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| GENEie - A Thinking Cap for Science Fans (Cable Version) |
I am proud to release two science themed knitting patterns today in support of the March for Science. GENEie, a DNA Helix Beanie Hat, is the perfect hat for scientists and science fans. I believe that people can and should disagree and debate hypotheses, but they should back up these hypotheses with facts. You cannot negate data when it doesn't fit your theory, you have to change your theory to incorporate all of the evidence.
The cable version of GENEie is a lighter hat than the stranded colorwork versionand is probably more appropriate for cold spring days. The March for Science is going to happen on Earth Day - April 22, 2017. The date had not been selected yet when I was contacted to design some knit hats for the march. The early mornings might still be cool enough for winter hats, but even if it is warm these hats are a fun way to share your support for science!
Normally I just provide charts with my patterns, but I wanted to make these DNA hats as accessible as possible to all knitters. The line-by-line written instructions have been tested and tech edited so they should be free from errors. The entire pattern is written in this post or you can download the PDF of the GENEie Cable Version Knitting Pattern through Google Drive.
Materials
- Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) double pointed needles (or circular needles long enough for magic loop.)
- Yarn: 110-145 yards Worsted weight yarn. The sample is knit with KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Dove Heather (50 g, 110 yards.)
- Gauge: (blocked) – 22 sts/4” & 30 rows/4” over stockinette.
- Notions: Cable needle, stitch marker to note beginning of round, tapestry needle.
- Finished Size: Adult S/M - 18" around, 7.85" deep after blocking.
Some people have had questions about hat sizing. The hat fits me comfortably and I have a 22" size S/M head. The hat fits with negative ease which means that the dimensions of the hat are smaller the head size (it stretches to fit the head.) The hat width stretches a lot - it can comfortably fit around my husband's size L head. However, he needs more length. This can be done in a few ways:
- Add more rounds of ribbing to the bottom of the hat. You can even add a few more inches so the brim can fold up and then you know the hat will fit a variety of sizes.
- Add rows starting at cable round #26 below row #1 if you want to add on to the cable portion of the hat. (I.e. If you want to add 5 more cable rounds then add rounds 22-26 before you start round #1. Make sure to remember to increase 1 stitch every 10 stitches on the first cable round!)
- Make sure you check your gauge! If your row count is less than 30 rows/4" on stockinette then you probably need to add some rows.
Abbreviations Used in this Pattern - Updated with links to video tutorials! I have a whole playlist of videos to help with the construction of the GENEie collection. Make sure you check out an introduction to 1x1 cables if you want extra help with the GENEie DNA cable stitches.
- K – Knit
- P – Purl
- Sts – Stitches
- S1 – Slip one stitch purlwise
- P2tog – Purl 2 stitches together
- K2tog-tbl – Knit two together through the back loop
- K-tbl – Knit through the back loop
- CN – cable needle
- PFB – increase one stitch by purling in the front and back of a stitch.
- C1-fkk - S1 st on CN and hold in front. K1, K1 from CN
- C2-bkk - S1 st on CN and hold in back. K1, K1 from CN
- C3-fpk - S1 st on CN and hold in front. P1, K1 from CN
- C4-bkp - S1 st on CN and hold in back. K1, P1 from CN
Knitting Instructions – GENEie Hat (Cable Version)
- Cast on 100 sts. Place marker and join to knit in the round
- Knit 6 rounds of 2x2 ribbing (*K2, P2* around)
- Chart Round 1: *P5, C2-bkk, P2, PFB* repeat from * around. (110 sts)
- Continue knitting chart rounds 2-33. There should be 110 stitches at the end of every round. The chart is read from the bottom up, right to left.
- Crown Decreases begin on Chart Round 34. Follow the chart until 20 stitches remain (Round 51)
- Round 52: K2tog-tbl around (10 sts)
- Round 53 (Not shown on chart): K2tog-tbl around (5 sts)
- Break yarn and pull through remaining stitches. Weave in loose ends. Block if desired.
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| GENEie Cable Knitting Chart. Work from the bottom up, right to left. |
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Blocking helped open up the cables and give the hat a light fabric with a lot of drape. The colorwork version of the GENEie hat, in contrast, is a lot thicker and warmer.
