Homelands Hat

The beautiful banded rugs of Navajo weavers inspired this design. Banded rugs are known for their stripes and repeats of simple designs. I appreciate the simplicity of the stripes and repeating motifs, as other rugs can be very busy and full of complicated patterns—but no less beautiful! The yarn used in these weavings is often dyed with vegetal (plant) dyes and is often full of yellows and natural wool colors. I wove a few banded rugs and found them to be quite challenging to complete. Keeping track of each shape in the row can sometimes be confusing. I corrected mistakes often as I learned this process. In the end, I appreciated the flow of the bands as they repeated themselves throughout the rug.

Diamonds in Navajo weaving can mean different things, but I like the idea of them representing the land that is Navajo country. There are four mountains that surround the Navajo Nation, one in each cardinal direction, which can be seen as a diamond shape. I think of these diamonds as a way to remind ourselves and others that there is a homeland for the Navajo people that is very important (the repeating patterns emphasize that), and this homeland still exists today. This land is also where my heart is, as I love my homeland and like to create designs that remind me of where I come from.

I designed this hat keeping all of these things in mind and represented them visually. The diamonds are symmetrical around the hat, like most Navajo banded rugs. The colors are highly contrasting to help bring the diamonds out. I also enjoyed the simplicity of creating this design with one single motif.

MATERIALS
Yarn Peace Fleece Worsted Weight (50% Navajo Rambouillet, 30% domestic fine wool, 20% Mohair; 200 yd [183 m]/4 oz [113 g]); Sakhalin Salmon (MC), Bonnie Blue Gap (CC1), and Lily Pad (CC2), 1 skein each. Note: This is enough yarn to make 3 hats if you rotate the colors around. You may also make this hat with two colors and use the first color in place of the third.

Needles Size 6 (4.0 mm) and size 7 (4.5 mm) 16" circular (cir); size 7 (4.5 mm) dpn(s) or long cir needles for magic loop. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions Marker (m); 11 markers of a different style or color for pattern repeats (optional); tapestry needle.

Gauge 19 sts and 23 rnds = about 4" (10 cm) in pattern, blocked. 20 sts and 24 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st.

Finished Size 20" (51 cm) circumference and 9" (23 cm) tall.

Tressa Weidenaar is a Navajo knitwear designer and lives in Gallup, New Mexico, with her husband and two children. She knits, weaves, and creates with whatever materials are available. She has had designs published in Taproot Magazine, Making GIFTS, and PomPom Quarterly. She can be found on Instagram @tsinbikee and Ravelry as Tsinbikeeknits.