Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Kids' Reversible Cocoon Hat

Kids' Reversible Cocoon Hat - right side

My five-year-old picked out this yarn ages ago, and has been bugging me to make something with it ever since. And after rejecting my first two designs (what can I say? the kid knows what he wants!), this fun hat finally passed muster. Even better, the wrong side of the design is just as charming as the right side, so the child you knit it for can wear it either way!

Kids' Reversible Cocoon Hat - wrong side
Sizes: Ages 18 months - 3 years (Ages 4 - 6; Ages 7 - 10)

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Fingering (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 273 yards [250 meters]/50 grams); #9430 Forest Green - one skein

Needles: 16" circular needle in size 3, one set of double pointed needles, also in size 3

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 28 stitches = 4 inches

So let's do this thang! First, using your circular needle, cast on 128 (144; 144) stitches, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll knit 1" (1.75"; 1.25") in a k1, p1 ribbing. And then we'll get right to the main pattern, which is Cocoon Stitch from page 131 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, except adapted for the round. As you can see, there is no difference in pattern between the three sizes. And here we go!

Rows 1 & 2: * k1, p1, k1, p5; rep from *

Row 3: * k1, p1 under running thread before next stitch, (p1, k1, p1) in next stitch, p1 under running thread before next stitch, k1, k5tog *

Rows 4 - 8: * k1, p5, k1, p1 *

Row 9: * k1, k5tog, k1, p1 under running thread before next stitch, (p1, k1, p1) in next stitch, p1 under running thread before next stitch *

Rows 10 -  12: repeat row 1

Knit rows 1 - 12 three times, and then knit rows 1 - 8 once more (knit rows 1 - 12 three times, and then knit rows 1 - 8 once more; knit rows 1 - 12 four times, and then knit rows 1 - 8 once more). And once that's done, it's time to begin the decreases, which will be the same for all sizes.

Decrease Row 1: * k1, k5tog, k1, p1 under running thread before next stitch, (p1, k1, p1) in next stitch, p1 under running thread before next stitch, k1, k5tog, k1, (k1, p1, k1) in next stitch *

Decrease Rows 2 & 3: * k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k4 *

You may want to switch to your dpns about now...

Decrease Row 4: * k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso *

Decrease Row 5: * k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, k2 *

Decrease Row 6: slip first stitch from first dpn to last dpn. Then, * p1, k1, p5, k1, p1, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso *

Decrease Row 7: * (k1, p1, k1) in stitch, k1, k5tog, k1, p1, k1 *

Decrease Row 8: * k3, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, p1, k1 *

Decrease Row 9: * slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k1, p1, k1 *

Decrease Row 10: * k1, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso *

Decrease Row 11: * k2tog *

Clip tail and thread through final 8 (9; 9) stitches. Pull tight, knot, and tuck in ends.

Right side




Wrong side


19 comments:

  1. What a cutey!!

    Thanks for the great pattern.

    PS - Best knitting blog name ever!

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    1. Thanks Fran!

      And I searched high and low for a knitting pun that wasn't taken... and once I came up with the whole balls to the walls thing, I just couldn't pass it up - I thought it was too funny. Especially since my stash is abundant, so it's almost literal!

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    2. Hello Tracy,

      Would like to know how to do this:" p1 under running thread before next stitch" not quite sure about how to proceed, can explain?

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    3. Hi! I found a video tutorial for this stitch online that should help (http://newstitchaday.com/how-to-knit-the-cocoon-stitch/). Skip to the 2:20 mark and you can see her knit a stitch under the running thread - the only difference would be purling instead! And let me know if you have any other questions :)

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  2. Glad to see someone else asked about the p1 under running thread... Thank you for posting a link to the video. Now I can get started without worrying that I know what I'm doing. Will be making for 1 yr. old and his 7 yr. old sister as Christmas gifts. Love your patterns!

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    1. Thank you! And I'm glad you found the link - someday I hope to include more instructional stuff, but right now my kids prevent me :) Of course, you're still welcome to let me know if you have any questions. I'm always happy to help!

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  3. Hi love the pattern! Would this be workable in Magic Loop?

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    1. Hi Charlotte! I have never done any magic loop knitting myself, but from what I understand (that you use a longer circular needle to knit smaller circular items), I see no reason why it wouldn't work for this particular hat! :)

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    2. Thanks for the reply! ! I think it will work. How many stitches in the pattern?

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    3. There are 8 stitches in each pattern repeat :)

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    4. Oops, I should add that the decrease part is done in sets of 16... so if you want to maintain the decreases as-is, you'll need to add or subtract 16. :)

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  4. Could you explain to me how to print in PDF. If I click to Print Friendly, it comes out very small. If I click PDF at the top, I don't know how to print it. Excuse me, but I a grandma of 80 yrs. Sometimes, I have trouble to figure those machines !

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    1. Well hello there! Of course I'm happy to help :) I think the easiest thing to do is to try to use the Print Friendly button - when you click it and the window pops up, you'll see a box at the top that has a percentage next to the words "Text Size" - go ahead and click the arrow next to the percentage and choose a larger percentage. That should make everything big enough to read. You can also click on any page element you don't like to get rid of it. For instance, if you don't want to print all of the pictures, you can just click them and they'll go away. From there you can either print to a printer or a pdf, and the pattern should be a good size!

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  5. eine super hübsche Mütze,das Garn sieht super aus,das Muster ist spitzenmäßig hübsch
    LG Silvi

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    1. I'm glad you like it! Or I guess I should say: I'm glad Google translator tells me you like it! :)

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  6. Great hat! But... the K5tog part is giving me grief. Any word on how to do that without... raising a ruckus or using language that upsets my dog? ;-)

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    1. Try adding a yarn over right before the five stitches you'll be knitting together on the row before, and then drop it when you come to it on the k5tog row. Should give you a little extra room. Good luck! :)

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