A multicolor “First Fair Isle” slouchy hat in two sizes, 

Child and Adult, that will leave you hooked on stranded
colorwork. This cap is also a “stashbuster” - use up some of
those little balls of color left over from Jim’s mittens, Mary’s
cowl, last year’s Christmas stocking. Never enough yarn to do
a whole project with and the difficulty of figuring out how to pull the colors into a cohesive structure that looks like it belongs together. Then there is color work. Stranding, learning to carry color floats, yah, forget it. WAIT! Don’t give up! This hat is the one to begin with. There are no color carries in this hat. Just concentrate on learning to keep the unused color loose, don’t pull it tight, loose is better than tight! Save the carries for your next Fair Isle Project.

 All that is needed is a great base color of your choice 

and 7 little balls of color. How to choose the colors? This hat takes the guesswork out of the process. Follow the color sequence presented here by taking as many little balls you like and placing them in a circle that follows the color wheel: greens, blues, purples, reds, oranges, yellows. You can choose the 7 colors you like. If there are 3 greens, 3 blues and a purple that catch the eye, then skip the other colors. Get it? There are a couple of photos above that show some possibilities. Go for it, but don’t judge til it is done. This cap also recycles the trimmed tails to stuff the uniqueTopKnot on top.

Materials:
Worsted Weight Wool (Colors in yardage correspond to colors in photo - a second set of black and white charts are included for knitter to substitute own color scheme):
If not stashbusting, Knit Picks Chroma Worsted yarn works great as a substitute for all the CC’s combined. It comes in great colors and does all the changing of colors for you without lots of ends to weave in later. Just choose an MC and a Chroma and go!
110 (140 ) yds MC (Brown)
15 ( 20 ) yds CC1 (Medium Green)
8 (10 ) yds CC2 (Lime Green)
8 (10 ) yds CC3 (Turquoise)
8 (10 ) yds CC4 (Aqua)
8 (10 ) yds CC5 (Magenta)
6 ( 8 ) yds CC6 (Orange)
6 ( 8 ) yds CC7 (Yellow)

US Size 7 24 inch Circular needles or size needed to obtain gauge
US Size 6 24 inch Circular needles or 1 size smaller than size which obtains gauge
Same size DPNs as larger needles
Seam Needle, Stitch Marker

Gauge: 21 sts X 25 rows = 4 ins in blocked, stranded stockinette st on larger needles.
Finished Height: 10 ( 10 ) ins
Finished Circumference: 18 1/2 ( 20 1/2 ) ins at corrugated rib brim.
Abbreviations:
K = Knit
P = Purl
K2Tog = Knit 2 together
M1 = Make 1

NOTES: Yarn in photos is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted as the Main Color,
the Contrasting Colors are leftover bits of Knit Picks WOA & Cascade 220 Worsted.

Any worsted weight wool can be used and brands can be combined but different
brands must swatch up the same!!!

As an example: Valley Yarns Northampton Worsted from WEBS, Cascade 220 and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes can all be used in the same hat.

All chart stitches are KNIT unless otherwise noted.

COLOR YOUR OWN CHARTS ARE AVAILABLE ON PP 6 and 7.