Baby Elf Hat on the standard gauge machine

 

I wanted to give this hat pattern a Norwegian name.  So, I tried the Google translation service  for English to Norwegian and here are some suggestions.  Not sure which would be most true.

Maybe a Norwegian speaking person could help me out.

Anyway, here’s my first attempt at a 3-6 month hat.  Pretty cute. The size seems ok, but I don’t have a baby to try it on. So this is my best guess. Will be donated, so size isn’t crucial right now. Finished dimensions (including ribs) are width at tip 6”, width above ribbing 5”, top to bottom of the neck 6”.

Yarn: from my stash, acrylic. Use something that gets close to this gauge. Mine had no label.

Machine:  standard gauge with ribber

Gauge for stockinette:  31 st = 4” and 37 rows = 4”  @T 7.  Kinda weird, I know but close is ok I would think. 

Directions:

Overview… (knit from front of face to back of head)

1.     75 needles 1 x 1 rib.  Do Susan Gualiumi’s nifty cast on for rib.  My new bestie because it lies perfectly flat, no flare, but is still stretchy.

 Use the manual’s cast on with waste yarn, (zig zag row) insert rib comb, add one barrel weight in the middle,  do 3 rows circular, cancel circular and knit about 1” of rib with this waste yarn.  Tension doesn’t matter so much here. Change back to circular and k the last 2 rows with ravel cord.  Snip waste yarn and ravel cord. It’s ok if you forget to switch to ravel cord, but it’s harder to remove at the end than it is when you use ravel cord. 

2.     Main part.  With main yarn, T6/6 do the manual’s cast on again and knit  12 rows ribbing.

3.    Change to regular sinker plate and transfer rib stitches to main bed.  Knit stockinette at T7 to RC 38, which should be about  5”.

4.    Begin short rowing so that you get the elvish point at the back of the head. Important to weight the knitting so the stitches don't pop off.  Set machine to hold.   *CAR put 7 N in hold at the left of the knitting. Knit across, wrap the end st so you don’t get a hole.  Put 7 needles on right in hold.  Knit across to the right and wrap the end st.* Continue from * to * until you have 5 stitches left in work.  Put 2 in hold, knit across and wrap, put two on right in hold, knit to the right. 

5.    Put all stitches back in work (or just undo the hold setting) and knit 2 rows.  Bind off.

6.     Stitch the back of the head seam by hand.

7.    Bottom neck ribbing.  With the wrong side of the knitting facing you, stretch out the bottom of the hat to pick up 70 stitches.  Try to pick up in the ditch between stitches at the same place across.  Knit 2 rows stockinette at T 10.

8.    Change sinker plate to rib, transfer every other stitch to ribber.  At T 6/6, rib 12 rows.  Transfer rib stitches to main bed and bind off with your favorite bind off technique.  On this one I did around the gate pegs. 

9.    I cord Straps:  I know some object to ties, but many babies do live after having had their hats tied under their chins, so I’m going with it.  If you have another method, have at it.

Pick up 4 stitches at the bottom corner of one front.  Set carriage to slip one way, knit the other.  (Brother, one part button.) At T 9 knit 150 rows and bind off.  Same for other side.  Hide yarn ends and tie a knot at the ends of the ties.

Remove the waste yarn.  There are a few yarn ends to hide. I did not steam the hat to block it, but you may want to.

Notes: You may also want to add a tassel or a pompom to the point of the hat and to the I cord ends.  A fairisle pattern would be nice too.  Because the seam at the back of the head can be bulky, next time I will take the top off on waste yarn and kitchener stitch the seam shut. This is an easy knit and a good way to practice short rowing if you are not used to doing that technique.  I wouldn't say this is a fast knit because of the transfers between beds, but worth it, I think. If you don't have a ribber, a hung hem would do.

Educats and Edudogs

 Thank you for the interest in the Educat and Edudog blanket patterns.  They are available for purchase using PayPal for $10.00 each.  My label there is marsmachineknitting.  You need to have DAK (any version) and an electronic machine to download to.  I do also have a hand knitting version.

The blanket is lined as you go and the edges are bound with multi-color Icord. I have made mine with acrylic so they would be easily washable.  Any yarn that works with your machine is ok as long as the different colors are the same weight.  I think the blanket would be ok to do on a garter carriage for the front, although I personally don't have the patience.  The idea is like an "I spy" quilt where you have the child find the cat who is sad or the dog that looks like Harry Potter, etc.

If you wish to purchase, just email me with the address you'd like the pattern to be emailed to and I will send you an invoice.

Thanks again.  If questions, just email me.

Super warm hat for winter

Having a hard time motivating myself to knit these days.  Ironic since I do have all the time in the world staying home, hiding from the pandemic.  But, thought I would try a hat for my son.  Winter is coming, for sure. If you want to follow this pattern, you'll need to use a ribber.  Maybe you could do a mock rib for the cuff, but I don't know how that would look, haven't tried it.

This one is extra super warm because it's doubled.  Measurements are about 21" around and 9" tall with the rib folded.  If a person wanted a slouch-look, you wouldn't have to fold the cuff.  This is an adult sized hat, so if you need a different size, you'll have to adjust stitches and rows.

 My gauge with Tamm Sport was 7 stitches and 9 rows to one inch.

*I started with waste yarn, every other needle, over 148 needles. Knit about an inch then changed to the main yarn.  (No need to cast on, just knit right over the waste yarn.) 

*Knit one row with the eon arrangement then bring all needles to work.  

*Knit 100 rows of the stockinette, then transfer to 1 x 1 rib.  

*Knit 60 rows rib, then transfer back to stockinette. 

* Knit 99 rows so that the carriage ends up on the left.  

*Transfer to every other needle, knit one row left to right. Leave a long tail of the main yarn.  

*Take off on about an inch of waste yarn, still in the eon arrangement.

* Fold the hat in half so the two ends meet and hand sew the stitches together.  Remove waste yarn and cinch the stitches as tight as you can.  

*Then seam the side with a mattress stitch outside and inside.

I made two I cords for the top, not a pom pom, because my son doesn't like pom poms.  They are 5 stitches wide and 80 rows long.  (With I cord, the knitting is really only 40 rows long.) I stuffed the two ends into the hole at the top, which conveniently closes it up.  secured the ends on the inside.  Then I tied a knot on the outside top. (You can kind of see it in the picture.) Both ends also have a knot.  Actually I do like pom poms.  One would cover the top hole nicely too.

I would not say this is a quick-to-knit hat because of the transferring of stitches.  However, some acrylic yarns if used single layer are not warm enough in our climate, so the doubled ones are better.  If you wanted, you could put a fairisle pattern on the top half.