The Inevitably Spontaneous Design of the Top-Twist Beanie

As it happens to me sometimes, I came up with the Top-Twist beanie design spontaneously, in the middle of the night. And then, thanks to some lightning-fast knitters willing to try the idea, I was able to publish the pattern quickly. From inception to release, I think it was no more than two weeks.

But design is a strange and mysterious process, that exists outside such linear narratives. It functions on multiple planes and levels of consciousness. It churns in the background, and sometimes takes on the form of different, seemingly unrelated ideas, waiting for the right time to converge and emerge. When I think about it that way, the Top-Twist Beanie was anything but spontaneous.

Consider, for instance, that every once in a while I receive messages from knitters who either cannot, or do not like to, knit in the round. They ask whether it is possible to modify my in-the-round patterns for flat knitting. And in theory it probably is. But honestly, they are better off using patterns which are designed flat to begin with. I am just not the go-to designer for flat knitting. Usually, this type of answer is sufficient, and we part our virtual ways. But a few months ago, there was a knitter who was quite distressed that she couldn’t find a hat pattern she liked, suitable for knitting flat. She wasn’t rude or demanding about it, just genuinely sad. And even though it wasn’t my ‘problem’ so to speak, I don’t know… the interaction sort of ‘stayed with me’ ever since, making a comfortable home in my subconsciousness.

And then there was the issue of my daughter’s hair… My 3-year-old has unusually long hair, which she likes to wear arranged in two large buns at the top of her head, ‘like a fairy-cat princess’ (any other hairstyle I try is vehemently rejected).

While admittedly, the cat-princess hair is adorable, it does present a problem for hats in the winter. I have tried to knit her long beanies, roomy berets, various hoods. But even though they technically fit over the hair, my daughter took issue with the strange shape that resulted from the hat being stretched over it. She wanted a hat that accommodated the buns, but didn’t billow over them. This too has been playing on my mind, in search of a solution.

And then there is the running joke I’ve had with several knitting friends about what I refer to as the ‘gnome-like’ style of beanie-wearing.

It began in the hipster era of the late 2000s. Beanies that were loose around the brim and pointy at the top. For me, this was the aesthetic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard, and I have always studiously avoided this look at all costs, opting instead for hats which were the opposite - fitted at the brim and rounded at the crown.

More recently, the gnome-like beanie aesthetic seems to have evolved into a still more alarming direction. A longer version of it has become ‘on trend’, which is not only pointy but stiff enough to stand up a good few inches above the natural crown of the head. Suddenly all the designer lookbooks were styling hats in this manner. And the cool kids wearing them that way.

One day, I met up with Anna, and she was wearing a hat she knitted according to my Expanding Rib Beanie pattern… except that she managed to deliberately block, and then style it in such a way, that it too was doing the pointy gnome-like thing! I nearly fell over when I saw this. And knew, deep down, that I had to adapt to the times.

What could I do, I thought, to make a version of this concept that actually resonated with me, and felt interesting as well?

I couldn’t think of anything. Nope, nothing at all. So I let it go.

And then a couple of weeks later, seemingly out of nowhere, middle of the night, boom. It just appeared in my mind’s eye. A beanie knitted flat. With a twist at the crown that would encourage it to stand up sculpturally. And the added bi-product of creating hidden ‘vents’ for my daughter’s princess-buns.

Most importantly though, this hat feels like ‘me,’ and not a concession to somebody else’s taste and style.

It can be worn in a variety of ways, and for that reason I also hope the design will ‘age well,’ remaining wearable after the gnome thing goes out of style.

The vents make it a great option for accommodating various hair styles as well, not only for cat-princess girls but for adults.

As for the flat knitting… Well, frankly that bit is not for everyone! But it’s easy, and accessible to beginners. And it’s good to try something different once in a while. A hat knitted flat. Why not!

The Top-Twist Beanie is now published on ravelry and in the webshop.

Samples made with Apple Oak Fibre Works Quito (grey) and Honer och Eir Nutiden (pink).