Finishing Your #77 Dream

I took several very many photos as I finished my second #77 Dream Hat, thinking that posting them on my blog might help some knitters with their finishing.

This hat is a ‘dream’ to knit, even if you have only a little bit of lace knitting experience.  You work the 8-row Fan Lace Chart three times, and the 24-row Decreasing Fan Lace Chart just one time…cut your yarn, draw it through the remaining stitches, and the hat-knitting is done.  The earflaps are smaller than two little swatches…16 stitches by 2½ inches.

As the pattern says, (when binding off the earflaps), “Leave yarn tail long enough for sewing earflap to body of hat; weave in cast-on tail.”  Please see the pattern for locating the earflaps on hat, pin if desired, and, “Sew each earflap to inside with hem stitch.”

I would then work the needle and yarn to a point under the hat scallop (the next picture is from the outside of hat) and make a stitch or two through hat scallop and ear flap.

My next step was a hand-washing and air-drying to block the hat.  This step is optional, but I find that almost all of my knitting benefits from it.

I grew up in a crafty family.  At one time I had a little kit for making pom-poms in different sizes with instructions on how to put them together to make little animals and such.  I remember making many little yellow chicks.  But I no longer have my childhood pom-pom makers, and now whenever I need to make a pom-pom, I just use cardboard.  I suggest that the pom-pom be made approx. 3” in dia.

You might already own a 3” pom-pom maker, or buy one in a craft store; but you can also make your pom-pom using cardboard.  Just cut a piece of cardboard to about 3¼” x 5”.  Then wrap the yarn around the cardboard about 90 times.

Slip the bundle of yarn off of the cardboard.  Cut a length of yarn about 18” long and tie the bundle in the middle.

Tie it tightly and turn it over and tie it again.

Begin cutting all of the loops open.

The pom-pom will need quite a lot of trimming.  Start by cutting any long strands of yarn and then continue to snip all around until it is nice and round.

Using the tie ends attach pom-pom with a crochet hook or needle.

With a needle, stitch through the pom-pom a couple times using each strand of the pom-pom tie ends, and with the yarn end from drawing up the stitches at top of your hat (if you did not weave it in yet).  All of these strands may then be woven inside the hat or pulled out through the center of pom-pom and trimmed.

For the ties: “Cut 12 pieces of yarn approx. 24” long.”

“Using a crochet hook, draw 3 strands of yarn through each of the two central knit sts at the bottom point of one earflap.”

“Adjust so that all strands hang evenly.”

“Divide these 12 strands into 3 groups of 4, and braid for approx. 7”.  Tie ends loosely.”

“Thread tapestry ndl with a new piece of yarn about 18” long.  About 5” below bottom of earflap, take a stitch through the braid, leaving a tail long enough to become part of the tassel.”

“Take several more sts through braid to secure.”

“Now wrap the yarn 7-8 times around the braid to completely cover the sts … Insert needle through wraps from above, and bring down through center of tassel.”

“Untie the knot holding the braid and unbraid ends up to the wrap yarns … Trim all ends even to about 1½“.

“Repeat with remaining strands of yarn and other earflap.”

Perhaps this was too many photos!  I hope that you enjoy making your own #77 Dream!