Pauline
A Knitting Kninja Design
After centuries of use by women of all ages, the bonnet has in recent times fallen largely by the
wayside. But bonnets don’t have to be babyish or fussy. Easy, elegant, and timeless, Pauline is a
flapper style bonnet knit in one piece without seams. Wear it tied to keep your ears warm in win-
ter, or untied for a casual, fashionable look. You can knit this hat using either straight or circular
needles, depending on what you have on hand, but I’d recommend circular needles so that you
can see the shape of the hat as it develops.
Sizes: U.S. size 4 single double pointed needle (3.5 mm)
S/M Women’s (L/XL Women’s) 2 stitch markers
To fit head size: 20-22 (22.5-25) inches/ 50.8-55.8 (57- tapestry needle
63.5) cm
Special Terms:
Gauge: k2tog: Knit two together
4 inches = 18 stitches/30 rows on size 7 needles in M1P: Lift the bar between two stitches and purl through the
stockinette stitch (after blocking) back loop
P2tog: Purl two together
Materials: PM: Place marker
1 (1) skein Malabrigo Merino Worsted (100% merino, Sl1: Slip 1 stitch
216 yards per 100 gram skein) (Shown in color Rich SM: Slip marker
Chocolate) ssk: Slip one stitch knitwise, slip one purlwise, knit both
U.S. size 7 needles, straight or circular (4.5 mm) together through back loops*
U.S. size 10 double pointed needles, pair (6 mm)
Row 2: Sl1, p18 (18), p2tog, turn.
Instructions Row 3: Sl1, k18 (18), ssk, turn.
Row 4: Sl1, p18 (18), p2tog, turn.
Crown and sides: Repeat Rows 3 and 4 19 (22) times. [20 (20) st remaining.]
Using size 7/4.5 mm needles, CO 68 (74) st. BO.
Row 1 (RS): K20 (22), PM, k28 (30), PM, k20 (22).
Row 2 and all WS rows: P across. Attached I-cord Border:
Row 3: K18 (20), k2tog, SM, k28 (30), SM, ssk, k18 Using size 10/6 mm dpns, CO 3 st; set aside empty needle.
(20). Using size 4/3.5mm dpn, and starting at center of bound off
Row 5: K17 (19), k2tog, SM, k28 (30), SM, ssk, k17 edge, pick up 12-15 st without knitting them. This will be your
(19). left needle. Slip 3 st from size 10/6 mm needle to left needle.
Row 7: K16 (18), k2tog, SM, k28 (30), SM, ssk, k16 *K2, sl1, k1 of the picked up st, psso.
(18). [62 (68) st] Replace the 3 remaining st onto left needle, and repeat from *,
Remove markers on Row 8. picking up more st as needed.
Work even in stockinette until piece measures 6 (6.5) Turning corners:
inches from cast on edge. When you reach a corner of your bonnet, work 2 rows in plain
I-cord.
Start back shaping: Plain I-cord:
Row 1: K39 (43), ssk, turn. *K3, slide to right hand side of right needle.
Plain I-cord:
*K3, slide to right hand side of right needle.
Rep from *.
Once you’ve knit around the hat back to where you started, graft the ends of the I-cord
together.
After washing, block the bonnet to shape and let it dry. You may want to try on the hat
when it is almost dry and shape it to your head. Weave in ends.
Ties:
After hat is dry, turn inside out. Starting one inch in from right-hand corner and using size
7 needles, pick up and k 4 st. K for 14 inches in garter st. Bind off and weave in ends.
Repeat on opposite corner.
The ties will stretch with use and grow longer.
Leaf (make 2):
Using size 7/4.5 mm needles, CO 3 st.
Row 1 (RS): P1, k1, p1.
Row 2 and all WS rows through Row 12: K the knit st and p the purl st.
Row 3: P1, M1P, k1, M1P, p1.
Row 5: P1, M1P, p1, k1, p1, M1P, p1.
Row 7: P1, M1P, p2, k1, p2, M1P, p1.
Rows 9 & 11: P4, k1, p4. (9 st)
Row 13: P1, p2tog, p1, k1, p1, p2tog, p1.
Row 14: K1, k2tog, p1, k2tog, k1.
Row 15: P2tog, k1, P2tog.
BO.
Block leaves and weave in ends.
Flowers (make 3 three inch lengths of plain I-cord):
Using size 10/6 mm dpns, CO 3 st.
Row 1: K across.
Row 2: Slide st to right-hand side of needle, k across.
Rep Row 2 until I-cord measures 3 inches.
BO.
Finishing:
Weave in ends.
Place leaves and flowers on the right side of the bonnet as indicated below. Attach leaves
by sewing a little more than halfway up the middle of the center knit stitches. This will at-
tach the leaves firmly to the hat, but they will still be able to curl. Curl I-cord lengths into
spirals and sew onto hat. I found that it worked better for me when I curled the I-cord as
I attached it to the hat, rather than ahead of time.
Weave in ends.
Abbreviation Key:
BO: Bind off
CO: Cast on
dpn: Double pointed needle(s)
k: Knit
k2tog: Knit two together
M1P: Lift the bar between two stitches and knit through the back loop
p: Purl
P2tog: Purl two together
PM: Place marker
psso: Pass slipped stitch over
RS: Right side
Sl1: Slip one
SM: Slide marker
ssk: Slip one stitch knitwise, slip one purlwise, knit both together through back
loops*
St: Stitch
*Directions for ssk taken from knittinghelp.com, which suggested this as an
“improved” version of ssk. Since I've found it to be so, I used those directions.
© 2008, Kristen Hanley Cardozo
