Knitting, SweetGeorgia

Ballard Slouch

2009-10-07_ballard
A tiny shock of colour. Ballard Slouch knit in Superwash Worsted (Saffron).

I owe this blog a whole lot of posts. But let’s start off with a simple and slouchy hat that I designed while I was sitting in my car for over 90 minutes, waiting to cross the border into the US to attend the Earthues Natural Dye Studio workshops in Ballard, Seattle, WA. A lovely clover lace pattern is the basis for this slouchy beret-style hat. Its easy-to-memorize lace pattern makes for a very simple and elegant one-skein gift. Since that day in July, I’ve made four of these hats in different yarns and colours and tested different sizes and gauges. I like this result the best:

2009-10-07_ballardtop
Knit in Merino Silk Aran, the hat is quite drapey and warm.

Knit it up in a luxurious and drapey Merino Silk Aran or a lush and cushy Superwash Worsted yarn. I love how the lace is gentle and uncomplicated. It decreases seamlessly at the crown to form a beret-type shape. The simple pattern lets you add repeats if you like to make a slouchier hat.

The 2-page PDF pattern includes both charted and written directions. And it’s available via Ravelry or the shop site. And it’s free. My gift to you this crisp fall morning. Keep your head warm.

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About Felicia Lo

founder + creative director of SweetGeorgia // designer + dreamer // wife + mama // dyer, knitter, spinner, weaver, youtuber + author // been writing this blog about colour and craft since 2004 // see what I am making @lomeetsloom and @sweetgeorgia.

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28 thoughts on “Ballard Slouch

  1. Jennifer says:

    Lovely! This may be the project that gets me to try lace. I can’t get enough of your silky merino.

  2. Jennifer says:

    Lovely! This may be the project that gets me to try lace. I can’t get enough of your silky merino.

  3. Laura says:

    So cute! Love the lace and the slouch. Thanks for sharing the pattern!

  4. Laura says:

    So cute! Love the lace and the slouch. Thanks for sharing the pattern!

  5. Minh says:

    Such a lovely pattern! Thanks a lot for sharing!

  6. Minh says:

    Such a lovely pattern! Thanks a lot for sharing!

  7. supercareo says:

    This is such a cute pattern! I am so extited to get working on it!

    1. sweetgeorgia says:

      Thanks so much you guys! I hope you enjoy the pattern!

  8. supercareo says:

    This is such a cute pattern! I am so extited to get working on it!

    1. sweetgeorgia says:

      Thanks so much you guys! I hope you enjoy the pattern!

  9. Nancy says:

    Ballard buddy! Cute slouch…but can’t download it. Just get the code, not the pattern itself… any ideas?

  10. Nancy says:

    Ballard buddy! Cute slouch…but can’t download it. Just get the code, not the pattern itself… any ideas?

  11. NicoleGW says:

    Gorgeous! I’ve been in an off cycle in terms of knitting lately, but I think this might be just the thing to get me going again. I have a weakness for lace in heavier yarns. Something about the boldness of the patterns.

    One question: how much yardage do you think you actually used? In the spirit of de-stashing, I’d love to use a well-suited skein I already own, but I only have 100 yards.

    1. sweetgeorgia says:

      Hi there Nicole!

      Thanks for your message! Yes, I love lace in heavier yarns too…

      For these hats, here are the actual weights of the finished hats…

      58g Merino Silk Aran = 107 yards
      66g Superwash Worsted = 115 yards

      You might want to omit a few rounds of ribbing to get more yardage out of your stash yarns there! :)

      Good luck with the hat pattern!
      Best,
      Felicia

  12. NicoleGW says:

    Gorgeous! I’ve been in an off cycle in terms of knitting lately, but I think this might be just the thing to get me going again. I have a weakness for lace in heavier yarns. Something about the boldness of the patterns.

    One question: how much yardage do you think you actually used? In the spirit of de-stashing, I’d love to use a well-suited skein I already own, but I only have 100 yards.

    1. sweetgeorgia says:

      Hi there Nicole!

      Thanks for your message! Yes, I love lace in heavier yarns too…

      For these hats, here are the actual weights of the finished hats…

      58g Merino Silk Aran = 107 yards
      66g Superwash Worsted = 115 yards

      You might want to omit a few rounds of ribbing to get more yardage out of your stash yarns there! :)

      Good luck with the hat pattern!
      Best,
      Felicia

  13. NicoleGW says:

    Thanks so much! Already casted on and on my way. I’ve never liked knitting ribbing anyway. :)

  14. NicoleGW says:

    Thanks so much! Already casted on and on my way. I’ve never liked knitting ribbing anyway. :)

  15. Katie says:

    This is my first go on circular needles, and also my first lace project, and I’m having a blast. This hat is too cute! Thanks for sharing it :)

  16. Katie says:

    This is my first go on circular needles, and also my first lace project, and I’m having a blast. This hat is too cute! Thanks for sharing it :)

  17. Cin says:

    This is such a lovely pattern! Seems like everything I’ve knit lately has been a gift for someone else – now I’ve got something to look forward to that’s just for me :)

    Thank you for sharing.

  18. Cin says:

    This is such a lovely pattern! Seems like everything I’ve knit lately has been a gift for someone else – now I’ve got something to look forward to that’s just for me :)

    Thank you for sharing.

  19. Jolie says:

    This was my very first lacy pattern I ever did and it turned out beautifully! I gave it to my daughter, who knits, and felt quite accomplished. Along the way I made some mistakes and a friend helped me fix them. She said more than once: “There are no knitting police!” This hat was a turning point in my knitting–I’m not afraid to try more complicated things nor am I so afraid to make mistakes. Thanks so much for the very cute pattern.

    1. sweetgeorgia says:

      Oh Jolie! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed knitting with the pattern and have grown as a knitter. There are no knitting police! Knit what you love.

  20. Jolie says:

    This was my very first lacy pattern I ever did and it turned out beautifully! I gave it to my daughter, who knits, and felt quite accomplished. Along the way I made some mistakes and a friend helped me fix them. She said more than once: “There are no knitting police!” This hat was a turning point in my knitting–I’m not afraid to try more complicated things nor am I so afraid to make mistakes. Thanks so much for the very cute pattern.

    1. sweetgeorgia says:

      Oh Jolie! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed knitting with the pattern and have grown as a knitter. There are no knitting police! Knit what you love.

  21. becky says:

    i started this hat because i just couldn’t resist. love at first sight. i am using a baby alpaca yarn size 7 needle and the CO96 does not seem like it will be big enough for an adult head. could i add 12 more cast ons for the pattern be okay? do you think? pretty new to the knitting world….

  22. becky says:

    i started this hat because i just couldn’t resist. love at first sight. i am using a baby alpaca yarn size 7 needle and the CO96 does not seem like it will be big enough for an adult head. could i add 12 more cast ons for the pattern be okay? do you think? pretty new to the knitting world….

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