Created for Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2018

MARUTA was designed for mYak’s first appearance at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival. I wanted to create something to showcase the beautiful new colors of natural dyed-cashmere and at the same time link the design to Scotland, a place for which I have a deep love. My mother’s family is from Great Britain and my great-grandmother’s last name was Graham so I used blue and green as a nod to the colors of the Graham tartan. But it just so happens that my ancestors come from two places with splendid knitting traditions and once I thought of one I quickly thought of the other. My father’s father came from Latvia, so the patterning was derived from Latvian mitten motifs and the name of the pattern is a Latvian woman’s name that I’ve always loved the sound of. This hat celebrates my own heritage as well as the extraordinary position contemporary knitters find themselves in; to be able to pick and choose from the most beautiful of the world’s textile traditions and to work with the most exquisite fibers.

YARN
2 skeins MC
in mYak Tibetan Cashmere Fingering
(100% cashmere, 25g/0.9 oz | 96 yds/87 m)
1 skein each CC1 and CC2
in mYak Tibetan Cashmere Fingering
(100% cashmere, 25g/0.9 oz | 96 yds/87 m)
Shown in Ra-ma (MC), Denim (CC1) and Sage (CC2)

GAUGE
24 stitches and 30 rounds = 4” in charted pattern on Main Fabric Needle

NEEDLES
Main Fabric Needle: Two 16” circulars and one set of double-pointed needles (DPNs) in size needed to
obtain gauge
Suggested size: US 3 (3.25 mm)
Larger Needle: One 16” circular in one size larger than Main Fabric Needle
Suggested size: US 4 (3.5 mm)
Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain correct gauge

TOOLS
Blunt tapestry needle, stitch markers, small amount of waste yarn for provisional cast on

FINISHED DIMENSIONS (after blocking)
Hat is written in two sizes; Small/Medium and Large. Instructions for the larger size are given in parentheses.
Brim circumference: 20 (21¾ )“ to fit adult head size 20–21 ½ (22–23)”
Length (both sizes): 9 ½“