The Iconic Newsboy Hat

Even Barbara, Barbie and Buster have their Newsboys

The last item of my knitting trilogy* is the Newsboy hat.  The Newsboy is one of the most iconic hats of the late 19^th and 20^th century.  This hat goes by many other names: Flat Hat, Gatsby Hat, Gold Hat, Driving Cap, among others.  

Call it whatever name you want, the newsboy is a great looking hat.

 

I have read that this style goes as far back as 14^th century England.  It has been claimed by every class of people, starting with the working class and eventually taken up by the upper classes as part of the weekend country attire. 

Traditionally, the Newsboy is constructed from eight panels cut from plain wool or tweed.  It is a soft rounded cap with a small brim and a stiffer back.  I have seen versions of the hat with the top snapped down to the brim and remaining free of the brim. 

 Knitted versions abound.  It is no surprise that something this popular would eventually be interpreted by knitwear.  I scouted the Internet for what I thought would be the perfect style and found one.  The newsboy that I knitted was found in Debbie Stoller’s   Stitc’n Bitch Nation (by far not my favorite knitting book-I probably would give it one star). I managed to find it as a used Amazon book.  For me, the total $5 (including shipping) is worth the hat alone.  I will continue to knit this one over and over.

The listed weight of yarn for this hat pattern is worsted.  I used DK, which meant I had to re-adjust the gauge.  This is a good skill to have.  It gives the knitter, more options of yarn, as long as the yarn fits the design. 

It was very simple to hand stitch the silk along the band of the hat.

The brim is lined with plastic needlepoint canvas that I picked up at Hobby Lobby.  It is stiff but light and I don’t think it will crack.  I took a cue from other mens hats and lined the band with silk.  This silk matched the scarf lining, but grosgrain ribbon would have worked just as well. In fact, any ribbon (at least 1” wide would have worked).  This cap was just fun to knit. And I think it will be great fun to wear.  Happy Knitting!

* The other two items that go with this hat is a scarf and a pair of gloves.