20 February 2012

perfectly simple...and free!


simplicity...

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”


...even in baby hats


today i offer you 
supreme excellence
in a baby hat...

delightfully simple,
versatile,
and easy to fit...


this cap has a stretchy, ribbed band
that can be folded up,
or worn pulled down over baby's ears...

its crown comes to a
jaunty little point...

it looks great in any color...

can be embellished if you wish...


and the pattern is perfectly free...





a perfectly simple baby hat...
by pamela w allen


materials:
  • 1-skein of dk or worsted yarn, preferably one with a good memory and stitch definition (I used classic elite's wool bam boo on the hat above--it is simply luscious knit in cashmere or merino!)
  • 1-16" circular, size 6/4mm
  • 1 set of size 6/4mm dpn's
  • darning needle
gauge:  

5 stitches per inch in stockinette

size:  

baby/toddler (the ribbing measures 5-5.5", flat, and stretches quite a bit)...this hat is easily adjusted to fit anyone (see my notes below)!

how to:

With the circular (or set of dpn's, if you wish), cast on 68 stitches--think of it as 17 groups of 4--with your preferred method (I use long-tail).  Join and work in k2, p2 rib for 2" (or more, if you wish).  

The next round you will knit, increasing every fourth stitch, thus:
K4, M1 (I use the backward loop method) to end--85 (17x5) stitches.  

Work in stockinette stitch, until the hat measures about 4 inches.

Now you will begin shaping the crown by decreasing five stitches every other round:
  1. *K15, K2tog, repeat from* to end--80 stitches.
  2. Knit the round.
  3. *K14, K2tog, repeat from* to end--75 stitches.
  4. Knit the round.
Continue in this way, decreasing every other round, changing to dpn's when necessary, until you have five stitches left on your needles.  Decrease one more stitch and work the remaining 4 stitches in i-cord for an inch-or-so.  Break yarn and pull it through the remaining stitches with your darning needle.  Darn in end at ribbing.
Block flat using steam and a press cloth, being careful not to stretch the ribbing.


et voilà!




as you see, this pattern is very easy to size up or down, or to adjust to different weights of yarn...just remember to cast on in multiples of four for the ribbing, and increase to multiples of five for the body!  also, this hat is perfect when unadorned, but it does lend itself well to stripes and other decorations (like the star and button on the hat pictured)...enjoy!!!



© 2012 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 reproduced in electronic/digital format without written permission.

19 February 2012

yellow and green...



the daffodils are blooming, here on the mendocino coast...



their jovial yellow faces make me smile


and even their green foliage


delights me...



yellow and green
nature knows best

07 February 2012

mr. dickens...

born 200 years ago today...
charles dickens


the writer who brought us
such memorable characters
as the infamous tricoteuse
madame defarge


mr. dickens has been a favorite of mine for most of my life... 
I have read every one of his novels (as well as many of his stories) and enjoy returning to the most beloved ones again and again...

he was a master at developing absolutely unforgettable characters

characters that have, to quote philip womack,
 "permeated the collective imagination"
and have been
knit into the fabric of my memories

happy birthday, mr. dickens


01 February 2012

her tangledness...

fanfare please...



announcing...


"her tangledness"
anne

 the princess of woolly tangles

 and

her far-to-tidy lady-in-waiting
mary
of america's knitting



anne was the only tangled knitter
brave enough to come forth
and show her chaos
to the world



 everyone who participated

did I miss anyone?

will receive a copy
of the beach sweater pattern
coming soon...i swear...vi giuro!

thanks for participating!!!

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