Free Knitting Pattern: Embellish This! Hat

I call this pattern the "Embellish This!" Hat because it's a super-simple project just waiting for the perfect felt flower or other such goodness. I created this pattern by doing some simple math that you can do, too, to customize it for any size person and any type of yarn. (I'll give you customization instructions after the pattern for the hat as shown in the photo above.) Here's what you need for the hat shown here:

• Size 8, 16" circular needle
• Size 10, 16" circular needle
• Size 10 DPNs --OR-- Size 10, 40" circular needle (if you prefer Magic Loop like I do)
• Heavy worsted/Aran-weight yarn (I used Cascade Eco)
• One stitch marker
• Tapestry needle
• EMBELLISHMENT! (I used this tutorial to make the felt flower as shown)

Size:

• Hat as shown is for a 16" infant head. (Note that according to the standard sizes in the link at the end of this section, 16" is considered a toddler head. I am not sure if my daughter has a big head or what, but that is her measurement. I would assume she is pretty average. Size up if in doubt - KIDS GROW! FAST!) My daughter is 5.5-months-old. This pattern must be worked in multiples of 8, so for every 8 stitches you increase or decrease, you will increase or decrease ABOUT 2". For reference, standard head sizes can be found here.

Gauge:

• Mine was 14 stitches/4" for the hat as shown. OR, you can use the math that I'll share with you later to customize YOUR hat to YOUR gauge.

Pattern:

• Cast on 56 stitches using the long-tail cast-on method and size 8 circular needle.
• Place marker, and join to work in the round. Be careful to not twist your stitches.
• Work in K1/P1 ribbing for 1.25" (6-7 rows) or as desired. I like to knit my tail yarn into the first five or six stitches and then cut it so I don't have to weave it in at the end. You can do that if you like.
• Switch to size 10 circular needle.
• Continue knitting in stockinette stitch (knit every round) until work measures 3.5" (measure from the cast-on edge, NOT the end of the ribbing!)
• Begin decrease sequence. You may switch to DPNs or Magic Loop whenever you feel it is necessary.
• (K6, k2tog) 7 times.
• Knit around.
• (K5, k2tog) 7 times.
• Knit around.
• (K4, k2tog) 7 times.
• Knit around
• (K3, k2tog) 7 times.
• Knit around.
• (K2, k2tog) 7 times.
• Knit around.
• (K1, k2tog) 7 times.
• Knit around.
• K2tog 7 times.
• Cut yarn, leaving a 10" tail. Thread it through the tapestry needle and pull it through the remaining 7 stitches. Cinch it tight, and pull it to the inside of the hat. Weave in the yarn and cut the tail short.
• EMBELLISH AWAY! You may also block the hat if you so desire, but it isn't really necessary.

See? I told you it was EA-SY!!

Okay, so, maybe you don't have a stinkin' cute baby like I do. Maybe you want to make this hat for, say, a 16-year-old boy or even your cat, or your large-headed cousin. And to make matters worse, you want to use a different yarn.

AHHHHH! Right? Nah. I got that. Here's how you do it.

1. Measure the person's head for which you want to make the hat, or use the standard head measurements shown here.
2. With the yarn you wish you use and an appropriately sized needle (check your yarn packaging to get a good idea of what will work), do a gauge swatch in stockinette stitch to figure out how many stitches per inch you knit.
3. Multiply the hat recipient's head measurement in inches times the number of stitches per inch you knitted in your gauge swatch. For example, if you want to knit a 20" hat for an average-sized woman, and your gauge was 5 stitches per inch, you would multiple 20" x 5 stitches to get 100.
4. Round that number up or down to the nearest multiple of 8 to determine how many stitches to cast on. It is up to you whether you round up or down - I just base my decision on whether I want the hat to fit a little tightly or loosely. Round down if you want it tighter, and round up if you want it looser. So in the example I'm using, I would round 104 since it's a multiple of 8 (8 x 13 = 104) and I want to err on the loose side.
5. Using a needle two sizes smaller than the needle you used for your gauge swatch, cast on the correct number of stitches.
6. Place marker, and join to work in the round.
7. Work K1/P1 ribbing for 1-2 inches as desired.
8. Switch to larger needle.
9. Work in stockinette stitch until the work is as long as desired. I can't give you an exact measurement here since heads come in many shapes and sizes, and people generally like different heights of hats depending on their personal styles. Your best bet is to try it on the person you are knitting it for as you go and begin your decrease sequence when you want the hat to start curving inward toward the crown of the head.
10. Begin the decrease sequence. You may switch to DPNs/Magic Loop now, or wait until it's necessary. I usually switch about half-way through the decrease sequence. On the first row, work (K6, k2tog) around. Knit the next row around. Then, work (K5, k2tog) around. Knit around. Continue in that fashion (decrease every other row, knit around on the others) until you are ready to cinch up the top. Again, your best bet is to try it on the recipient as you go to determine if you need to add/subtract rows, etc.

