I present the completed Mr Bump-inspired*-double-knit-Beanie-Hat I made for Mark this year for Christmas. Ravelled here.

A tantalising glimpse of the hat.

Shamefully, I presented this article of clothing to Mark in an unknitted state on Christmas morning, but I think I redeemed myself by completing it in time for the walking holiday. Beautifully wrapped in a brown paper bag, the balls of Cascade 220 yarn purchased over a year ago from Get Knitted were only just beginning to resemble a hat when he unwrapped the package on 25th December. But halfway up the M6 on 26th, the blocked and finished Hat was proudly donned and it has hardly left Mark’s head since. Even if I do say so myself, it is a stunningly simple, effective, and fit-for-purpose accessory and the proof of this is in the ample wear it has seen since its completion.

The beanie saga began when I commenced the hat stressily during the Sticks’n’String Christmas Party, on 23rd December. Working from a clumsily hashed together montage of patterns, my problems in working the hat were compounded by the noble nature of Mark’s majestic Man Head. However, after overcompensating with some unneccessary increases on the hat lining, I was forced to admit to myself that even his imposing bonce would not fit into the garment of my making, and as we have seen in the past, my Hat Maths is certainly not infallible.

The monstrously oversized hat I made last year out of my Analogue Amnesty Yarn, now frogged and hibernating.

So I ripped out the extra inceases and worked the hat absolutely according to the measurements in ‘Brooklyn Tweed’s excellent Turn a Square pattern,’ and according to the construction method detailed in Quanah’s double knit hat tutorial. I simply knit the hat from the top down, then made the decreases in the Turn Square Pattern, then made a 3 inch double-rib band, then knit the hat again, but this time bottom up, and with stripey, Mr Bump colours. I then blocked the whole thing and pulled the first hat up into the second hat and neatly stitched the two ends together. The result is a thick, warm, soft and stretchy hat that perfectly matches The Man’s headshape and has neat, jogless stripes.

Jogless stripes (sort of.)

Knit in the round this came together rapidly and joyously and we are all agreed that it is an improvement on last year’s Christmas Hat. Mark insisted on these two pictures featuring Sad Side and Happy Side. If I have understood the emotional message of his poses in these shots, I don’t think he will be wearing the reversible hat in its reversed state. What do you think?

And one more photo: (you know you want it…)

Hat performing its head-warming function marvellously well in The Highlands.

*The hat is Mr Bump inspired rather than simply Mr Bump, because as I noted after finishing the hat, Mr Bump’s bandages cover the top of his head, whereas in Mark’s hat, the Mr Bump head pokes out of the bandages.