I’m not supposed to be knitting so much: doctor’s orders. I’ve aggravated the arthritis in my hands and developed tendonitis in my left thumb. I have at least slowed down and taken time off from knitting when my joints need to rest. But there aren’t many things I can do, physically, to protest the travesties being wrought in this country on a daily (and, often, hourly) basis, so I continue to knit these hats.
Using the basic pussyhat pattern, I’ve laid out color blocks to mimic an upside-down US flag — a reversed flag is a symbol of distress, and this is where we are. Even as I continue to knit these hats and give them away to strangers and friends alike — including to fellow author and activist Susan Kaye Quinn — I wanted to make this simple pattern available to others who would like to knit their own. You should absolutely feel free to tailor this pattern to your own needles, yarn, etc.
Needles: Size 8 circular needles, 16 inches in length, plus one size 8 straight needle (for bind-off)
Yarn: Big Twist (weight: 4, medium) in navy blue, dark red, and ivory/white.
With the circular needles, cast on 88 stitches in navy blue yarn — or find your own gauge to approximate a 22-inch hat circumference, with the total number of stitches being divisible by 4. Join to work in the round. (I place a marker at stitch 44 to facilitate the bind-off seam later on.)
Work in the round in 2×2 ribbing (knit 2, purl 2) for approximately 4.25 inches. This is the ribbed cuff of the hat, in navy blue.
Picking up the red yarn, knit all the way around for 7 rows, to create a stripe that’s about 1.5 inches tall.
Pick up the white yarn and knit 7 rows.
Pick up the red yarn again, and knit 7 rows.
Pick up the white yarn again and knit until the hat length is about 9 inches (about 4 rows for this last stripe).
While keeping the hat on the circular needles, turn the hat inside out and use the straight needle for a three-needle bind-off to form the flat pussyhat: divide the 88 stitches into two lines of 44, and use the third needle to join the sides together with an even seam.
Weave in loose ends, and wear with pride at your next rally.
I haven’t yet figured out a way to include stars on the cuff, since both sides will be visible when you wear the hat (when you turn up the cuff). I could do a double-knit to hide the backside of the color work, but that would double the work for me with pained hands. If you can add stars to your navy blue cuff, go for it!