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!
