When I made the original, I took the design that I found online, and altered the beard a little. But the thing I changed the most was that I decided to knit the hat first, and then pick up the stitches for the beard on the bottom of the hat. This allowed me to have a fold up brim, and give the hat itself more of a home knitted look.
So, I finished the hat for this project fairly quickly. But then I realised that I didn't have the yarn I wanted for the beard, so I put it on hold for a few days. Then I realised that I'd actually knit the hat using needles that were far too big for what I wanted, leaving me with too few stitches to pick up the stitches for the beard around it. Right then. Back to the drawing board.
I couldn't face starting the hat from scratch right away, so I took a little break to knit my daughter a hat for these cooler fall days. I found the pattern in a Pattons spring book, and the original was knitted as Fairisle. I felt that a deep red would be a better option for the season, and I was right.
This is the best earflap hat that I've knitted. It's knit from the top down, and I find that decreasing on the earflaps is far better than trying to increase on them - you get a much smoother curve on them.
Now I need to work on a bigger version for Beth...
Right, back to the Beard Hat.
5 comments:
Stick with the beard hat big guy. There's a world full of beardless people that need you to knit it up.
You still haven't knitted me those boxer shorts, never mind a hat or scarf (which I would love and would be willing to reimburse you for, by the way)...
No no no, boys...I want a knitted outfit to wear to school first. Something cozy for when I fall asleep in lecture...
A friend passed me this free pattern for an earflap hat, it works really well and looks cute on :) Its top-down, so has the nicely shaping earflaps, and knits up really quickly!
Using Rowan Big Wool, or similar
Cast on 7 stitches using 12-15mm needles.
Row 1: P7. [7 stitches]
Row 2: (K1 M1) 6 times K1. [13 stitches]
Row 3: P13.
Row 4: (K2, M1) 6 times, K1. [19 stitches]
Row 5: P19
Row 6: (K3, M1) 6 times, K1. [25 stitches]
Row 7: P25
Row 8:(K4, M1) 6 times, K1. [31 stitches]
Row 9: P31
Row 10: K31
Row 11: P31
Row 12: (K5, M1) 6 times, K1. [37 stitches]
Row 13: P37
Row 14: K37
Row 15: P37
Row 16: K37
Row 17: P37
Row 18: K37
Row 19: P37
**for a longer and slouchier hat, add 2 extra rows here, K37 and P37**
Change to 8-10mm needles.
Row 20: Knit 37
Row 21: Knit 37
Row 22: Knit 37
Row 23: Knit 37
Row 24: Knit 37
Row 25: Knit 37
Shaping ear flaps:
Cast off 4 stitches.
Knit until there are 9 stitches on the needles and put this to once side (i.e. let it hang). This is NEEDLE A.
Take another 8-10mm needle and Cast Off 11 stitches.
Knit until there are 9 stitches on the needles and put this to once side (i.e. let it hang). THIS NEEDLE B.
Cast Off the final 4 stitches.
Rejoin yarn and knit in garter stitch with NEEDLE A for 3 rows. The start decreasing on alternate rows - the decrease should be on the edge that faces the front of the hat. When there are only 3 remaining stitches cast off.
Complete second ear flap to match Needle A.
Enjoy! Nicola (UK)
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