This week I’ve been doing some lovely, mindless knitting – stitch after stitch of knit that becomes row after row of garter stitch.
It’s something I use to switch off. When everything feels urgent and everything seems to need to happen immediately, the stitches help calm the busyness of the mind. All those dancing worries begin to sit more neatly and, somehow, the solution comes – sometimes by the end of the row, sometimes when you come back to the task later.
That’s why I thought this week we’d move onto the next stage in a knitting journey.
Once you’re comfortable with the knit stitch, a gentle next step is learning how to knit two stitches together. Instead of knitting one stitch, you simply go into the second stitch and then the first stitch on the left-hand needle. That’s it. One tiny change – and suddenly, you’re shaping.
This simple technique is what turns flat knitting into something that fits.
A wonderful way to practise this is with Dave the Hat, a *free* pattern that keeps everything calm and simple while introducing that all-important shaping.
Like the Davina Cowl we talked about last week, it uses two strands of yarn held together when knitting with aran weight yarn, making it forgiving, cosy and very satisfying.
For newer knitters, Dave the Hat is a gentle confidence-builder. For experienced knitters, it’s the perfect “just one more row” project – quick, comforting and ideal for chilly, crisp winter mornings.
A pure wool hat really is the only thing that keeps your head warm while still regulating your temperature. Wool breathes as you warm up, so you stay comfortable rather than overheated. And before you even get to enjoy those benefits outdoors, the knitting itself is already working quietly away inside your head.
Knitting is a craft that keeps gently giving. Often you don’t notice what it’s giving you until it’s missing – and then a few rows later, that feeling of calm returns.
About the pattern
This is a great quick and simple knit – ideal for beginners or as a weekend project for experienced knitters who need a moment or two of pure, simple stitches.
Yarn: Aran (held double):
WYS Croft Shetland Aran (100% Shetland wool, 166m per 100g)
One 100g hank of shade A and one of shade B will make two short hats or one longer one..
Needles: 9mm
Tension: 10 stitches and 18 rows over 10cm in garter stitch
Size: To fit an adult head
If you’re learning to knit – or just need something steady and soothing – Dave the Hat is a lovely place to spend your time.