Knit a Pretty Tam in Two Colors

There are all sorts of fun hat knitting patterns out there, but I will admit to mostly having knit beanies throughout my knitting career. But there are lots of other fun shapes that allow you to bring different kinds of colorwork to the party, like a tam.

Tams are similar in shape to berets, and both are fun to stitch. The best part is that you can fit a fun circular pattern on the top, which is harder to do on a hat with less real estate.

This Fair Isle Tame from Lion Brand Yarn has a fun design on the top that kind of reminds me of a compass. On the sides of the hat you will find a round of diamonds with little floral shapes inside.

The design is worked in two colors of DK/light weight yarn. The pattern comes in one size, with a circumference at the ribbing of about 20 inches/50.8 cm, which is meant to fit an adult woman but should be a little stretchy to fit a variety of heads.

It’s worked from the bottom up in the round and the colorwork is worked from charts. The pattern is rated for intermediate knitters because of the colorwork and the charts. But it looks like it would be a lot of fun to make!

The pattern for this fair isle tam is free from the Lion Brand website. You can also buy a kit that includes the yarn (you’ll just need one ball each of the two colors in the yarn suggested) and other tools if you need them.

If you’re ready to learn how to knit fair isle or stranded knitting (there is technically a difference but this pattern calls itself fair isle so we’ll go with that), I’ve got a tutorial over on my website, Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

When I first saw Orofino, a cute summer top from Berroco, I thought it was crocheted. Something about those shifting blocks of eyelets made me think of crochet but on closer inspection it is knit, so let’s take a closer look.

This project alternates blocks of simple eyelet lace and garter stitch to make a boxy tee with a bit of air flow and a lot of texture.

The project is worked from the bottom up mostly in rounds (which does mean a fair bit of purling to do that garter stitch in the round, but the effect is worth it). When you divide for the armholes, the back and front are worked separately and flat to the end of the project.

That leaves you a little seam at the top of the shoulder, and there’s a tiny bit of finishing (literally picking up stitches, purling a round and binding off) at the neckline and armholes.

It calls for a worsted weight cotton yarn, but this would also be nice worked in linen or a blend.

The pattern includes both written and charted instructions, but the key on the charts is a little confusing in how it describes working flat versus in the round, so you can always double check with the written instructions if you need help.

There are six sizes available, ranging from a finished bust circumference of 38 to 71.5 inches, or 95 to 179 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 6 to 12 inches (or 15 to 30 cm) of positive ease.

It is rated as an intermediate knitting project, but if you have a little experience with lace knitting and potentially reading a chart if you want to use them, it shouldn’t be difficult for you.

The pattern is available to download for free on the Berroco website. You can also learn more about it on Ravelry.

[Photo: Berroco]

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