Hand-Painted Preemie Hat
from a knitica by Amanda Schwabe This simple pattern breaks up the colours in hand-painted yarns and gives them a lovely, slightly tweedy appearance. The decreases are worked in pattern, to continue the loveliness right up to the tippy top. A great hat for boys or girls.
Sizes Micropreemie (Small, Medium, Large/Newborn) Gauge 7 sts/inch in seed stitch
Needles
Size 2 US (2.75 mm), set of 2 circular needles OR set of 4 or 5 double-pointed needles, OR one long circular for magic loop; you pick your favourite method for knitting in the round.
Yarn
Fingering-weight. One 50g ball will make 2-4 hats, depending on the sizes you choose. Shown in Knit Picks Stroll Hand-Painted yarn in Playtime and Tree Fort; and Knit Picks Felici Fingering-weight in Boardwalk.
Notions
Scissors, yarn darner
Pattern
Cast on 50(60,70,80) sts. Distribute evenly on your needles and join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches. Round 1-4: (kl, pl) around. (Optional: You can eliminate the stretchy rows of ribbing and start with seed stitch right away by working Round 1, then jumping straight to Round 5.) Round 5: (pl, kl) around. Round 6: (kl, pl) around. Repeat Rounds 5 & 6 until hat measures 2.5"(2.75", 3", 3.5") from cast-on edge. Work one more Round 5. Decrease (worked in multiples of 10): Round 1: (kl, pl)x4, k2tog\* Repeat around. Round 2: (pl, kl)x4, pl\* Rep around. Round 3: (kl,pl)x3, kl, p2tog\* Rep around. Round 4: (pl, kl) around. Round 5: (kl, pl)x3, k2tog\* Rep around. Round 6: (pl, kl)x3, p1\* Rep around. Round 7: (kl, pl)x2, kl, p2tog\* Rep around. Round 8: (pl, kl) around. Round 9: (kl, pl)x2, k2tog\* Rep around. Round 10: (pl, kl)x2, p1\* Rep around. Round 1l: kl, pl, kl, p2tog\* Rep around. Copyright Amanda Schwabe 2011. All right reserved. Round 12: (pl, kl) around. Round 13: kl, pl, k2tog\* Rep around. Round 14: pl, kl, pl\* Rep around. Round 15: kl, p2tog\* Rep around. Cut yarn, leaving a 6" tail. Thread through remaining stitches, pull tight, and sew in ends.
Glossary
k Knit p Purl k2tog Knit two together. (Knit the next two stitches as if they are one. One stitch is decreased.) p2tog Purl two together. (Purl the next two stitches together as if they are one. One stitch is decreased.) x Multiplied by. Ex: x2 means times two, or twice. Sts Stitches Rep Repeat. (Follow the directions for that round up to the asterisk, then repeat those directions again and again until you reach the end of the round.)
Contact
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to send me a message. I'd love to hear from you. Amanda Schwabe www.aknitica.wordpress.com amandaschwabe@sympatico.ca Ravelry ID: knittingartist
The seed stitch also gives an interesting effect with self-striping yarns.
