Variations in Llama hats

No two hats are identical

Quite a few Peruvian babies and children must be wearing a Llama hat. When you browse through the Flickr accounts of tourists and professional photographers, you find several pictures of them. They are taken all over the country. Around Lake Titicaca, at Pampa Huayalla near Cusco and in the Sacread Valley, which are miles apart. 

Mostly the Llama hats appear in those holiday pictures accidentally. They are not always clear to see. But what is clear, is that no two hats seem to be exactly the same. They all differ a bit. Probably there is no written pattern. Knitters (female ánd male) may just show others how they make them.

    
(Photo Orange hat taken by: Bergius, Flickr)  
(Photo Pink hat: Linda de Volder, Flickr) 
(Photo Yellow hat: Lotty Spek-Blok)
(Photo Blue Lace hat: Thomas Quine, Flickr)

Variations seen until now:

Brim:
-         Garter stitch (knit all sts, 6 rows)
-         Reverse stocking stitch, followed by garter stitch (purl on the right side, knit on the wrong side for 6 rows, then knit 6 rows)
-         Contrasting edge: knit 1 or 2 rows in contrasting color

Sides:
-         Basic: sides knit in stocking stitch.
-         Garter stitch
-         Garter/Stockinette 6/6: 6 rows of stocking stitch, alternated by 6 rows of garter stitch.
-         Garter/Stockinette 8/4: 8 rows of stocking stitch, alternated by 4 rows of garter
-         Irregular garter stitch rows (see Cisco hat)
-         Diagonal stocking stitch (diagonal rows due to decreases at beginning of rows)

Chevron front edges:
-         Basic: invisible increases
-         Double Eyelets: increases made by yarn overs (yo): yo, k2, yo
-         Lace: yo increases in simple lace pattern 

Chevron front
-         Basic: chevron sts in stocking sts
-         Garter sts, in coherence with side parts
-         Garter sts, with ‘palm tree’ 

Chevron double decreases:
-         Palm tree stem: s1, k2 tog, psso; (over 3 middle sts)
-         Straight line: s1 k1 psso (2x) (over 4 middle sts) 

 
The shape of the basic version (light) differs from the Palm tree and the lace version. In the basic version there are no decs and incs at the side parts. 

Ears:
-         Ears placed in front part
-         Ears placed between front and sides (on double eyelets)
-         Worked in stocking stitch: knit on back, purl on front side
-         Worked in reverse stocking stitch: purl on back, knit on front side
-         Worked in ribbing (k1, p1)
-         ‘Nugget’ ears (seen on Alien hat, technique still unclear )
-         Pompons instead of ears
-         Tassles instead of ears
-         No ears knitted (‘square’ shape)

Shaping of back:
The shaping of the back is mostly not visible on pictures. From Cisco (Berocco’s pattern) and Thelma’s Basic hat, two shapes are known:
-         Basic: back is shaped with dart, starting half way. (double decrease made in every 4th row until 11 sts remain)
-         Cisko (worked back up): back is shaped by single increases on both sides, every 6th row (x 6) till back has 23 sts.

Coloring:
-         One color
-         Two color striping
-         Multi color striping
-         Brim or brim edge in contrasting color 

Yarns:
(used yarns are not clear to see in pictures. These are just assumptions)
-         Cotton
-         Wool or wool/acrylics
-         Mohairish yarns