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| As Neil deGrasseTyson said, “Once science has been established, once a scientific truth emerges from a consensus of experiments and observations, it is the way of the world [...] When different experiments give you the same result, it is no longer subject to your opinion. That’s the good thing about science: It’s true whether or not you believe in it. That’s why it works.” |
Full Line-by-line Written Instructions – If you don’t want to follow the chart, here are the row-by-row written instructions.
- Cast on 100 sts. Place marker and join to knit in the round
- Knit 6 rounds of 2x2 ribbing (*K2, P2* around)
- Follow the 53 rounds of the Helix Cable Pattern as follows:
1. *P5, C2-bkk, p2, PFB* repeat from * around. (110 sts)
2. *P4, C2-bkk, C1-fkk, P3* repeat from * around
3. *P3, C2-bkk, K2, K-tbl, P3* repeat from * around
4. *P2, C4-bkp, P3, C3-fpk, P2* repeat from * around
5. *P1, C2-bkk, K5, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
6. *P1, K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
7. *C4-bkp, P6, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
8. *K-tbl, K6, C4-bkp, P2* repeat from * around
9. *K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, P3* repeat from * around
10. *K-tbl, P5, C4-bkp, P3* repeat from * around
11. *C3-fpk, K3, C4-bkp, P4* repeat from * around
12. *P1, K-tbl, K2, C4-bkp, P5* repeat from * around
13. *P1, C3-fpk, C4-bkp, P6* repeat from * around
14. *P2, C2-bkk, P7* repeat from * around
15. *P1, C2-bkk, C1-fkk, P6* repeat from * around
16. *P1, K-tbl, K2, C1-fkk, P5* repeat from * around
17. *C4-bkp, P3, C3-fpk, P4* repeat from * around
18. *K-tbl, K5, C1-fkk, P3* repeat from * around
19. *K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, P3* repeat from * around
20. *K-tbl, P6, C3-fpk, P2* repeat from * around
21. *C3-fpk, K6, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
22. *P1, K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
23. *P1, C3-fpk, P5, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
24. *P2, C3-fpk, K3, C4-bkp, P2* repeat from * around
25. *P3, C3-fpk, K2, K-tbl, P3* repeat from * around
26. *P4, C3-fpk, C4-bkp, P3* repeat from * around
27. *P5, C2-bkk, P4* repeat from * around
Rounds 28-33 repeat Rounds 2-7
34. (First decrease round) *K-tbl, K6, C4-bkp, P2tog* repeat from * around (100 sts)
35. *K-tbl, K6, K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
36. *K-tbl, P5, C4-bkp, P2tog* repeat from * around (90 sts)
37. *C3-fpk, K3, C4-bkp, P2* repeat from * around
38. *P1, K-tbl, K2, C4-bkp, P1, P2tog* repeat from * around (80 sts)
39. *P1, C3-fpk, C4-bkp, P3* repeat from * around
40. *P2, C2-bkk, P2, P2tog* repeat from * around (70 sts)
41. *P1, C2-bkk, C1-fkk, P2* repeat from * around
42. *P1, K-tbl, K2, K-tbl, P2tog* repeat from * around (60 sts)
43. *C4-bkp, P1, C4-bkp, P1* repeat from * around
44. *K-tbl, K2, K-tbl, P2tog* repeat from * around (50 sts)
45. *K-tbl, K1, C4-bkp, P1* repeat from * around
46. *K-tbl, C4-bkp, P2tog* repeat from * around (40 sts)
47. *C4-bkp, P2* repeat from * around
48. *K-tbl, P1, P2tog* repeat from * around (30 sts)
49. *K-tbl, P2* repeat from * around
50. *K-tbl, P2tog* repeat from * around (20 sts)
51. *K-tbl, P1* repeat from * around
52. K2tog-tbl around (10 sts)
53. K2tog-tbl around (5 sts)
- Break yarn and pull through remaining stitches. Weave in loose ends. Block if desired.
The first generation of GENEie comes in forms, the textured cable version and the stranded colorwork version. Did I just say first generation? Could there possibly be other GENEie's in the works? Stay tuned to find out!
GENEie Cable Hat Knitting Pattern © 2017
ChemKnits & Rebecca Roush Brown.
This pattern is available for free via www.ChemKnits.com for your personal or charity use. You are not to copy or distribute this
pattern without the permission of the publisher, ChemKnits.
This post contains some KnitPicks affiliate links. I became an affiliate in October 2018 after using KnitPicks yarns for many years. All yarn selections and options are my own.
