Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Ear flap hats


BABY/TODDLER EARFLAP HAT PATTERN

Size: approx 6-18 mo (2-3 years)
Yarn: 6-18 mo size: For boy: Lana Grossa Easy Prints, color olive, dark gray, cream mix, (100% merino wool), bulky weight, 55 yards per 50 gram skein For girl: Lion Brand Landscapes, color Rose Garden, (50% acrylic, 50% wool), super bulky weight, 55 yards/7.75 oz per skein. 2-4 year size, Lornas Laces Shepherd Worsted (three strands held together), color Lakeview, (100% wool), worsted weight, 225 yards per 114 gram skein
Quantity: about 1.5 skeins of the bulky weight (I think) and 1 skein of the worsted weight (cut into thirds and three stands held together). (note: I could have used a smidge more of the worsted, and made my ties shorter, to compensate).
Needles: Clover Bamboo 16” circular size 10 and dpn size 10 and 7
Gauge: 3 st/inch
Started/finished: Approximately three hours to knit this hat
Washing Instructions: Hand wash and lay flat to dry (the Easy Print yarn is machine washable, but when I did that with my first hat, the pom-pom semi-felted into a ball – okay if it is the look you want)

Note: directions given first are for the boy version, girl version follow in [brackets]. directions for smaller size are also given first, followed by the larger size in (italics)

Also, please note that I am pretty sure my daughter has a smallish head. You might need to add more length before starting the decreases. Knit hat body:

Using long-tail cast on method, cast on 50 st (60 stitches)
Place a marker and join, being careful not to twist the stitches
Knit ¾” (1”) garter [seed] stitch.
Switch to stockinette stitch (knit every round) and knit even until hat measures 3 ¾” (4”) from cast on edge.
*Knit 8 stitches, k2tog*, continue to end of row
Knit 1 row even
*Knit 7 stitches, k2tog*, continue to end of row (you will probably need to switch to size 10 dpn at this point)
Knit 1 row even
*Knit 6 stitches, k2tog*, continue to end of row
Knit 1 row even
*Knit 5 stitches, k2tog*, continue to end of row
Knit 1 row even
*Knit 4 stitches, k2tog*, continue to end of row
Knit 1 row even
*Knit 3 stitches, k2tog*, continue to end of row
Knit 1 row even
use darning needle to weave yarn end through the live stitches and pull tight
make a pom-pom, attach to top of hat and weave in all ends
Add earflaps:

Fold hat in half and place a removable marker at the halfway points at the cast on edge.
You can either place the earflaps an equal distance apart, or you can place them slightly closer together on one side so there is a more clear “front” and “back”. To make them off center: count 4 stitches over from one marker and pick up 12 (14) stitches. If picking up stitches on a garter stitch border, pick up from the outside of the hat (put your needles in from the outside and pull the yarn through from the inside), and pick up slightly above the cast on edge (about a stitch higher than you normally would pick up from). [If picking up from a seed stitch border, pick up from the INSIDE of the hat.] These tricks will help make a more uniform look at the attachment point of the earflap.
knit 2 (3) rows even [or knit seed stitch for 2 (3) rows even]
k 2tog, k8 (10) st, k2tog [remember to knit in seed stitch, if necessary]
k even [or knit seed stitch]
k2tog, k6 (8) st, k2tog [remember to knit in seed stitch, if necessary]
k even [or knit seed stitch]
k2tog, k4 (6), k2tog [remember to knit in seed stitch, if necessary]
k2tob, k2 (4), k2tog [remember to knit in seed stitch, if necessary]
k2tog, (k2) k2tog, [remember to knit in seed stitch, if necessary] 2 (4) st left at end of this row. For smaller size only, skip to step 12.
For larger size only: k2tog, k2tog. 2 stitches left at end of this row.
switch to size 7 dpn and knit 10 inches of I-cord
bind off
Repeat steps 1-12 on the other side of the hat, remembering to place the earflap slightly off-center (if you did so on the first side).
weave in all ends.

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