Hi,
After making the Cozy Critter Cowl, I wanted to make a cap, just by adding decreases at the end. I ended up with two caps, in two different sizes. Here is the larger one. Instructions are below.
Sizes: Small (Large):
My head measurement is rather large (for a girl), at 22.5”, and the larger one fits me generously, the smaller one somewhat snugly.
Using a circular needle (I used 24”), CO 112 stitches.
Using Alpaca With a Twist, “Baby Twist,” and a size 5 needle, I knitted to a gauge of 22 sts over four inches in stockinette, for the mauve size small. I made the large version in black Classic Elite “Inca Alpaca,” with the same gauge and needle.
Place marker and join in the round.
Knit 5 rounds.
Round 6: * K2tog, YO*, repeat to end of round.
Knit 5 rounds.
Round 12: *K2tog, one from the left needle, one from the CO row*, repeat to end of round. [My latest trick is to pick up sixteen of the stitches from the CO row on one dpn, work the Round 12 instructions above for sixteen stitches, then repeat six more times.]
Round 13: Switch to the pattern stitch from the Monkey Socks by CookieA on Knitty.com. I used seven pattern widths around, and three (four) pattern repeats high. I suggest placing markers every 16 stitches, with a different color for the start of the round.
Then, knit another repeat of the Monkey pattern chart (seven times around and one chart high), but omit all the yarnovers. This is the fourth pattern high for the small cap, fifth for the large. At some point in this repeat, you’ll need to switch to dpn’s.
Finally, with 8 stitches left in each pattern width, work your last set of rounds as follows.
Round A: * p3, k2, p3, * repeat to end.
Round B: * p2, k2tog, ssk, p2, * repeat to end.
Round C: * p2, k2, p2, * repeat to end.
Round D: * p1, k2tog, ssk, p1, * repeat to end.
Round E: * p1, k2, p1, * repeat to end.
Round F: * k2tog, ssk, * repeat to end.
With two stitches left per pattern width (14 sts total), cut your yarn about ten inches long. Using a tapestry needle, pass the yarn through all remaining stitches, pull moderately snug, and sew in the tail on the wrong side. Sew in your CO tail, too, if you didn’t already. Block.
Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay
Sizes: Small (Large):
My head measurement is rather large (for a girl), at 22.5”, and the larger one fits me generously, the smaller one somewhat snugly.
Using a circular needle (I used 24”), CO 112 stitches.
Using Alpaca With a Twist, “Baby Twist,” and a size 5 needle, I knitted to a gauge of 22 sts over four inches in stockinette, for the mauve size small. I made the large version in black Classic Elite “Inca Alpaca,” with the same gauge and needle.
Place marker and join in the round.
Knit 5 rounds.
Round 6: * K2tog, YO*, repeat to end of round.
Knit 5 rounds.
Round 12: *K2tog, one from the left needle, one from the CO row*, repeat to end of round. [My latest trick is to pick up sixteen of the stitches from the CO row on one dpn, work the Round 12 instructions above for sixteen stitches, then repeat six more times.]
Round 13: Switch to the pattern stitch from the Monkey Socks by CookieA on Knitty.com. I used seven pattern widths around, and three (four) pattern repeats high. I suggest placing markers every 16 stitches, with a different color for the start of the round.
Then, knit another repeat of the Monkey pattern chart (seven times around and one chart high), but omit all the yarnovers. This is the fourth pattern high for the small cap, fifth for the large. At some point in this repeat, you’ll need to switch to dpn’s.
Finally, with 8 stitches left in each pattern width, work your last set of rounds as follows.
Round A: * p3, k2, p3, * repeat to end.
Round B: * p2, k2tog, ssk, p2, * repeat to end.
Round C: * p2, k2, p2, * repeat to end.
Round D: * p1, k2tog, ssk, p1, * repeat to end.
Round E: * p1, k2, p1, * repeat to end.
Round F: * k2tog, ssk, * repeat to end.
With two stitches left per pattern width (14 sts total), cut your yarn about ten inches long. Using a tapestry needle, pass the yarn through all remaining stitches, pull moderately snug, and sew in the tail on the wrong side. Sew in your CO tail, too, if you didn’t already. Block.
Happy Knitting!
Lisa Kay
Comments
How do you get the little scalloped edging at the very beginning from 5 rows of knit?
Thanks again for your help and suggestions for hats to knit for my mom. They have a "hat tree" at the cancer center she goes to. The patients can take any hat that tickles their fancy.
I just hope I can do the patterns/pictures you've shown me justice! I told my mom to donate any hat I make that she doesn't want, and I want the ones that get donated to get new homes right away! :-D
Vicky
This is because the hat is hemmed. It is called a "picot edge" or "picot hem." I've seen it on sweaters, etc, too. There's a really nice example here: http://www.interweaveknits.com/galleries/bonus/winter-2008/Ropes-Picots-Cardigan.asp It uses the picot him at the bottom, the neck, the cuffs, and the front band! It also has a lighter thread used for the CO and first six hem rows, in order to reduce bulk in the hem.
Basic Picot edge:
CO.
Knit five (or sometimes six rows, etc. depending on the desired depth of the hem.) These rows are the "hem" and will be inside the garment.
Next row, [K2tog,YO] repeat to last st. (There may be an extra k1 at the end, if not in the round.) This is the "turning edge" of the hem. When folded, it makes the points.
Then knit five rows (or however many you knitted in the first step). These rows are on the outside of the garment, and are going to be a double layer of fabric.
Then, you can either:
1. On the next row, k2tog one st from the CO and one st from the needle. (This "sews" the hem.)
OR
2. Work the body of the garment/hat whatever, and then go back and "sew" the hem. That's a drag, though. If you do the "picot" hem on a garment at the *end* instead of the beginning, then you *have* to sew it down instead of doing the k2tog thing. You can see that done here. http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring08/PATTposey.html
Doing the k2tog row with the cast on row works better if you did a "provisional cast on." The first time I made the cozy critter hat, I did a normal CO. It was hard to k2tog with the CO, that way, because there are several threads in each CO st, and it is easy to get the hem sewn crooked that way.
The best provisional CO instruction I know (the one I use) is here: http://rosemarygoround.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-it-monday-already.html