strawberries and chocolate...

In an effort to hone my pattern-writing skills--and to share my love of knitting with all of you--I have decided to offer a free pattern EVERY MONTH this year...the patterns will be simple and fun, most of them perfect for beginners and all of them, I hope, will be enjoyable, quick knits.  So...here is my March entry...an homage to my two March babies (who are no longer babies, I might add...). 

© 2010 pamela w allen designs

chocolate strawberry stripes

                                                                
This is an easy knit, and lots of fun--so many possible color combinations!  I offer the hat in three sizes—one for baby (12”), one for child/small adult (15.5”), and one for an adult (20.25”).  If done in wool, it will stretch about 3".  The hat pictured was done in Nashua Creative Focus worsted, but you could use any worsted weight wool from your stash...in fact, this is a great stash-buster! 

gauge:
4.5 stitches and 7 rows per inch (or per 2.5 cm)


materials:
Nashua Creative Focus Worsted (or any lovely worsted weight wool)—one skein each of color A (lt. pink), B (fuchsia), C (espresso)
1-size US7 / 4.5mm circular
1-set of size US7 / 4.5mm dpn’s
darning needle and sharp embroidery needle (if adding stars)


stripe sequence:
knit 3 rounds C
knit 3 rounds A
repeat twice for baby, 3 times for child, 4 times for adult…end stripes with three rounds C.


HERE'S HOW TO DO IT...


With your circular needle and color A, cast on 56 (77, 91). Join the work (make sure it isn’t twisted!) and knit for ¾” (1, 1).

band:
Rnd. 1: Knit with color B
Rnd 2 & 3: Purl with color B
Rnd 4, 5, 6: Knit with color C
Rnd 7: Knit with B
Rnd 8: Purl with color B

Now, with color A, knit around and around for about 2 (3, 4) inches. This is a good time to try the hat on, if possible, and adjust for length. Knit one round and purl two rounds with color B, making a ridge.

crown:
Let the stripes begin! Knit the stripe sequence, as above. At the same time you will be shaping the crown thus:
Begin decreasing on the second row of the first round of color A-- *knit 6 (9, 11), K2tog repeating from the * seven times. You will have 49 (70, 84) stitches remaining. Continue decreasing in this way—seven stitches evenly around—every other row until you have 21 stitches remaining, then decrease every row. When you have finished the last stripe of color C, pick up color B and knit k2tog until you have 4 stitches. Knit these four stitches in i-cord for about ½ inch (or longer if you wish—it is really cute with a knot on top!). Pull yarn through these four stitches and through the i-cord to the reverse side. Tack down well. Weave in all ends (unless you did that as you were knitting...there is an excellent tutorial on this method by fellow Raveler Cailyn Meyer HERE) and wet block.  Embellish if desired.

Et voilà

© 2010 pamela w allen designs I am happy to share this pattern with knitters. It may be used for non-commercial personal or charity knitting. It is not to be used in any publication, nor should it be reproduced in electronic/digital format without written permission.     



         

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