Thursday, April 5, 2018

Lodge Bunny Bonnet

Lodge Bunny Bonnet
Lodge Bunny Bonnet
pictured in size Adult Small/Medium

I know my seasonality is a little off right now, but as soon as I received these Easter-colored skeins in the mail I knew that a bonnet would have to be on my list. And my biggest goal was to play with color - not just a slipped stitch color pattern (although you know I love those!), but good ol' intarsia. Which ended up being a good choice for this project, since you can make it all using straight needles back and forth - no pesky in-the-round intarsia required!

Sizes: Adult Small/Medium (Adult Medium/Large)

Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky (100% Merino Wool; 100 yards [91 meters]/100 grams); #192 Periwinkle - one skein (color A), #21 Cactus Flower - one skein (color B), & #83 Water Green - one skein (color C)

Lodge Bunny Bonnet
A better look at the back finish.
Needles: Straight needles in size US 9, straight needles in size US 11

Notions: Tapestry needle, roughly 12" of scrap yarn

Gauge: 12 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette on size US 11 needles

Let's make a bonnet, then! Using your size US 9 needles and your color A yarn, cast on 79 (87) stitches loosely, and then we'll work a ribbing as follows:

Ribbing Row 1 (wrong side): p1, * k1, p1; rep from *

Ribbing Row 2: k1, * p1, k1 *

Knit ribbing rows 1 & 2 until piece measures roughly 1.75" (2.25") and you've just finished a wrong side row. Transfer work to your size US 11 needles, and we'll knit two transition rows, as follows. Notice that your second row contains intarsia color changes, so you can use your standard intarsia join.

Transition Row 1 (right side): using your color A yarn, slip 1 stitch purlwise (sl1), then knit until end of row

Transition Row 2: using color A, sl1, p40 (sl1, p44). Switch to your color B yarn and p19 (p21); finally, switch to your color C yarn and p19 (p21)

Complete these two transition rows. Then we'll begin our intarsia rows with decreases to create the flappy bits, as follows:

Intarsia Decrease Row 1: using color C, sl1, (ssk) twice, knit until you're one stitch before your B/C color change, and switch to color B. Using color B, knit until you're one stitch before your A/B color change, and switch to color A. Knit until you have 5 stitches left in row; (k2tog) twice, k1 (-4 stitches)

Intarsia Decrease Row 2: using color A, sl1, and then purl until you're one stitch past your A/B color change; switch to color B. Using color B, purl until you're one stitch past your B/C color change, and switch to color C. Using color C, purl until end of row

Knit intarsia decrease rows 1 & 2 until you have 71 stitches (79 stitches) remaining and you've just finished an intarsia decrease row 2. Then we'll move to a supplemental set of decrease rows, with fewer decreases, as you'll find below.

Supplemental Intarsia Decrease Row 1: using color C, sl1, ssk, knit until you're one stitch before your B/C color change, and switch to color B. Using color B, knit until you're one stitch before your A/B color change, and switch to color A. Knit until you have 3 stitches left in row; k2tog, k1 (-2 stitches)

Supplemental Intarsia Decrease Row 2: using color A, sl1, and then purl until you're one stitch past your A/B color change; switch to color B. Using color B, purl until you're one stitch past your B/C color change, and switch to color C. Using color C, purl until end of row

Knit supplemental intarsia decrease rows 1 & 2 until you have 67 (73) stitches remaining and you've just finished supplemental intarsia decrease row 2. Then we'll work back and forth, without decreases, as you'll find below. And yes, you will naturally run out of color C stitches; just clip the tail of color C when that happens and keep working in pattern in colors A & B.

Intarsia Row 1: using color C, knit until you're one stitch before your B/C color change, and switch to color B. Using color B, knit until you're one stitch before your A/B color change, and switch to color A. Knit until end of row.

Intarsia Row 2: using color A, purl until you're one stitch past your A/B color change; switch to color B. Using color B, purl until you're one stitch past your B/C color change, and switch to color C. Using color C, purl until end of row

Work these intarsia rows until piece measures roughly 6" (7") and you've just finished an intarsia row 1. Clip the tail of your color B yarn, since you're done with it. Then we'll knit the following transition row:

Transition Row (wrong side): using color A, purl

Complete this transition row, and then we'll move to the decreases, as follows. Notice that, if you're making the larger size, you will have two extra decrease rows at the beginning; accordingly, you can skip straight to decrease row 3 if you're making the smaller size.

Decrease Row 1 - size Adult Medium/Large only (right side): using color A, * k10, k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (67 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 2 - size Adult Medium/Large only: using color A, purl

Decrease Row 3: using color A, * k9, k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (61 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 4: using color A, purl

Decrease Row 5: using color A, * k8, k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (55 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 6: using color A, purl

Decrease Row 7: using color A, * k7, k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (49 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 8: using color A, purl

Decrease Row 9: using color A, * k6, k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (43 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 10: using color A, p1, * p2tog, p5 * (37 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 11: using color A, * k4, k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (31 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 12: using color A, p1 * p2tog, p3 * (25 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 13: using color A, * k2tog; rep from * until you have 1 stitch left in row, end k1 (13 stitches - both sizes)

Decrease Row 14: using color A, p1, * p2tog * (7 stitches - both sizes)

Complete decrease rows 1 - 14 and use tapestry needle to thread remaining 7 stitches to scrap yarn, to work later. Then we'll seam, beginning at the bottom of the hat, and roughly where you phased out your color C yarn (as you can see in the picture below; the bonnet is seamed from the top of my color C portion). Seam until you reach top; thread seaming yarn through final 7 stitches and pull tight. Thread to inside of hat, knot, and tuck in ends. Block, if desired (you can also block before seaming, if you'd prefer). Finally, make tassels and attach to ends of flaps, for funsies.

