Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Jewel (Free Baby Hat Knitting Pattern)



My obsession with knitting baby garments continues. Today, it's a hat, and because I design baby garments faster than I can produce babies to wear them, you are getting a picture of the hat alone! To knit Jewel, I used SockPixie's Yarns Cornucopia, and Emerald Sea.
Jewel is a simple baby hat. It takes advantage of the fun verstility of mitered/modular squares. The squares gave me the opportunity to play with color, while adding an interesting border to the hat. Mitered squares are also great practice for picking up stitches, in a non overwhelming way!
The two colors have a jewel like quality, in particular when placed against eachother.
This hat fits a Newborn to 3 month old, and the size can easily be adapted by adding or knitting 2 squares less, and at the time of picking up stitches to build the body of the hat, the number of stitches picked should be adjusted in multiples of 10, keeping the decreases intact. You will aslo have to increase the height of the hat.

Materials: SockPixie's Sock Yarn , 1 Emerald Sea, 1 Cornucopia
Needles:US 3 16" circular, US 3 dpts
Gauge: 7sts/inch in st st

The mitered square border is worked first. You will alternate colors for the squares, (one emerald, one cornucopia, etc...)

Mitered square recipe:

SQ1: Cast on 16 stitches with emerald
R1: K6, K2tog, k2tog, K6
R2: Knit
R3: K5, k2tog,K2tog, K5
R4: Knit
R5: K4, K2tog, K2tog, K4
R6: Knit
R7: K3, K2tog, K2tog, K3
R8: Knit
R9: K2, K2tog, K2tog, K2
R10: Knit
R11: K1, K2tog, K2tog, K1
R12: Knit
R13: K2tog twice
R14: K2tog

For the second square, leave the stitch on the needle, cut emerald yarn, and reattach cornucopia. While looking at the front of your work, pick up and knit 8 stitches along the left side of the diamond, then using the knitted cast on, cast on 9. You will now be on the wrong side of the work: K2tog, knit till last 2 stitches, K2tog.
You can now repeat R1 -R14 of square 1.

Make 10 squares.
When you finish the 10th square, break off yarn, and pass it through the last stitch to stop your work.

Body:

Seam the band to make a ring. Now looking at the front side of your work, and starting from the seam, pick up and knit 90 stitches. Join round. Choose the less flattering edge to pick the stitches from, the prettier one will be the edge of your hat.
Alternating Cornucopia and Emerald, knit 2 rows of each ( or be wild!). To prevent the jagged edge you can use the following techniqe . Continue alternating colors, in stockinette until the stockinette section measures 2" not including the band.

Crown Decreases:

Switch to dpts as soon as you feel the stitches getting tight.
R1: *K8, K2tog* Repeat from * to *
R2: Knit
R3: Knit
R4: *K7, K2tog* Repeat from *
R5: Knit
R6: knit
R7: *K6, K2tog* Repeat from *
R8: Knit
R9: knit
R10: *K5, K2tog* Repeat from *
R11: Knit
R12: knit
R13: *K4, K2tog* Repeat from *
R14: Knit
R15: knit
R16: *K3, K2tog* Repeat from *
R17: Knit
R18: knit
R19: *K2, K2tog* Repeat from *
R20: Knit
R21: knit
R22: *K1, K2tog* Repeat from *
R23: *k2tog* Repeat from *

Break yarn and gather remaining stitches. Weave in all ends.


For personal use only. Copyright, Caroline Dlugy-Hegwer. 2007.

16 comments:

drmimi said...

I am jumping with excitement! The patterns are fabulous. But what makes me the most happiest is that Caroline and Alexandra are selling yarn. I cannot wait for the worsted weights, cottons and bamboo yarns.

On another note. The Yayayarndivas are moving to the Apple Box Cafe in Petaluma starting this week. The Apple Box is located at 2nd and B street in the Petaluma Mill Building. Now we can have groups meeting outside or inside in a setting that is more yarn friendly. Groups are now Saturdays from 12:30-3, Tuesdays from 2:30-5. A new group is starting from 11-1 on Sundays so the Snap diva can come. The soccer schedule keeps me busy on most Saturdays.

