Miller

• Description
• Pattern Information
• Techniques

• Miller is inspired by the photographer Lee Miller, who paved the way for other women photographers to follow her into a male dominated field and used photography to record human experience – both good and bad. Her work can be challenging because of the subject matter but also because of how she was able to capture the raw emotion in any given moment. Miller used light and shadow to create dramatic black and white images. It is this use of dark and light that I have attempted to emulate in the Miller beanie, using the deepest tones of colourways through to the palest, set against a white – or in this case, cream – background to create strong contrast between light and dark. I will never take a photograph to rival one of Miller’s, but can always seek to learn from her and hope that she would appreciate my attempts to do so in the hat dedicated to her. Miller is a slouchy beanie with an eye-catching colourwork pattern. It can be knitted with either a single thickness brim or a deep, double-layered brim for added warmth. The pattern can also be used for either fingering or sport weight yarns making it a very versatile pattern. It is knitted from the brim upwards to the crown and is worked in the round.

  Miller is knitted using Susan Crawford Wold Sport a sport weight, worsted spun yarn that creates a robust, warm fabric, or Susan Crawford Excelana North, with a soft drapey handle. Both yarns are 100% British wool spun for us at a local mill and hand-dyed in-house.

  Miller is shown here in three colourways and two weights.

  Colourway One uses Wold Sport and shades:
  Summer Nights.
  Puddle.
  Rook.
  Lime Mortar.
  

  Colourway Two uses Excelana North and shades:
  Land Army Green.
  Herb Garden.
  Sweet Chestnut.
  Alabaster.
  

  Colourway Three uses Excelana North and shades:
  Damson Wine.
  Clematis.
  Sweet Chestnut.
  Alabaster.
  

  The pattern includes instructions for three sizes to fit head circumference from 47.50 to 60cm (17.25 to 24.5 in), together with charted instructions for the colourwork sections.

• Yarn

  Sport Weight Version
  Susan Crawford Wold Sport, 100% British wool, Sport weight (147m / 160yds per 50g skein approx)

  Fingering Weight Version
  Susan Crawford Excelana North, 100% British wool, Fingering weight (159m / 174yds per 50g skein approx)

  Single Brim: 1 skein each of each of four shades
  Double Layer Brim: 2 skeins of main colour, plus 1 skein of three shades

  Suggested needles
  Fingering Weight
  Small Needles: 2.75mm (US 2) circular needle (40 cm / 16 in)
  Large Needles: 3.25 mm (US 3) circular needle (40 cm / 16 in)

  Sport Weight
  Small Needles: 2.75mm (US 2) circular needle (40 cm / 16 in)
  Large Needles: 3.5mm (US 4) circular needle (40 cm / 16 in)

  Gauge
  Fingering Weight
  28 sts and 32 rows = 10 cm / 4 in over stranded colourwork in the round, after blocking. We obtained this gauge using 3.25mm needles.

  Sport Weight
  27.5 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm / 4 in over stranded colourwork in the round, after blocking. We obtained this gauge using 3.5mm needles.

  Notions
  Stitch marker, tapestry needle

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