Monday, November 16, 2009

Luna Lovegood's Hog's Head Hat


This is inspired by the knitted hat worn by Luna Lovegood at The Hog's Head Inn in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Shown briefly in the film, it appears have a rather elvish point. However, if you watch the special features DVD (the main segment, about 12 minutes from the end) there is a movie still shown with the best view of the hat I've found yet. The close up corrected some of my misconceptions. The hat appears to be worsted or heavy worsted (I used DK because it was the best color match I could find). It begins with 1/2" to 1" of k2p2 rib, then appears to be knitted straight up in st st with very little shaping, then gathered into a floppy smurf-like top and adorned with a knitted pom (this is what looks like the point in the film). I decided to make the hat as it appears in the movie (see the picture below), because after all, that was the idea on which I had set my heart!


Materials:
-2 balls of DK Noro Silk Garden Lite, colorway 2043... or any colorway that pleases you (directions for Noro worsted weight given in parenthesis)
-US #7/4.5mm dpns (and a circ, too, if that's your gig)
-Stitch markers
-Darning needle
-Tape measure

Gauge: get close to 5 sts/in for DK (4.5 sts/in for worsted)
Size: to fit a woman's head, but easily adapted to any head circ
Level of skill: Very easy. If you knit but don't know how to decrease or knit in the round, this would be a lovely project to learn these handy, simple skills. (Then you're ready for socks!)

Notes about Noro:
As you knit, cut out sections of grey and brown. Cut the yarn before it shows significant color change (flecks are fine). (If you choose to use the grey and brown you can possibly get away with one ball. Use the ribbing instead of the rolled brim to make a shorter hat, and let me know if it works out.) Peek around inside your skeins and undo any knots. Wind each segments into it's own ball. Make note of the different color segments, especially the colors available to you at the beginning and end of each mini-ball. Before you make a cut, look for a similar shade where you can rejoin your yarn with a close color match. Splicing and planning are unnecessary. As you knit, just see what comes your way. I changed colors five times and had six teensy balls leftover, but these numbers will depend on your own personal Noro skeins. Noro is unique like that... and Luna wouldn't have it any other way.

Knitter Beware! This is still a beta-pattern and hasn't been test-knit. So you're the test knitter! Let me know how it goes. (You get what you pay for, eh?)

Pattern
Cast on 108 (96) sts using your favorite method, then join.
K2,p2 for 1" or simply k straight if you want a rolled brim.
K until you want to start shaping (about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2" from the bottom if you used ribbing or 5 1/2" if making a rolled brim).

Begin shaping: Place 8 markers, evenly spaced like so: *K 11 (10), k2tog, PM, k 12 (10), k2tog, PM and repeat from * until round out.
k2 rounds.

Shaping round 1: *k until 2 sts from marker, k2tog, repeat from * until round out.
Shaping rounds 2-3: k two rounds straight, without shaping.
Repeat these last three rounds until 20 (16) sts remain. Remove all markers except place one marker to mark beginning of round.

DK only: k1 round straight, then next round as follows: *k2tog, k1, k2tog, repeat from * until round out, and 12 sts remain.

(Worsted only: k1, *k2tog, k1, repeat from * until round out, and 11 sts remain.)

k 4 (3) rounds.
k2 tog all the way around (then k the leftover st), and 6 (6) sts remain.

Cut yarn, pull through sts, pull tight and weave in all ends.
Admire your fine craftsknitship.

All rights reserved. You may use this pattern for non-profit, personal use only. Do not copy this pattern onto another website without permission, but you may link here to this site.

2 comments:

  1. Hello!

    I'm going to go as Luna to the midnight showing of Pt. 2 of the Deathly Hallows, and I would love to make this hat! However, Noro yarn in this color is very hard to come by around here, so do you know of another yarn that might work instead? Thanks!

    Rachel

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  2. Would it be possible for you to include a yardage/ounce recommendation for those of us who choose to try other yarns?

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