When I first held the Manos Del Uruguay Franca yarn, I couldn’t wait to knit with it. It’s soft, squishy and begs to be touched. I wanted to give you all a chance to keep this super-soft yarn close to your skin where it belongs and so – Welcome to the Floop Hat!
As an early Christmas present for you all, I’ve got a free hat pattern and video workshop that used this squishy yarn. This is a win all around, whether you want a super quick knit or if you are a new knitter and want to learn how to knit your first hat in the round.
Join the workshop here or read on to find out more about this gorgeous yarn and pattern combination.
This hat is one size (as the bulky yarn has a great deal of stretch), and it is knit in the round from the bottom up. You will begin with ribbing, then work onto the hat’s stockinette stitch (st st) body. When it is deep enough, you’ll finish on the ‘crown’ by working decreases.
This hat is worked in the round as it means that you can be sure of your sizing, and when you’re finished, you don’t have to seam! Plus for as this is a bulky yarn, it will be much more comfortable to wear.
Franca Yarn by Manos del Uruguay
I used a very soft, singles (single strand) merino yarn to knit this hat. It knits up quickly and feels luxurious as you are working with it. A single skein is enough for both your hat as well as a pom-pom.
Manos Franca is 100% superwash merino, and it comes in variegated and semi-solid colourways. During the body part of the hat, you really get to enjoy working with Manos Franca. The yarn is buttery soft and slides off your needles as you watch the colours emerge while you knit. It’s the perfect relaxing weekend project or palette cleanser.
You can also purchase a Floop yarn kit here. It has everything you need to create your Floop hat, and it comes with a 5% bundle discount!
How to Work in the Round
There are a few different ways you can work your hat in the round; if you’re new to this technique, you might try a few to see what suits you best. I find that your knitting style can impact which feels the most comfortable to use.
- Magic Loop
- Double Pointed Needles (DPNs)
- Shorter Circular needle
I have opted to use Magic Loop in these videos as I find it very versatile. As you decrease for the crown, you will not need to change needle type. This will also be the case for DPNs, but if you decide to use a short circular needle, you will have to change to DPNs or magic loop on the crown.
Free Video Workshop
If you are a visual learner, you will be delighted to know that this hat pattern comes with a free video workshop. It will work through:
- Long-tail Cast On
- Working in the round using Magic Loop
- Decreasing for the Crown
- Blocking
- Creating a pom-pom
Where to Find Floop – Quick Links
Download Floop for free on my website here or on Ravelry here.
Purchase a Floop yarn kit here.
Access the Video Workshop here.