Lodge Bunny Bonnet
Lodge Bunny Bonnet
Lodge Bunny Bonnet
Lodge Bunny Bonnet
Lodge Bunny Bonnet
Lodge Bunny Bonnet

30 comments:

  1. I love the look of this bonnet but would like to do it without the intarsia. I'm not a beginner but not quite a pro yet. How would I go about it?

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    1. Hi there!

      First off, I apologize for my delayed response. Somehow I wasn't notified about your comment! And I would just go ahead and use one color, and ignore all color changes. In general, this will mean that you might be doing some edge shaping, but just knitting across on the right sides and purling across on the wrong sides. Let me know if you have any other questions! :)

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  2. Really cute design, as usual. I really miss your delightful posts; I love your writing style. I hope all is well with you and you have just moved on to different things!

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    1. Oh thank you, how kind! And I've sadly been struggling with RSI issues... Hopefully one day I'll be back, though! :)

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  3. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the wonderful and FREE patterns! I think your slouchy hats will work up nicely as chemo hats (charitable) since they have a little volume rather than a skull cap beanie. I once lived in Milan and while the coffee sucked the amazing selection of yarn totally made up for it. Blessings to you and I hope your RSI fades away to a nothing burger.

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    1. Thank you! And I'm glad that you've found my patterns useful! I, too, hope my RSI fades some day. :) Although now you've made me hungry for this amazing (and cheap!) Chinese restaurant I found in Milan... 😂

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  4. Hi - I've done a stack of your patterns now. One small request - any chance that for your British and European fans you could put the needle size in mms. US needle sizes are different to ours.

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    1. Yes, I know the sizes are different - I also spend some time looking up conversions! Anyway, I've been taking a break from new patterns but if I ever get back to it I'll try to include this information as well. :)

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  5. I have been wondering where you were! So sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Hoping that it gets better for you and soon! I've missed you... But didn't want to pry....

    Linda in VA

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    1. Hi Linda!

      Yes, the whole thing has been rather discouraging but there's not much to do about it, unfortunately. Anyway, I hope you're well! :)

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    2. We are out here thinking of you and sending you hugs!

      Linda in VA

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  6. Hi Gretchen, Sorry to hear you have not been feeling well. I've been thinking about you and have missed your stories and your projects. A few years ago, I won a beautiful pair of blue fingerless Mitts from you and just today, I was looking in the drawer and I found the lovely note you enclosed with the Mitts. Now that Winter is here, I will be wearing them often. Take care of yourself. Sending Hugs.
    PS I am the one who loves the color Pink especially in Hats.

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    1. Thank you very much! And I'm so glad to hear that the mitts will be worn. :) Hopefully some day I'll be back, but I'm at least still around to answer questions and comments now!

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  7. wow! An adult bonnet. i'll knit for my girls on the swim team for those cool wet hair days. great ideal.

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    1. Wonderful, let me know if you have any questions!!!

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  8. How do I knit this in a solid color

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    1. Hi! To do it in a solid color, you can simply do the first two transition rows in stockinette. Then, during the intarsia decrease rows just ignore all of the color change instructions, and only pay attention to the decreases at the beginning and end of the rows. You'll knit stockinette during the intarsia rows, and the decrease will be the same as written. :)

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  9. Hello, First let me say I love your patterns. I'm interested in making a bonnet in this fashion but was thinking of using an Aron pattern to match my lovely Irish sweater. Will this type of design translate using the same method. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.

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    1. Hi there! Just to be clear, are we talking about a different gauge or a cabled design? :)

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    2. Thank you for the quick response. it will be a cable design and I have not chosen a yarn for it yet but I will be looking for something similar to the guage you used here. Right now I'm just trying to figure out if a pattern like this is even possible, but I would love to design it to match my sweater if that can be done

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    3. Well, in my opinion, anything can be done if you want it enough. :) You are going to face some challenges with cables though, mostly in the gauge department since they gather the knit fabric. You'll also have to deal with the challenge that this hat reduces stitch count to make the flaps in the front. Probably the easiest cabled design would include adding a few stitches and then only cabling the strip down the center, so you don't have your cables running into your decreases...

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    4. Yes right that's where I was getting tripped up because I would lose a lot of cable stitches in the decrease so as you suggested a center cable is probably the way to go. Thank you again for the advice as well as the wonderful patterns you give us. I'm going to play around with it just to see what I come up with. Also thank you for the inspiration you give us all.

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    5. Awesome, glad I could help! And you're very kind, thank you! :)

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    6. Hello Gretchen; I am new to your blog and to your patterns also, I LOVED the style of the bonnet! After 30 years in Florida, I have returned to New York and knitting. I am having quite a learning curve relearning the basic stitches! Your bonnet looks to be perfect, I will make it in the large size, in a heather yarn. I am hoping that it will be loose enough to sit quietly on my slippery hair and be useful for the cool weather. I hope you are well again, as your blog on this pattern seems to end on 2022.








      thank you for the pattern, that is the first of your patterns that I have seen. I used to be able to knit easily and made a warm, Channel style cardigan that I am using now that I have returned to NYC.

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    7. Hi! I'm so glad you like the pattern; I rather fancy it too, lol! And I'm no longer knitting due to injury but I'm still around to answer questions... Good luck with your knitting adventures in New York! :)

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