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| 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 19th and 20th century. This hat goes by many other names: Flat Hat, Gatsby Hat, Gold Hat, Driving Cap, among others.
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| Call it whatever name you want, the newsboy is a great looking hat. |
I have read that this style goes as far back as 14th
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.
