Thursday 27 January 2011

Naruto Hat


My boyfriend asked for a Naruto Sleeping hat.  I checked on Ravelry and found the only pattern on there was no longer available, so decided to have a go myself and make the pattern up.

It's written from memory (mostly) and by counting the rows there.  If there are any corrections needed then please let me know and I'll sort them out.

You'll need the following:

  • 1 100g ball King Cole Smooth DK - black
  • 1 100g ball King Cole Smooth DK - white
  • 1 set 4mm DPN
  • 1 set 5mm DPN
  • a small amount of capoc to stuff the nose
  • needle for stitching in ends
  • stitch markers (4)
  • Patience and the ability to count (always helps when knitting I find, although I struggle with the patience a lot of the time, and with the ability to count when the cat gets involved)


Right, off we go...

Cast on 100 stitches in the white yarn on to your DPNs - join, being careful not to twist!  Make sure you place a marker at the beginning of the round.

I find the best way to start your knitting is to swop the first and last stitches over - this means that you don't get a hole at the beginning which can be difficult to get rid of.
My second tip is to move the stitches around the DPNs - when you get to the end of the stitches on needle 1, rather than going on to needle 2 using the free one, knit a couple of stitches from needle 2 straight on to needle 1, this keeps the stitches a regular tension all the way round, rather than getting the "between needle bagginess" that comes from the fabric stretching between the needles as you work round.

 So, you've cast on your 100 stitches, you've joined it carefully and are ready to start knitting...

The hat has a double headband - the inside part is ribbed, and the outside is stocking stitch to create a smoother look.  The headband is worked all in one piece and then stitched together later.

Rds 1-11: Work the first 11 rounds in 2x2 rib (k2 p2)


Rd 12: Purl all stitches. This will create a turning over row -  the very bottom edge of the hat.  Creating this row means you get a smooth fold for turning.


Rds 13-24 - work the next 11 rows in straight stocking stitch.

Change to 5mm needles and the main colour black yarn and continue for 12 rows in stocking stitch.

We're now going to start the slightly more complicated part.  Make sure you still have 100 stitches before you start. If you don't then you need to go back to where you've gone wrong and start again - the "eyes" part of the pattern won't work unless you have 100 stitches.


The picture below is the pattern I drew to work the next 13 rows out... I thought it might be helpful!



Hopefully that isn't as unclear as mud to many of you - for any of you who aren't so sure about it then I've written the pattern out below.

You will need two balls of the white contrast colour.  I just wound off a reasonable amount off the main ball and used this.

MC = Black
CC = White

row 1: k11 MC, k6CC, k66 MC (17st left to marker), k6CC, k11MC

row 2: k10MC, k8CC, k64MC, k8CC, k10MC

row 3: k9MC, k10CC, k62MC, k10CC, k9MC

row 4: k8MC, k11CC, k62 MC, k11CC, k8MC

rows 5-7: k7MC, k12CC, k62MC, k12CC, k7MC

rows 8-9: k7MC, k3CC, k4MC, k5CC, k62MC, k5CC, k4MC, k3CC, k7MC

rows 10-11: k7MC, k3CC, k1MC, k1CC, k2MC, k5CC, k62MC, k5CC, k2MC, k1CC, k1MC, k3CC, k7MC

row 12: k8 MC, k10CC, k64MC, k10CC, k8MC

row 13: k9MC, k8CC, k66MC, k8CC, k9MC

You should still have 100 stitches!

You might find that there is a gap behind - where you have carried your yarn across. I solved this little problem by stitching round the edge. 

The rest of the hat is extremely straight forward.
Knit 25 stitches, place a marker. Knit 50 stitches, place a marker (these markers are at the edges of the hat and will be where you make your decreases, so it's better if you make them a different colour to the end of row marker - this makes sure you have your decreases at the sides of the hat)

The hat will now follow the next four rows until you finish!

Rows 1-3: k all stitches

Row 4:  Knit to first edge marker. Move marker over, k2tog,  knit to next edge marker, move marker over, k2tog, knit to end.

When you have 8 stitches left, cut the yarn leaving a long tail, thread the tail, pass through all the stitches and sew in your ends.

Back to the bottom of the hat...

Fold the headband over (you'll find it does this very easily because of the turning row)  Carefully stitch the band in half - if you do this from the inside of the hat you shouldn't have any stitches showing on the outside.

Pick up and knit 7 stitches along the bottom edge, directly beneath the eyes. Knit 5 rows in stocking stitch - cast off and sew in the ends.  Do this for both sides of the hat - so you have the two teeth.

The nose is a 20st by 20 row square of stocking stitch on 4mm needles. I then held the capoc in the middle, gathered the edges in and stitched them to form a round shape, and then stitched the nose on to the middle of the face, so it slightly overhangs the headband.

FINALLY - make a white pompom - I used cardboard rings that were approximately 3inches across with a 1.5 inch hole - I didn't put loads of wool through as it's going to be slept in, and I didn't want Lewis turning over in the night and whacking me with a solid pompom! Stitch the pompom firmly on to the hat.

Congratulations. You should have a Naruto Sleeping hat!!

Any feedback then either leave me a comment on here, or add me on ravelry - I'm TheLottie.

Happy knitting xxx

Friday 10 December 2010

Matching mitts and booties

So having made the cardigan, and the tiny hat I thought I'd do the whole accessory thing - she is a girl after all!

The mitts and the booties are from the same pattern as the cardigan.






Wednesday 8 December 2010

Baby Cardigan

As we're experiencing the earliest and coldest winter for quite some time I thought I'd knit a little cardi for the new addition to Nikki and Pete's family!


It's from the UK Handknitting Association - a fantastically easy knit that knitted up very quickly - I'm really pleased with the results!

Click to see the pattern picture here...



and tiny kitten buttons were frankly irresistable!

New baby

So my friends Nikki and Pete have had their first baby - a little girl!


Pete is on a photography course at the moment and asked me to make a little hat for the new arrival - which I have - pictures taken by me (rather than him at the moment)!






It's essentially two knitted rectangles stitched together, and then a crocheted flower added as an embellishment. The rectangles are made as follows: Baby DK yarn: CO 40st on to 4mm needles, work 5 rows in 2x2 rib, then work a further 25 rows in stocking stitch. Cast off.  Repeat so you have two identical rectangles then stitch together.

The flower is made by starting with a magic ring - 5DC in to magic ring... ch3, 2tc in to first stitch, 1slst in to same stitch - repeat for all 5 stitches. Fasten off and then attach to hat using a small button as an anchor.

It took me about an hour or so and I'm really pleased with it!