Hats for Israeli soldiers

One of my projects this year is knitting hats for Israeli soldiers. You can read all about the project here and here.

It's easy for people in countries like Australia to condemn what is happening in the Middle East but without going into history, politics, etc the situation is a hell of a lot more complex than most people in the West appreciate. Everyone wants to be able to point to a "goodie" and "baddie" side but life doesn't always work like that. I don't want to turn this into a political blog, but this article is worth reading.

Like many Jews around the world I felt helpless and distressed when the latest conflict erupted. The mere existence of Israel means Jews around the world are in a better position today than 100 years ago. The vast majority of Jews in Israel do 2-3 years compulsory army service and are in the reserves for life - whatever their personal politics. What could someone living on the other end of the earth do? And then I read about the Hats for Israeli soldiers project.

I know (see previous post) that one can't buy hats like I can make. I know a hand-knitted pure wool hat provides physical and emotional support that no mass-produced hat from China can reproduce. And thanks to Channah Koppel, the founder of the hats for Israel project, I know how to knit a hat that meets both the soldiers' and IDF's requirements and how to send it to them.

The only problem is that the official pattern calls for 10-ply (worsted weight) pure black yarn which is not widely available in Australia. I have tweaked the pattern for the more easily available 8-ply and 12-ply yarns. While Channah says pure wool is not mandatory, I firmly believe there is no point knitting with acrylic yarn. You won't enjoy the knitting as much and the soldier won't get the warmth and water-resistant benefits of a pure-wool hat. And Australia produces some of the best and most reasonably-priced yarn in the world - one can buy a huge 200 gram ball of 8 or 12-ply Australian made and spun wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills for just $11.20. This is enough for 2 hats out of just one ball of 8-ply yarn (or 5 hats out of 3 balls of 12-ply yarn). Or buy what you enjoy knitting. Cleckheaton Merino Supreme is sublime but unfortunately has been discontinued - I'm knitting it from my stash.

The only caveats are that the yarn must be machine washable (so it doesn't felt when washed) and it must be black, and the hat must be knitted according to the official pattern.

The 8-ply pattern uses less than 100 grams of yarn, making it a cheaper (but slower) knit. The 12-ply pattern uses about 120 grams of yarn making it a faster (but more expensive) knit.

8-ply hat
Use 4mm 40cm circular needle and/or double-pointed needles (3.75mm if you are a loose knitter, 4.5mm if you are a tight knitter).
Loosely cast on 112 stitches. Join work, place marker and work in K2 P2 rib until work measures 9.5 inches/24 cm

Shape crown
(Here you begin a series of decrease rounds. When you find the hat getting too small to work on the circular needle, switch to double-pointed needles.)
Round 1: K2, P2tog to end of round (84 stitches remain)
Round 2: K2, P1 to end of round
Round 3: K2tog, P1 to end of round (56 stitches remain)
Round 4: K1, P1 to end of round
Round 5: K2tog to end of round (28 stitches remaining)
Round 6: Knit
Round 7: K2tog to end of round (14 stitches remaining)
Round 8: K5, K2tog twice (12 stitches remaining)
Round 9: K2tog to end of round (6 stitches remaining)

Break yarn, leaving a 6-inch/15cm length. With a tapestry needle, thread the yarn though the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight. Weave in the ends. Wash and dry your hat and mail it to: Channah Koppel, POB 3081, Efrat 90435 Israel.

12-ply hat
Use 6mm 40cm circular needle and/or double-pointed needles (5.5mm if you are a loose knitter, 6.5mm if you are a tight knitter).
Loosely cast on 84 stitches. Join work, place marker and work in K2 P2 rib until work measures 9.5 inches/24 cm

Shape crown
(Here you begin a series of decrease rounds. When you find the hat getting too small to work on the circular needle, switch to double-pointed needles.)
Round 1: K2, P2tog to end of round (63 stitches remain)
Round 2: K2, P1 to end of round
Round 3: K2tog, P1 to end of round (42 stitches remain)
Round 4: K1, P1 to end of round
Round 5: K2tog to end of round (21 stitches remaining)
Round 6: Knit
Round 7: K2tog, K1 to end of round (14 stitches remaining)
Round 8: K5, K2tog twice (12 stitches remaining)
Round 9: K2tog to end of round (6 stitches remaining)

Break yarn, leaving a 6-inch/15cm length. With a tapestry needle, thread the yarn though the remaining 6 stitches and pull tight. Weave in the ends. Wash and dry your hat and mail it to: Channah Koppel, POB 3081, Efrat 90435 Israel.