![Nonna Rosalie's Toque in Nako Vals Lightweight](https://budgetyarnreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NRTPurpleCloseup-768x511.jpg)
Nonna Rosalie’s Toque In Nako Vals Lightweight
Looking for a FREE hat knitting pattern for Nako Vals Lightweight? You’re in luck! Today’s post features my very first self-designed pattern, Nonna Rosalie’s Toque. And I designed it with Vals Lightweight in mind! Find the link to the knitting pattern as well as insights on Nako Vals at the bottom of today’s post.
I don’t want to include too many notes on the pattern today since there will be plenty of those on my pattern page. To keep it concise: Nonna Rosalie’s Toque is a double brim hat with a subtle bow knot texture on the rest of the crown. The pattern has two sizes so you can wear it more like a beanie, or with a bit of a slouch if you prefer.
This project should be easy enough for an advanced beginner — but please, send me your comments and let me know if you think it’s more of an intermediate project!
Yarn Selection: Nako Vals Lightweight vs. Premier Everyday DK
To knit this pattern, you can use any DK or light worsted weight yarn as long as you get gauge. But I have some notes on selecting your yarn.
![](https://budgetyarnreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NonnaRosaliesToqueKnittingPattern3-1024x853.jpg)
First thing to note is that I really wanted a project to put Nako Vals Lightweight to the test. I needed to see how far I could push this yarn. I had already tried another complex pattern that had several K3Tog and the yarn kept splitting terribly. Needless to say I abandoned! So I came up with my own pattern that would give it an odd stitch (K1B) and some K2tog – a more fair test.
I knew the roving look of Vals would make any stitch patterns I chose less defined than it would be with your standard plied yarn. Since I was going for subtle bows, this was actually perfect and I was very pleased with the first hat.
![Nonna Rosalie's Toque Free Knitting Pattern](https://budgetyarnreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NonnaRosaliesToquePurple2-600x525.jpg)
Secondly, I want to point out that I had to choose a drastically different second yarn to test my pattern. I may have made a “mistake” choosing Premier Everyday DK. The standard ply just looks so much prettier than the roving yarn! Subtle was good, but making those bows stand out is even better.
![Bow Knot Stitch Double Brim Hat Knitting Pattern](https://budgetyarnreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NRTPurpleCloseup2-1024x681.jpg)
So to conclude – pick your yarn based on which look you like you like better!
Comments on Nako Vals Lightweight
As promised, I want to give you some more insight into this yarn since it is still being offered dirt cheap at Joanns. My primary takeaways:
- It works up just fine in stockinette with your average increases or decreases. It splits very easily when trying to work complicated stitches such as K3tog.
- Although it feels soft in the skein, it feels very different depending on what gauge it is knit in. The top of the hat is knit in size 7 US and it feels soft and squishy. The brim feels more rough being knit on size 6 US.
- I had to frog the crown decreases several times as I worked out the best way to maintain the pattern texture. Vals generally holds it’s integrity, but it begins to fuzz and melds to itself a bit.
- As you can see from the photos, Vals does develop a halo and that’s good or bad depending on your use. I have a swatch I’m going to start sending through the wash. We’ll see how much more it continues to fuzz. Maintaining a soft halo is good, but starting to look prematurely worn is bad.
If you’re only paying $2.50 a skein for Vals, this still seems to be reasonable behavior for a unique yarn at this price point. But would I pay full price? We’ll see how it performs under a durability test. Stay tuned for the final Nako Vals Lightweight Yarn Review!
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![free hat knitting pattern nonna rosalie's toque](https://budgetyarnreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NonnaRosaliesToqueKnittingPattern2-150x150.jpg)
Nonna Rosalie’s Toque by Ninnah Hart
Get it for free at the link above! I knit this hat in Nako Vals Lightweight and Premier Yarns Everyday DK. But any DK weight yarn will do if you get gauge!