More Festiveness

While I haven't been blogging much lately, I have been frantically trying to finish up several homemade gifts. I haven't even got my Christmas tree up yet, but I did manage to finish this little guy last night.

The pattern, Knit Father Christmas, is a freebie at Knitting Daily. It was a great use of some leftover yarn, the pattern is well written, and it came together relatively quickly.

Back to the workshop - two more gifts to go. Do you think Santa could spare an elf or two to rent out?

A Christmas Treat

I'm crawling out from under a large pile of Christmas knitting to share a little pattern I whipped up recently. I made this hat for my nephew's birthday. He loves hats, and last Christmas he wore a cheap felt Santa hat indoors and out, and even to bed, until sometime in March. In need of a more sturdy replacement (the old one was toast), I made him this one, with a bit of extra padding to keep his ears warm outside, and in a washable wool-acrylic blend to please his mom. I've since had a request for an infant version, and I was happy to oblige. Both sizes are included here.

I hope to have a prettier pdf version available on Ravelry, eventually, and I may size it up for adults too. Although, you'll note that for a four-year-old my nephew has quite a large noggin, so the child size may fit adults with heads on the smaller end of the scale.

Enjoy!

Santa Hat

Finished hat, infant size.

Size: Infant: Finished circumference of unstretched ribbed band is approximately 12”.

Child: child. Finished circumference of unstretched ribbed band is approximately 16”.

Instructions are given for infant size, with necessary changes for child size given in parentheses.

Materials:

Yarn: Infant size: approximately 50 g each of red and white worsted weight yarn

Child size: 100 g each of red and white worsted weight yarn

(Samples shown were knit from Patons Décor)

Set of 5, 4 mm double pointed needles (infant size), or 4 mm 16” circular needle (child size), or needle size required to get gauge

Spare 3.5 mm or 4 mm circular needle, 16” or longer

Stitch marker.

Set of pom-pom maker rings

Gauge: 21 st and 14 rows = 4” (Row gauge is not essential.)

Finished hat, child size.

Directions:

Using a provisional crochet cast-on, CO 68 (92) st with white yarn on 4mm dpns or circular needle. Place a stitch marker to mark start of row, and begin working in the round.

Round 1: K 1 row.

Round 2: K2 P2 around.

Repeat Row 2 ribbing until work is 1.75” (2”) long.

Next round: Increase 7 (8) stitches evenly around. 75 (100) st. total.

Change to red.

Work even in stockinette st for 4” (4.5”). Work from beginning should measure 6” (6.5”).

Begin decreasing as follows:

For infant size:

[K23, K2tog] 3 times. 72 st.

Knit 6 rounds even.

[K7, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 64 st.

Knit 6 rounds even.

[K6, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 56 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K5, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 48 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K4, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 40 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K3, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 32 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K2, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 24 st.

Knit 5 rounds even.

[K1, K2tog] repeat 7 times. 16 st.

Knit 5 rounds even.

[K2tog] 8 times. 8 st.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining stitches, draw together, and fasten off.

For child size:

[K18, K2tog] repeat 4 times. 95 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K8, K2tog, K9] repeat 4 times. 90 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K16, K2tog] repeat 4 times. 85 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K8, K2tog, K7] repeat 4 times. 80 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K6, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 70 st.

Knit 9 rows even.

[K5, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 60 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K4, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 50 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K3, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 40 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K2, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 30 st.

Knit 9 rounds even.

[K1, K2tog] repeat 9 times. 20 st.

Knit 7 rounds even.

[K2tog] 9 times. 10 st.

Knit 2 rounds even.

[K2tog] 5 times. 5 st.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining stitches, draw together, and fasten off.

To complete rolled band:

“Unzip” the provisional cast-on and place live stitches on circular needle or dpns. Turn hat inside out – you will now work with the inside of the hat facing. Join white, and place stitch marker to mark beginning of round.

Purl one round.

Knit one round.

Next round: Knit, increasing 7 (8) stitches evenly around. 75 (100) st.

Continue in stockinette st (K every row) for 14 (20) rounds.

Purl one round to create fold line.

Knit one round.

Next round: knit, decreasing 7 (8) stitches evenly around. 68 (92) st.

Continue in stockinette st (K every row) for 13 (17) rounds.

To join folded band:

Turn hat right-side out. Using spare circular needle, and with outside of hat facing, pick up loops from wrong side of first knit row, immediately below the ribbed band. 68 (92) picked up sts. Fold stockinette band in half, with needle containing live stitches positioned above the needle(s) containing picked-up stitches. Hold both of these needles together in your left hand. Using the end of one circular needle, or a spare dpn, work around as follows: [Insert working needle into one stitch from upper needle and one stitch from lower needle. Knit the two together.] Repeat. Cast off one stitch from right-hand needle. Continue in this manner, knitting the two layers together and casting off loosely at the same time, around.

Block if necessary, weave in ends, and fold up band of hat.

Detail of finished band, shown rolled down. Final cast-off edge is directly below the ribbing.