dana's test blog

Those first weeks after Clara was born I had a lot sitting-on-the-couch time. And I had leftover yarn from that yummy chevron blanket I'd finished.

So I tackled my 3 knitting project!...a little newborn hat (with a small sewing twist).

Most patterns I looked at required that you knit in the round. I didn't have the right needles for that. So I used the same concept as these bunnies I'd made, adapted some info from this pattern, and sorta came up with my own pattern. Instead knitting in the round, there's a small seam that goes down the back (or side) but it's fairly inconspicuous and easy to knit. If you're new to knitting, this pattern's for you! Plus we'll add a little fabric bow which puts me right in my comfort zone.

I'm definitely a novice at this knitting stuff.
So please excuse any lingo-mishaps or tiny mistakes.

Okay, here we go....

Size 8 needles. I used these Addi Needles.
Yarn: I used leftovers of this Berroco brand “Vintage” wool/acrylic blend

DIRECTIONS:
Cast on 52 stitches
Rows 1-32: knit (hat should measure 3 1/4 inches)
Row 33: k2, k2t (40 sts)
Row 34-35: knit
Row 36: k1, k2t (appx 26 sts)
Row 37-38: knit
Row 39: k2t (appx 13 or 14)
Row 40: knit
Row 41: knt (7 sts)

When you get to this point, remove your knitting needles, cut a long tail (about 18 inches) and thread the tail through a yarn needle. Feed the needle through the 7 stitches and pull tight, so you've created a tight circle at the top of the hat.

Then use the remaining yarn and needle to whipstitch the back of the hat together. Sew down the entire seam. When you reach the bottom, tie a small knot and trim the yarn tails down to about 4 inches. Use the needle to weave the tails into the hat so they blend in.
You're done!

Not let's spice it up a bit and add a fabric bow.

Using scraps of knit fabric, cut two strips any size you'd like (one strip for the bow, one for the tie. Both will be folded in half).

(For more detailed info on making bows, see my tutorial here.)

Place your finished bow on the finished hat and decide where you'd like it to sit. I prefer a side bow.

Using a sewing needle and thread, use little stitches to sew the bow to the hat. Sew on the middle of the bow first. Then sew the outer edges of the bow (make sure you only sew the bottom layer of the bow to the hat).