Note: the instructions in the Symbols in Stithches ebook are recipes. The example shown is only one variation of what you can make.

The Symbols: Small, all-over repeating geometric patterns are the oldest knitting designs found in Lithuania. Squares, stripes, zigzags, chevrons, diagonals, diamonds, lattices, and crosses are all well represented. Some of the designs, especially when used in particular combinations and in certain col- ors, are uniquely Lithuanian, while other patterns are ubiquitous, found wherever stranded-color knitting is made.

Although many designs may seem to be arbitrary or purely abstract, the shapes actually have meaning in the context of Lithuanian folk art dating back to the Stone Age. Similar motifs have been found in ancient ceramics and on bronze jewelry, as well as in wood carvings. Although it’s difficult to determine what preliterate people thought about the art they were making and what meanings they may have assigned to abstract, geometric patterns, and the meanings assigned to various mo- tifs change as religious beliefs and cultural traditions change, I have found several references that explain how some of these symbols may have been used.

The Stitches: To adjust size, CO the desired number of sts based on your gauge and desired circumference.

This pattern is written for 144 sts in the colorwork section. If you are working an all-over pattern around the entire hat,
you can inc a few more or a few less sts after the brim ribbing. In many books from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, the author advises that it is more important to get a proper t than to have a full repeat of the pattern at the end of the round. It is perfectly acceptable to have a visible “seam” at the center back or side.