About twenty years ago I bought a very useful bit of headgear. It was a knitted tube with a rolled end that acted as both scarf and hat and was especially useful in the rain, I felt, as there was less to get wet than with an ordinary hat and scarf.
But twenty years is a long time and things wear out. So regretfully, a little while ago, I decided that it would have to be retired.
They no longer seemed to make them for sale – but it was knitted! So I could make a new one, couldn’t I?
The stitch was very interesting looking a bit like rib on the one side but a strange sort of mesh on the other.
Never one to refuse a challenge, I set out to solve the puzzle.
Luckily, I suppose, I had met a new type of stitch in a pattern for bootees that I had adapted to use in a jumper for my grandson and I realised that this might hold the clue to the puzzle.
The stitch involved knitting into the stitch on the row below.
(The above picture comes from another similar project I have on the go.)
By a little trial and error, I discovered that I could indeed reproduce the same effect if I knitted into the stitch on the row below every other stitch on one row and then purled into the stitch below every other stitch on the next row.
Purling into the stitch below is not as easy as knitting into it but then I thought of using circular needles. I had never used circular needles before but this seemed to have a double benefit in this case. No seam (the original had been seamless) and all knit stitches to get the same effect.
I normally knit with one needle under my arm; so I wasn’t sure how I would get on. However I bought some 4.5mm (UK 7) 40 cm Pony circular needles and found that everything went very smoothly.
I bought some variegated Paton’s yarn similar to that I used for my spiral scarf and beret but this time in much brighter colours – predominately red with orange, yellow, blue and purple.
What I have never understood to this day is why the original appears to be made with an even number of stitches but I had to use an odd number to get the pattern to work out right.
It’s a very easy pattern.
You will need more than 100g of acrylic DK yarn. I bought two and so had enough for some gloves as well.
Cast on 61 stitches (or slightly more or less depending on how big you want it) on 4.5mm (UK 7) circular needles.
Make sure there is no twist then start to knit into the first cast on stitch. (I sometimes do what I have heard suggested which is to cast on an extra stitch and then knit that together with the first one to give a firm join.)
Knit round to the start for the first row.
From now on Repeat (knit1, knit into stitch on row below) until tube is about 30ins (75cm) long.
With the rib looking side on the inside, roll up the last 10in (25cm) outwards to make a soft roll to frame the face and catch into place where the roll joins the tube with shirring elastic. Stitch nice and loosely so it doesn’t interfere with the tube stretching.
And there you have it.
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I also knitted myself a pair of fingerless gloves come mittens to wear for shopping when the weather was wet and cold.
Rainbow Junkie 
Love it! well done 😉
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I bought one of these scarf or hat , but it is made smaller on each end one end as a round tassel , the other end has knitted a loop so when you wear as a scarf you slide the tassel into the loop so it stays on the neck. When used as a hat slide the loop end up through the tube and it makes a hat fold end over for the brim
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Interesting. Mine is a hat and scarf both at the same time. What you are talking about reminds me a bit of the similar’Buff®’ I made – https://rainbowjunkiecorner.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/just-a-bit-of-fun/
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I am going to try making one like I bought at a craft sale. The two ends are smaller knitted with smaller knitting needles the way it looks would be too much to gather all these stitches the size Of the tube. Do you have any ideas. Love hearing from you and seeing your work. Lucille frank Sent from my iPad
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I would have thought the ends being smaller probably involved some sort of decreasing of the k2tog variety.
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Yes they decreased and also used smaller needles. I would think you would use the double pointed needles, I am wondering if a person does all this small knitting and increase until you get about sixty nine stitches then go to the circular needles , then when you have the length you want you would go back to the double needles and this time it would be decrease until you have about the same amount that you did at the beginning. The tube looks like the one you have on Internet. Only open ends. Thanks for listening. Lucille
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Yes most people would use DPNs like you say though I would use circular needles and the magic loop method because I don’t like DPNs. Sounds as if you have the right idea.
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