A red knitted beanie (with pattern) and first signs of spring

Hello, hello is this thing on? Um… yeah it’s been a while. What a year! Am I right?

We all know what kind of year that was so let’s just fast-forward. There isn’t much we can’t do when we live in a half made up dream world.

Today I was looking at this recently bloomed hyacinth and I couldn’t help myself marvelling at the beautiful colour work of nature. I’ve never been into purples, but looking at this make me want to make something in these colours. The photo doesn’t capture well the green leaves of the plant. Both colours just pop and sing a song of spring.

Does it feel a little like spring where you live?

In other news, I’ve been spending some time knitting. For this beanie I was inspired by erikomagnifiko, who made a very similar beanie, with this very particular pom-pom.

For the beanie I used Drops alpaca which I held with Hjertegarn alpaca (just what I had, they are 99% similar, these yarns). So alpaca held double.

Gauge: 18 st on 3.5 mm needles (kindly check your gauge:)

The pattern was very simple. I worked it flat on straight needles.

Cast on 97 st in a stretchy cast on (I used long tail) and worked in 1&1 rib for 10 cm.

Rib patten is:

R1 – Knit 1(k1), Purl 1(P1) to the end of row

R2 – P1, K1 to the end of row.

Repeat rows until you have the desired length for the stretchy rib.

I then worked in stockinette stitch for another 10 cm. (Stockinette stitch is R1 knit all, R2 purl all, repeat).

Decrease:

Decrease row 1 (right side) Every 7 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), repeat until the end of row

Decrease row 2 (wrong side) purl without decreasing. From now on you only decrease on right side rows.

DR3 Every 6 st k2tog

DR5 Every 5 st k2tog

DR7 Every 4 st k2tog

Repeat until you get a very small number of stitches, pull a needle through the live stitches, gather and sew closed the top of the hat. Seam closed the two sides of the hat.

Add pom-pom.

Alpaca yarn is very soft and warm and it makes a lovely hat.

For this project I used two 50g balls, with some yarn left over.

Knitting in the round pattern modification:

If you’d prefer to knit this on circular needles, in the round:

CO: 97, place marker, join round without twisting stitches

Work in knit 1, purl 1 rib for 10 cm,

Switch to stockinette and work in knit rounds only for another 10 cm.

Start decreasing, considering the beginning of each round.

Decreases:

Decrease round 1: Every 7 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), repeat until the end of round

Decrease round 2 Knit all, no decreases. From now on you will decrease on every alternative row.

DR3 Every 6 st k2tog

DR5 Every 5 st k2tog

DR7 Every 4 st k2tog

Repeat until you get a very small number of stitches, pull a needle through the live stitches, gather and sew closed the top of the hat. Add pom-pom.