A Hat Full of Spiders!

Aka, butterfly hat, aka Fleece MEGA hat.

So...I invented the warmest hat I've ever worn. Normal hats don't keep my ears warm- they either don't cover my ears or they do cover my eyes, both of which are not that great. Ear flap hats are good if you can find them I guess, but I couldn't find any patterns I really liked. So I made this hat. Then I made it again and then I made it again.

I like it so much because of two things.
1) The shape of it is exactly like the shape of the part of my head that I want to keep warm. That is, it covers my ears and is a bit longer in the back than in the front so it's toasty everywhere.
2) It's lined with polar fleece (or Minkee. So soft!), so it's pretty much impervious to the cold. (If you see my previous post about my glove mittens, you will realize I am a big fan of layered winter gear!

I call this one a Hat Full of Spiders because I think the butterfly stitch looks more like spiders. Plus spiders are way cooler to have on a hat. I saw the butterfly stitch on Knitty Gritty and decided it would make a good hat. Here is a link to a hat that has this stitch. It is a very awesome pattern, and it would have been even awesomer if I had found it before I actually made the hat! I lined it with lavender fleece because that's what I had around and it was snowing so I didn't feel like running to the fabric store!


This pink one was the first hat I made with this pattern, from about a year ago. It's from my first attempt at handspun/ hand-dyed yarn, and it looks kind of goofy. I am very proud of it though. I posted it on craftster a long time ago along with the pattern, but I sucked at posting then and I think it sort of got lost.


Finally, this is another one from last winter. I discovered Paton's SWS, (which I heart immensely) and decided it needed to be a hat. And I decided to add ribbing to see what it would look like. I lined it with Minkee fabric, which is so so so soft, but it doesn't stretch in the direction that I sewed it in, and it's way too tight and I already cut off the extra sean allowance and so I can't rip it out and resew it. So I like it but it hurts to wear for too long!


Here they are all together, a toasty trio.


Anyway, here is the pattern for the basic hat! Don't sell it.

Amazing Hat with Earflaps
By Emily Thomas

Needle: size 7, 16” circular needle. Size 7 dpns.
Yarn: Any worsted weight yarn
Gauge: 18 st x 24 rows = 4”

Earflaps

Work 2 at the same time, with 2 different balls (or two ends).
CO 2
R1: kf&b twice (4 st)
R2: kf&b 4 times (8 st)
R3: kf&b, k6, kf&b (10 st)
R4: kf&b, kf&b, p6, kf&b, kf&b (14 st)
R5: k14
R6: p14
R7: kf&b, k12, kf&b (16 st)
R8: Flap 1: p15, kf&b, CO3 (20 st)
R8: Flap 2: CO3 st to end of previous row, turn, p3, kf&b, p12 (20 st)

From now on, both flaps will be worked together. Break the unused yarn.
R9: kf&b, k19, CO8, continue across and join the flaps, k19 (2nd flap), kf&b (50 st total)
R10: p50 (50 st)
R11: kf&b, k48, kf&b (52 st)
R12: p52
R13: kf&b, k50, kf&b (54 st)
R14: kf&b, p52, kf&b (56 st)
R15: kf&b, k1, kf&b, k50, kf&b, k1, kf&b (60 st)
R16: CO3 at end of previous row, turn, p63, CO3 (66 st)
R17: k across, CO 14, join to knit in the round

Main Hat

Knit around for 4.5” more inches.

Decrease for Top
Switch to dpns when it gets too tight for circulars.

R1: k8, k2tog around
R2: k
R3: k7, k2tog around
R4: k
R5: k6, k2tog around
R6: k
R7: k5, k2tog around
R8: k
R9: k4, k2tog around
R10: k
R11: k3, k2tog around
R12: k
R13: k2, k2tog around
R14: k
R15: k1, k2tog around
R16: k2tog around until 6 st remain.

Break off about 12” of yarn. Thread it through remaining stitches and pull to close. Weave in all ends.

Blocking will help keep the edges from rolling up.

Lining

Cut an 18” x 12” piece of polar fleece.
Fold in half (the hamburger way) so it is now 9” x 12”.
Sew with a ½” seam allowance to make a tube.
With chalk (ok, I used a blue highlighter) draw this pattern along the top of the tube:


Pin the adjacent edges of the arcs together and sew, so that all the points come together at the top.

Try the hat on with the seam in the back. (You’ll probably want to trim it a bit so you can breathe.) Put the knit hat on over the fleece hat. Draw the outline of the knit hat onto the fleece, leaving enough room to turn the edge under.

Cut along the line. Pin the fleece lining into the knit hat, turning the edge under. Sew along the bottom edge.

Edging

To even out the edges, I crocheted along the edge. Single crochet or crab stitch would work well for this.

Tassels (make 2)

Cut three to five 25” lengths of yarn and twist together until they twist back on themselves. Tie a knot at the end. Attach to the ear flaps (a crochet hook is helpful here).

There you go! A new hat!

