... has begun!
I have made three hats so far (two pictured here - the third is less cute and pretty so I haven't taken a picture just yet). I knit basic 2/2 rib for an inch or so over 60 stitches, then plain stockinette (so knitting every row) alternating yarns in stripes (four rows of the light pink, then two rows white, then four rows dark pink, two white, etc.). I have knitted the flower I used to embelish the "girlie" hat for a few different things, the pattern is in the miscellaneous folder at www.knittingpatterncentral.com. I doubled up the yarn and just backstitched the anchor on the "boyish" hat (although to be fair, I have seen far more anchory anchors than this one... !)
They are tiny so would suit newborns to about 3 months. I'm going to build up a bit of a stock and then try to sell them at work, or maybe on ebay.
Knitting the baby hats made me think about hats in general. So I've cast on for one for me (like I need another hat). This one is a copy of a style of hat that's really in at the moment - ribbed at the bottom then a lace pattern for the body of the hat, which is knit too long so sits quite baggy on the back of the head when you're wearing it. I'm using a lace pattern from the Legendary Cath's sock patterns collection, knitting over 104 stitches in the round. I started off using a circular needle and found myself in all sorts of trouble, messing up the pattern and losing count and it was all just too traumatic, I've changed to DPNs and magically all the problems I was having have disappeared!
I knitted Easter friends :) I'm not sure why I always end up knitting for Easter (I don't have many young children in my family - at present!) but I do, and then find myself handing them out to adults who are always slightly baffled as to why I might have knit them a cute Easter egg cosy. These little guys are about 2 inches high, just big enough to house a Cadburys Creme or Kinder egg (being incredibly middle class and posh, I opted to fill mine with a Galaxy egg to appeal more to the adult palate...)
I have been knitting the chicken for about three years now. I found the pattern at www.knittingpatterncentral.com, and I was going to attach the specific link but I can't find it anywhere... and I'd better not write the pattern here in case I get into trouble!
The bunny, however, I did design myself - no doubt there are a dozen other similar patterns floating around the internet but this one is all mine!
You need:
3.5 mm straight needles
Small quantity white double knitting wool (Acrylic DK Nastiness TM will be fine for this)
Tiny amount pink DK
Tiny amount black DK
Method:
Body:
Cast on 26 stitches.
Rows 1 - 6: K1 P1 across row.
Rows 7 - 16: K across row.
Row 17: Ktog across row (13 stitches)
Rows 18 - 23: K across row.
Row 19: K2tog across row.
Cut yarn leaving a long tail and thread through remaining stitches, knot firmly on the wrong side.
Ears (Make 2):
Cast on 4 stitches.
Knit 9 rows.
Next row: K2tog across row.
Next row: Ktog across row.
Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.
Making up:
Sew down body on the wrong side. Sew ears to head (I weave the yarn which I pulled through the last stitch of the ear down the side of the ear, and then use it to stitch the ear to the head). Embroider nose using pink yarn, and embroider face with black. Simple!
Operation Baby Hat is going well - I have made three hats so far (two excellent ones and one reasonably good one - to be honest the yarn puts me more in mind of socks than hats, so I may knit socks from it next). I shall post the hats next time!