I hope those instructions are easy enough. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below! I generally answer within a few hours. :)

Like this pattern? Please let me know in the comments! It gets a little lonely around here with just my little one to chat with, so I love reading your comments!

Free Owl Applique Pattern

I contemplated calling this post "Sweatshirt Sex Change" because that's precisely what I did for this project. However, I figured "Free Owl Applique Pattern" would be more appropriate for search engine traffic. Who knows what kind of audience I'd get with the former... I didn't do a full-on tutorial for this project because frankly, if you've got any kind of basic sewing skills, you should be able to pull this one off. I have, however, included a PDF pattern of the actual owl applique on the back of the sweatshirt.

The story behind this one is that Harper has been wearing this thrifted little boy's sweatshirt for a month or two now. Here's the before:

Wow. All the stains are pretty apparent with that lighting. Anyway, it was looking pretty ugly, and I was sick of people thinking Harper was a boy when she wore it. SO, I did a little makeover! Here are the results:

And here's the free download...

Enjoy! Oh, and of course I would love to see photos of any projects that result from the pattern. :)

Free Knitting Pattern: Headband Flower

When Harper was born, she had this glorious full head of black hair (not quite sure where that came from!), but now, she's a little more on the bald side. Beautiful, of course...but bald. So, even though I vowed to never put a huge flower or bow in her hair, I do find this little creation quite cute. And since I can't bring myself to dress her in frilly pink stuff all the time, it's great for when we are out-and-about, and I don't want to constantly tell people that yes, she is a girl. (I hope that my dry sense of humor is coming out in this post, and not the possible observation that I think my daughter isn't cute! She is the cutest little thing on the planet --> and that's not just because I'm the mommy!) :)

Without further adieu, here is the EASY, fast pattern:

• Yarn: Irrelevant. Any weight will do, but the bigger the yarn, the bigger the flower...and the bigger the needles you will need. I used Madeline Tosh Merino DK for the flower pictured here. You will only need a handful.
• Needle: I used a size 7 circular as a straight needle. Just use something appropriate for the yarn and how open you want the knitting stitches to be.
• Gauge: Irrelevant.

1. Cast on 60 using the long-tail cast-on method. (You will want to cast on somewhat loosely as you have to KFB through every stitch on the third row.)
2. Knit across (60 stitches).
3. KFB (knit through the front and back loop) across (120 stitches).
4. Knit across (120 stitches).
5. Bind off, but leave enough working yarn hanging to sew together the bottom of the flower.*

*For the flower pictured in this post, I switched to a different color yarn for the bind-off row to give the flower additional dimension. You can use your imagination with colors, and mix it up a bit!

Here is a great instructional video on KFB (knit through the front and back loop):

Once you've bound off your work, you'll have a nice, curly piece of garter-stitch fabric. Simply wrap the piece into a spiral (like a rose), and use the remaining working yarn to secure it on the bottom (the cast-on edge). Use a knot to tie off the yarn, and cut off the remainder. You can then use regular sewing thread to sew your flower to the headband. You could also hot glue it to some felt to make a brooch, sew it to a t-shirt for embellishment or use hot glue with a plastic headband. Use your imagination! Another great idea would be to make these roses in varying sizes (using different yarns and number of cast-on stitches), and group them together on a onesie, headband, etc. You get the idea.

As for the headband itself, I used 1" plush fold-over elastic (commonly referred to as FOE). I purchased mine at Kids in the Garden when I was making Harper's diaper covers last year. It's great for so many things! Just note that it does tend to stretch a bit, so either sew it so it will be tight on the wearer's head in the beginning, OR, use hook & loop to make it adjustable.

Isn't she just precious?