EZ Swatch Cap--3 Ways to Decrease an Aran Hat with Pithy Directions

EZ Aran swatch hat with semi-elegant decreases at top.

Elizabeth Zimmermann is known for her “pithy directions” which are rough guidelines where she expects you to use your head full of gray cells. When she recommends you knit a swatch hat out of half the stitches for a sweater you design using her Percentage System, she says, “bring it to some kind of a finish at the top.” A complicated Aran design presents extra challenge. Here are three ways to decrease an Aran hat–a little more fully explained.

First a word about decrease stitches.

You can either knit two stitches together (k2tog) for one decreased stitch, or you can slip, slip, knit (SSK). K2tog leans to the right. SSK leans to the left. If you stack either one, it creates a line in the knitting. This forms a swirl at the top of a hat.

Three decrease methods for an Aran hat.

1. Willy-nilly by number.

Here you just decrease as if knitting a plain stockinette hat. Find a number that divides evenly into the number of stitches in your hat.

If you have a hundred stitches, you might decrease one stitch every tenth stitch on your first decrease round, then knit a plain round. Next, decrease in every ninth stitch and knit a plain round, then eight, and so on.

When you’ve decreased about half the stitches, use all decrease rounds, no plain rounds. Run your yarn end through the last 10 stitches, fasten off and you’re done.

Ouch. With an Aran pattern, ugly things might happen as you swirl. It seems preferable to preserve a prominent cable so it goes as far as possible before vanishing out of sight. Or find a decrease method that makes a pretty pattern.

2. An elegant decrease method (or two).

Perhaps your ten decreases could eliminate stitches that are less noticeable. As your Aran design becomes smaller by degrees, the center of each design motif is better preserved. If you want a swirl pattern, stack your decreases.

If you don’t want a swirl, you could hunt and peck. Select which ten stitches you’ll slaughter on each decrease round so you best preserve each Aran design. Keep medication on hand for a possible headache or ulcer.

3. A more elegant decrease method.

You might decrease every tenth stitch with a k2tog on one side of the hat, and an SSK on the other side so both sides match. The next decrease round, swap a k2tog for an SSK instead, or an SSK for a k2tog. When you alternate decrease stitches like this, your line of decreases doesn’t swirl. It goes up in a straight line.

I thought about doing the more elegant decrease method in my EZ Birthday Aran swatch hat. What happened? I forgot!

My each-side-matching decreases looked good at first, then less so as my hat progressed. I charted as I went. Perhaps I should have written some non-pithy directions for myself.

Best,

Karen

P.S.

This is me wearing my EZ Aran swatch hat number one. Not the worst decreases but I can do better in hat number two.

P.P.S.

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