kuma baby...

lots of new yarns at my favorite yarn shop this month...

KUMA, below, is so new that, as of yesterday, there were NO Ravelry projects in which it was used...

imagine...

the colorway, "emerald", just begged to come home with me...

it is a handsome, sylvan green that puts me in mind of 

robin hood and peter pan and else beskow and 

just begs to be made into something

cute and woodsy...

so...

a pixie hat it became!

...with a leaf

...and a rolled brim

a charming little topper for baby

that is very quick to make

and oh-so-warm

materials

1-skein KUMA (55% Wool, 45% Acrylic with approx 148 yards per 100g) 

set US10.5/6.5mm dpn's

darning needle

gauge

3.5 stitches per inch over stockinette in the round                            

sizes

newborn  11.5"

baby     17.25"

Cast on 40(60) stitches(I use the long-tail method).  Join 

work (without twisting, of course) and knit, in the round, for approximately 4 (5) inches. 

begin crown decreases:

Round 1:  Knit 6 (10), k2tog; repeat to end of round... 35 (55) stitches remain.

Rounds 2:  Knit.

Round 3:  Knit 5 (9), k2tog; repeat to end...40 (50) stitches remain.

Round 4 :  Knit.

Round 5:  Knit 4 (8), knit 2 together;  repeat to end...35 (45) stitches remain.

Continue decreasing this way, 5 stitches every other round, until 5 stitches remain on the needles.

Knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 2 together...3 stitches remain.

Knit these 3 stitches in i-cord (stitch diva has a good tutorial online) for an inch-or-two. Make leaf (below), or, with your tapestry needle, pull yarn through the 3 stitches and thread to the inside of the  i-cord.  Leave cord as is, knot it, add a "lazy knitter's tassel"(below).

lazy knitter's tassel:

Thread a darning needle with several strands of yarn, each about 12" long.  Pull through the end of the i-cord stem halfway, then knot.  Clip ends.  Click here for a photo.

leaf: 

Knit in the front and the back of each of the three remaining stitches—6 stitches.  Put three stitches on a second dpn.  Work in the round, on just the two needles, as follows:

Round 1:  K1, yo, k1, yo, k1 on first needle.  Repeat on second needle—10 stitches.

Round 2:  knit

Round 3:  K2, yo, k1, yo, k1.  Repeat on second needle—14 stitches remain.

Rounds 4 & 5:  Knit

Round 6:  K1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1.  Repeat on second needle—10 stitches remain.

Round 7:  Knit

Round 8:  Ssk, K1, k2tog.  Repeat on second needle—6 stitches remain.

Round 9:  Slip 2 together knitwise, K1, pass slipped stitches together over the K1.  Repeat on second side.

Break yarn.  Pull through remaining two stitches and bring to inside of leaf, down through the i-cord.  Tack down on inside of hat.  A big thank you to fellow knitter “Hinke” for the inspiration for this leaf!  Find her at sudsandsoda.com.

                  et voilà!!!

this pattern has not been test-knit

if you find any mistakes, or have any questions, please contact me at pwaknits@gmail.com

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