Skull Flap Hat

Another one to cross off the list...



Started: October 14, 2006
Finished: October 15, 2006
Yarn: Knitpicks Swish dublin 2 balls and elanns Devon in white (doubled) 1 ball
Pattern: A combination of a few...altered so much I think I will call it my own;)

Where to begin. I really like Swish...it's so soft and squishy. I have yet to wash and dry a swatch in machines...but I will today. What a great yarn for kids clothing. Here is another view of the hat...a little blurry though, the lighting is crap today.


My guage is 20sts and 28 rounds to 4" using US#7 for st st and US#8 for fair isle.
The hat is really big. I actually don't mind that it doesn't pull on the fair isle and it doesn't squash the hair. The finished circumference is about 24". If you want it snug, you need to make a tighter gauge.

I started with the earflaps.
Long tail cast on 7 sts and purl one row. Work the chart, increasing in front and back of stitch for symbol.



The purled in skull motif is not really necessary, because the motif is hardly visible, but it does help the flap not to curl.
You end up with 33 sts that you put on a holder then make the second one.
The second flap you leave on your needles then cast on 39sts for the front. (I used the thumb cast on done really tight.)
Now knit the 33sts off the holder of the other flap. Cast on 15 sts for the back and then join it all in the round. 120sts.

Knit 1 round.
Purl 2 rounds.
Knit 12 rounds.

Work the 21 rows of this chart.


To keep guage in fair isle, I find I need to go up a needle size. So on row #6 I changed to US#8 needles and back to US#7 needles on row 17.
When the chart is complete, knit 9 rounds.

Start the decreases:
round 1: (k13, k2tog) 8 times. 112sts
round 2: (k12, k2tog) 8 times. 104sts
round 3: (k11, k2tog) 8 times. 96 sts
cont decreasing this way until you have 56sts.
round 9: (k3, k2tog, k2tog) 8 times. 40sts
round 10: (k1, k2tog, k2tog) around 24sts
round 11: (k2tog) around 12sts.
repeat last round. 6sts. Break yarn and drawn through remaining sts and pull tight. Weave in ends.

I finished the edges with a single crochet all the way around. Then made two twists of yarn (7 pieces for each ear flap) for the ties.

Finito!

FYI: Thank you all for your comments on the bus problemo. It seems I am not alone. I have called them everytime they have done this....guess that doesn't work. As I walked him to the bus...three blocks...PAST the perfectly good public school outside my door...in the pouring, freezing rain...with my 2 year old...I am really starting to "eye" that public school.