Lovin' the new patterns!

Hugs,

Mimi

Anonymous said...

Dear Mimi,

It is always so nice to read your posts. The knitting community is really hopping in Petaluma!
I have lots of plans for new yarns. Alexandra, and I are having such a great time, and our heads are overflowing with ideas for colors, patterns , etc...

Hugs,
Caroline, the SockPixie

Tracy Batchelder said...

This is the perfect project for trying out mitered squares. I've got to try it. My to-knit list is growing by leaps and bounds since I found your blog.

Anonymous said...

Dear WoolWinder,

Thank you for the post. That's a fun project that would do really well for the Premie Project.

Caroline, the SockPixie

Anonymous said...

Hi Caroline!

I am very excited about your new yarn venture - the colors look beautiful! The pictures of the sock and the baby hat are very inspiring - you have such a talent with putting together colors and patterns! I can't wait to try the sock pattern. I have never been brave enough to do cables, so maybe this will get me started.

I have been mulling over the various yarn colors, trying to decide...also, trying to make myself finish my current project before acquiring more yarn! It shouldn't take me too long - it's pretty easy - not sure if I will have the necessary self-restraint.

Also, cannot wait to see what else you have in store for additional weights! Congratulations to you and Alexandra on your new enterprise -

With fondest regards -

Stephanie (Petaluma)

Anonymous said...

Dear Stephanie,

Thank you for posting. You can definitely enjoy the mock cable. All the benefits, and none of the troubles, though, between you and me, cables are really not that hard!

Happy Knitting,

Caroline, the SockPixie

KarenK said...

Such a cute hat - thanks for sharing the pattern. I took a look at your yarns, and the color combinations are fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Awww, what a very beautiful baby hat this is! I'm totally impressed by your patterns, you're doing such beautiful work and I'd like to thank you big time for sharing them! Your Celebration socks are high up on my "Must knit" list too - gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Dear Karen and Dipsy,

Thank you for the comments. Right now, I am proofing a new sock pattern which I hope to post today.

Caroline, the SockPixie

Maribel said...

I love the patterns on your site and those socks are great.

Anonymous said...

Dear Maribel,

Thank you for the post. I am happy you like the patterns. They are so much fun to design.

Croline, the SockPixie

Jeri said...

I do so like to use leftover sock yarn (or neglected sock yarn that doesn't get a "turn" to be socks) into baby hats. Love love love this little number.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jeri,

Sock yarn is amazingly versatile. I will be posting a couple new patterns soon. One will be a pair of socks, the other a cool adult size beret using sock yarn.

Happy Knitting,

Caroline

Anonymous said...

Hi Caroline - I work at a boarding school in england and run a knitting club. One of my students is knitting your Jewel baby hat. We're stuck at the beginning of the second square and hope you can help us. We can pick up 8 stitches, but then the instruction seems a bit confusing. it says "then using the knitted cast on, cast on 9". I can't quite work out what you mean. do we pick up 8 stitches, turn and cast on 9? Why 9 and not 8 as the first square was based on 16? The easiest way I can see to do it would be to knit into the back and front of each of the 8 picked up stitches to make 16. Sorry to be dense!
Best wishes
Thea

Anonymous said...

Dear Knitter,

Go ahead and pick up 8, turn, and cast on 9. If you did a knit front and back that would actually create a ruffly effect, and we do not want that.

Have fun!

Caroline

Swanky said...

Hi! this looks like a great pattern! I'm trying to adjust a few things and I was wondering if you could give me some help? I'm kinda new and limited in the knitting world still. lol

I've only got size 2 needles and I need a hat big enough for a 6 month baby. I see you said to add squares and adjust the hat by groups of ten, but I'm a little confused on that. If I were to add 2 blocks, would I then pick up 100 sts when I start the body? Do you think that would be enough of an adjustment for me, or should I add 4 blocks and pick up 110 sts?

Any help you can give would be great! Thanks for the awesome pattern!