Peruvian Style Knitted Chullo Hat Tutorial

• Posted on January 14, 2013
• by bdieges
• in Blog
• 2 Comments.

Peruvian Style Chullo or Hat with Ear Flaps Instructions

Okay, this tutorial has nothing to do with quilting, but since I knit too, as you can see from my quilt sweater in my picture, I thought I would post this for you.  It has been very cold here, coldest December and January according to my husband’s weather records he has kept for 20 or so years.

When we go to town or other places, my husband usually does the driving.  Since we have about a 40 minute drive into town, I always take some handwork along, and have found knitting works best.  I have appliqued and quilted, but the knitting accommodates bumps in the road more easily.  And so I have put together this hat, after my husband commented about a Peruvian type hat a man at the market was wearing.

I looked on the web, but the intructions involved patterns with chart type knitting designs or others I didn’t understand.  It was way more complicated, than I wanted.  It needed to be simple and made with left-over yarn from another project.

This pattern with the doubled yarn makes for very dense knitting, which you want in cold weather.  This hat should fit most adult heads, that measure about 22″ around, just above the ears.  If the hat needs to be bigger, use larger needles, or smaller, use smaller needles.   The stockinette stitch for the Ear Flap 10 stitches x 10 rows measures 2-1/2″x2″.  I knit tight, and this is what I got with the doubled yarn and the #8 needles.

Things you need:

Two skeins heavy worsted-weight wool yarn or double thinner yarn.  I doubled the #4 yarn.  They also suggested #8 needles for only a single strand, but I didn’t have any #10 double point needles, since the yarn was doubled.  I like to use what I have.

• #8 16″ circular needle
• Set of 5 US size 8 double-pointed needles
• #H crochet hook or so, a size larger or smaller, shouldn’t matter
• Stitch marker or safety pin.
• Rug needle

When you knit the ear flap, it will cup naturally because of the slip stitch and increases made along the edges.  This is the first time I have written knitting instructions for anyone except myself, but have used abbreviations found in most instructions.  So if you don’t understand, please post a question below and I will gladly explain what I am saying.

1. First Ear Flap String: With the crochet hook, crochet a single stitch chain for about 2″-3″, or 10″ to 12″ if you want to use them as ties.
2. When long enough, set aside the crochet hook and slip the loop on to a double point knitting needle, with the second double point needle, knit into the front and back of the single stitch for two stitches.
3. Turn and knit into the front and back of the two stitches for four stitches.
4. Slip the first stitch as if to knit.  Knit into the front and back of next two stitches, knit the last stitch for a total of six stitches.
5. Turn the work, slip the first stitch as if to purl and purl the remaining stitches.
6. Turn the work again, slip first stitch as if to knit.  Knit into the front and back of the second stitch, knit to the second stitch from the end.  Knit into the front and back of the second stitch from the end, knit last stitch for eight  stitches.
7. Repeat rows #5 and #6. Increasing at the beginning and end of each knit row, until there are 22 stitches on the needle.
8. Knit and purl 3 more rows without increasing.  End with a knit row.  Break thread leaving about 5″ tail.  Set aside.
9. Second Ear Flap:  Repeat steps 1-8, using the circular needle, but do not break thread when the Second Ear Flap is finished.
10. Working on the circular needle, cast on 23 stitches (use your favorite method), join to and pick up *knit 1 purl 1* the stitches of the First Ear Flap, cast on another 23 stitches, make sure the stitches don’t twist.  Join to the Second Ear Flap, make sure it is facing in the right direction.
11. Pick up the stitches of the ear flap, as you do, *knit 1 purl 1*.  There should be a total of 80 stitches, with the linking cast ons and the ear flaps.
12. Continue the *knit 1 purl 1* ribbing in rounds for 4″ or so.  If you knit to 5″, the edge of the hat will come down further on the forehead.   
13. Stop in line with the back or front edge of one of the ear flaps.  Put a marker or safety pin, in the knitting to mark the rounds.
14. Divide stitches on five needles, 16 on each needle, use the circular needle as a double pointed needle, to divide the crown into five sections.
15. Decrease by continuing to *knit 1 purl 1* except the last four stitches on each needle *knit 2 tog, twice.*  That is one round.
16. When you reach the marker, knit the next round, all the needles *knit 1 purl 1* with no decreases.
17. Repeat #15 and 16 until 4 stitches are left on each of the five needles. *knit 2 tog* on all the needles.
18. Break thread leaving a 6″ tail, thread all the remaining stitches onto the tapestry needle, twice, there should be 10.  Pull the stitches together and weave tail into knitting on the wrong side.

With a few trips to town, a couple evenings sitting in front of the wood stove and a quilt guild meeting, my husband has a nice warm hat, that covers his ears completely! 

Tags: knitting, Peruvian Chullo Knit Hat, tutorial