Spiral lace toque

If you're not from Canada, a toque is another word for a beanie, but you'll never catch me using the "b" word. This is a toque through and through!

I have come across some knitting patterns that just seem too complicated for words. If you're a beginning knitter, which I almost am, then it gets a little off-putting at times. So I'm posting a hat (pictured below) that's super simple to make, kind of cute, and can be made using any number of different yarn types. Enjoy!

Hat front view (check out the yarn-on-yarn action!).


I used a worsted-weight rusty red acrylic yarn for the version pictured here, and it made quite a comfortably-fitting ladies' hat. For larger or smaller hats, I would suggest increasing or decreasing the number of stitches cast on by multiples of 9, then following the pattern as outlined below. This will just take away a spiral, leaving you with, for instance, 8 instead of 9 sections. Alternatively, you could use a chunkier yarn for a larger hat and eliminate some of the repetitions in the centre of the pattern to account for the extra length you'll get.
My hat had 9 sections, but you can add or subtract multiples of 9 to add or subtract sections.

Let's get started!

The pattern

Materials
Approximately 75g (150 yards) worsted-weight yarn
US Size 5 (3-3/4mm) 16" circular needles or size needed to obtain gauge
Contrast (scrap) yarn to mark first stitch

Gauge
18 sts x 25 rows in stockinette = 4 ins

Abbreviations
CO: cast on
sts: stitches
K: Knit
P: Purl
Inc: increase by one stitch by knitting into the front and back of the stitch
yfwd: bring the yarn to the front and keep knitting as usual (this will create an extra stitch)
psso: pass slipped stitch over
K2tog: knit 2 together
sl: slip stitch knitwise (that is, instead of knitting it, just take it onto the needle)

Method
CO 77 sts and join in round, being careful not to twist sts and marking start of row with contrast yarn.
Round 1: *K1, P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 2-5: Continue K1, P1 ribbing as established.
Round 6: Continue ribbing as established, inc 4 sts evenly across row (every 19-20 stitches). 81 stitches.
Round 7: *K9, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 8 (and all remaining even rows): K.
Round 9: *K10, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 11: *K11, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 13: *K12, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 15: *K11, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 17: *K11, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 19: *K11, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 21: *K9, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 23:*K10, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 25: *K8, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 27: *K9, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 29:  *K7, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 31: *K8, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 33: *K6, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 35: *K5, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 37:  *K4, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 39: *K3, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 41: *K2, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 43: *K1, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 45: *sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yfwd. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 46: K. (If you started with 9 sections, like I did, you should have 27 stitches left.)
Break yarn, leaving a long end. Pull yarn through remaining sts and fasten securely with a knot. Pull the yarn end into the inside of the hat and weave into a few stitches to keep it from popping out of the top hole!
This is what the finished product looks like, with a happy head in it!
This is roughly what your finished hat will look like.

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