This post contains some KnitPicks affiliate links. I became an affiliate in October 2018 after using KnitPicks yarns for many years. All yarn selections and options are my own.
This is amazing! Nice work Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think that this is my favorite design, yet. :)
DeleteLove it! I'll be making one for me and my husband - an Evolutionary Biologist. I think the kids might need some, too. Thanks for such a great pattern.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteLOVE THESE! So clever. Can't wait to make them!!!!
ReplyDeleteIs this possible in crochet?
ReplyDeleteI'm not as proficient in crochet as I am with knitting so I'm not sure how easy it is to convert from a knitting chart to a crochet pattern. I know that you can do cables in Crochet but I've never tried doing this before.
DeleteSome people have had questions about hat sizing. The hat fits me comfortably and I have a size S/M head. The hat fits with negative ease which means that the dimensions of the hat are smaller the head size (it stretches to fit the head.) The hat width stretches a lot - it can comfortably fit around my husband's size L head. However, he needs more length. This can be done in a few ways:
ReplyDelete1) add more rounds of ribbing to the bottom of the hat.
2) Add rows starting at cable round #26 below row #1 if you want to add on to the cable portion of the hat. (I.e. If you want to add 5 more cable rounds then add rounds 22-26 before you start round #1. Make sure to remember to increase 1 stitch every 10 stitches on the first cable round!)
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful patterns, for science!!!
ReplyDeleteI love these! Thank you so much, will try to complete the cable version for the Boston event in April!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Maybe we'll run into each other there! :)
DeleteThis is great! I have never tried to knit a cable but I'm willing to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I have never tried to knit a cable but I'm willing to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
DeleteLOVE the designs...I have a big head...what would I do to make this fit say, a man's head?
ReplyDeleteSome people have had questions about hat sizing. The hat fits me comfortably and I have a size 22" head. The hat fits with negative ease which means that the dimensions of the hat are smaller the head size (it stretches to fit the head.) The hat width stretches a lot - it can comfortably fit around my husband's size L head. However, he needs more length. This can be done in a few ways:
Delete1) add more rounds of ribbing to the bottom of the hat.
2) Add rows starting at cable round #26 below row #1 if you want to add on to the cable portion of the hat. (I.e. If you want to add 5 more cable rounds then add rounds 22-26 before you start round #1. Make sure to remember to increase 1 stitch every 10 stitches on the first cable round!)
I discovered your wonderfulness when someone shared this post to the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) facebook page. Am now a devoted fan and when not doing genetic genealogy will relax by knitting dna hats. You rock!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteHi Rachel, thank you for sharing this pattern! I learned how to knit cable just so I could make this hat! I do have a question: it could very well be that I am very new at cable knitting and reading cable charts, but I found that I have several extra stitches after knitting a few rounds. I even placed stitch markers in between each cable repeat section so I could keep better track, but still end up with extra stitches. Any idea why this would happen, i.e. Are there common mistakes novice cable knitters make? I followed the chart very carefully, too! Other than that, this has been the perfect project to teach myself cable knitting! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Blue, How many stitches are on your needles? You should have 110 stitches and there should be 11 stitches in each section. Each cable is 9 stitches wide and then there are two Purl stitches between each cable.
DeleteAfter you increase from 100 to 110 stitches on the first charted round there should be no more increase or decrease of stitches (until starting the crown decreases.)
Feel free to share some pictures with me on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ChemKnits/) or on Ravelry (username chemknitsblog. If you earburn me or PM me I usually will see it within a day or so.)
I LOVE this! Thank you so much for sharing your pattern. Sharing your link with my knitting groups and friends in general.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi -- would this work with stockinette between the DNA strands, if I were to knit where the chart says to purl?
ReplyDeleteSure! You would need to pay attention to a few of the cables. If you want to see a chart with a stockinette background check out the GENEie Pussyhat Knitting Pattern
DeleteTHANKS. Have made two pussy hats with the DNA. Now starting on headbands for the Science March. Appreciate your skill and your generosity!
ReplyDeleteYou rock! Thank you so much...my daughter saw one at NYC March today. 😊
ReplyDeleteRebecca -- am making another (maybe two) DNA cable hats and planning to auction them for contributions to AAAS & promote this year's science march. Will include credit and a link to your patterns. I did this with pussy hats last year and got a really nice response. Is that ok with you?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you have a pattern for a GENEie scarf?
ReplyDelete