Votic Hat

• Craft:                    Knitting
• Category:             Beanie, Toque
• Suggested yarn:  Blacker Yarns Cornish Garden 3-ply
• Yarn weight:         Light Fingering / 3 ply
• Gauge:                 31 stitches and 40 rows = 10 cm
• Needle size:         US 2 - 2.75 mm, US 2½ - 3.0 mm
• Yardage:              250 - 310 m (273 - 339 yards)
• Sizes available:    Teen, small adult, large adult

This pattern pays homage to the craftspeople of Estonia and Northern Russia, whose knitting skills produced beautifully simple knitted artefacts. The Vods (or Votes) are the oldest known ethnic group in Ingria, a region of northern Europe southwest of St Petersburg. They are probably descended from an Iron-age population of north-eastern Estonia and western Ingria. Their language, Votic, is now highly endangered there being only a handful of speakers remaining. In 1949, during an archaeological dig in a cemetery in Jouga Estonia, a small fragment of knitted fabric was found. The fragment has been dated to the 13th century and probably forms part of the cuff of a mitten with a distinct pattern, which I have adapted as an all-over pattern for this hat.

The hat can be knit as a close fitting beanie or as a longer slouchy hat. The pattern is charted but is simple and very memorable, making this a portable project.

Three sizes are specified, teen, small adult, large adult head circumference approximately 49.5 cm, 54 cm, 58.5 cm/19 ½”, 21 ¼”, 23”.

The pattern requires three colours of yarn; a neutral background colour, and two tonally-compatible colours. The original Votic pattern used white, red and blue; I have used natural fawn (colour Hepworth) plus blue (Trebah) and dark grey (Tremenheere) in the samples shown.

The yarn is Blacker Yarns 2019 Birthday yarn, Cornish Garden. It is a fabulously soft 3ply/light fingering but, since woollen spun yarns are bulky, this weight works well for 4ply patterns as well.

Pattern support is available; please email me if you have any questions or problems.

This pattern can be knit in any light fingering/3ply weight yarn. As always, when substituting yarn, be sure to knit a swatch to check that you are able to get the right gauge for the pattern. Suggested yarn substitutes can be found at https://yarnsub.com/