught many people how to knit including beginners at the library and countless girls from a local Brownie troop!  I’m hoping that some of those students will pass on his enthusiasm someday; perhaps to their own children. 

I’m passing on Cameron’s hat pattern to you!  He wrote the pattern and knit it out of necessity after coming home from college without his favorite hat. Be creative; pick your school colors, your favorite colors, the colors of the rainbow or the colors of the sea.  Make one for a friend, a relative or someone who may just need a smile.  Knitting is meant to be shared.

So as Cameron prepares to hike the Appalachian Trail this year, I secretly hope he’ll take his knitting.  Yes, I know, his pack weight needs to be kept to a minimum.  How much can small wooden needles and a couple of skeins of yarn weigh?  Maybe he could pass the skill on to someone else along the trail.  I hope you enjoy Cameron’s hat pattern and remember to pass it on!

Cameron’s Hat
Designed by Cameron Cahill

Materials
2 skeins Harrisville Heathered Bulky Yarn (100% wool)
#13 needle (16# circular and DPN)
Tapestry Needle

Size
Adult

Gauge
2 ½ sts per inch

Hat
Beginning with circular needle, CO 54 sts.  PM and join.  K3 P1 rib for three inches.  Cont in St st for 3 more inches (all knit).  Begin decrease on next round, K8 K2 tog, repeat to end of round.  Round 2:  Knit.  Round 3: K7 K2 tog, repeat to end of round.  Round 4:  Knit.  Cont in this manner until you complete the K2 tog round.  Tie off end.  Add pom pom if you wish.

*Note - change to DPN when sts become too tight on circular needle.  You can arrange the stripe as you’d like.  Remember that St st is all knit when you are knitting in the round!  Hat can be made smaller by reducing the number of CO sts to 40 sts.

CO - Cast On
PM - Place Marker
K - Knit
P - Purl
St st - Stockinette Stitch
DPN - Double Pointed Needle
Cont - Continue
Tog - Together



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