Oscar Pattern

All right, here's the pattern. My excuse for not putting it up sooner is that we spent the weekend in Omaha watching Oregon State cream North Carolina for the second year in a row at the College World Series! Go Beavers!


Now that this little guy is done, I am working frantically on turning all my OSU t-shirts (I literally have about 30, mostly ones I got for free from helping at outreaches) into a quilt. It sounds easier than it has been so far, mostly because I am trying to cut 15" squares on an 11" cutting mat, and apparently interfacing comes in skinny bolts, not 1 yd bolts like other fabric so I didn't buy enough. I am sure it will turn out great, though, in like a month.

Anyway, without further ado...

Oscar Pattern!

Yarn
2 balls of Salsa/ Brazilian in Lime Green (I don’t know if this is still available, but you’ll find something that will work, I’m sure)
1-2 hank of Cascade 220 in Grey Tweed
1 ball of Lion Brand Microspun in Black
1 ball of Lion Brand Microspun in Fuschia
1 ball of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Grey (if you don’t want to get two of Cascade 220)
A bit of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Taupe

Needles
Size 10.5 (6.5 mm) straight needles
Size 10.5 (6.5 mm) double pointed needles (4 or 5)
Size 15 (10 mm) circular needle (16”)
Size 6 (4 mm) straight needles
Size H (5 mm) crochet hook

Notions
Googly eyes
Tapestry needle
Glue
Grey sewing thread and needle
Polyester fiberfill

Pattern

Head
Work back and forth with 2 strands of Salsa held together, using 10.5 straight needles.

CO 20
Work 8 rows of garter st.

Increase section (work increases by knitting into each strand of the stitch)
R1: *K2, K both strands. Repeat from * across. (26 st)
R2: K
R3: *K2, K both strands. Repeat from * across. (35 st)
R4: K
R5: *K4, K both strands. Repeat from * across. (42 st)
R6: K
R7: (Mouth opening) K13, BO 16, K13.
R8: K13, CO 16, K13.
R9-12: K
R13: (eye indent decreases) K16, K3tog, K4, K3tog, K16.
R14-16: K
R17: (eye indent increases) K16, K 1st strand of next st f&b, K 2nd strand of st, K4, K 1st strand of next st, K 2nd strand of st f&b, K16.
R18: K
R19: *K4, K2tog. Repeat from * across. (35 st)
R20: K
R21: *K2, K2tog. Repeat from * across. (27 st)
R22: K
R23: *K2, K2tog. Repeat from * across. (21 st)
R24: K
R25: *K1, K2tog. Repeat from * across. (14 st)
R26: *K2tog. Repeat from * across. (7 st)
R27: *K2tog. Repeat from * across. K1. (4 st)

Break yarn, thread needle, draw yarn through last 4 st. Use the tail of the yarn to sew up the back of the head, leaving the neck open to attach to body.

Mouth
Work back and forth following chart in st st using Lion Brand Microspun in black and fuschia with size 6 needles.

With black: CO 8
R1: Kf&b, P6, Kf&b. (10 st)
R2: Kf&b, K8, Kf&b. (12 st)
R3: Kf&b, P10, Kf&b. (14 st)
R4: Kf&b, K12, Kf&b. (16 st)
R5: Kf&b, P14, Kf&b. (18 st)
R6: Kf&b, K16, Kf&b. (20 st)
R7: P across.
R8: Kf&b, K18, Kf&b. (22 st)
R9: P across.
R10: Kf&b, K20, Kf&b. (24 st)
R11: P across.
R12 (middle row): K across.
R13 (begin following color chart from the top down): P across.
R14: K2tog, K20, K2tog. (22 st)
R15: P across.
R16: K2tog, K18, K2tog. (20 st)
R17: P across.
R18: K2tog, K16, K2tog. (18 st)
R19: P2tog, P14, P2tog. (16 st)
R20: K2tog, K12, K2tog. (14 st)
R21: P2tog, P10, P2tog. (12 st)
R22: K2tog, K8, K2tog. (10 st)
R23: P2tog, P6, P2tog. (8 st)
BO.

Break yarn, weave in ends. With black end nearest bottom of tongue, weave up the center of tongue to create a line.

Using one strand of Salsa, whipstitch the mouth into the hole in the head.


Body
Work in the round in st st using 2 strands of Salsa held together with 10.5 dpns.

CO 20, join to work in the round.
K around for ~1 inch (I did 3” and it’s just too long…).
Next row: *Kf&b. Repeat from * across.
Next row: K around.
Next row: *K2, Kf&b. Repeat from * across.
K around until almost out of yarn, leaving enough to bind off and sew any remaining seams.
BO.

Head finishing
Lightly stuff the head to see how it will be shaped. Glue googly eyes into the indented place above the mouth. Let dry completely. If you are giving this to kids, use eyes that you can sew on tightly instead of gluing.

To make eyebrows, cut about a 1’ strand of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. Pull the two plies of the yarn apart. Gently pull each of these plies apart. Hold all four pieces together, and thread the tapestry needle. Beginning at the outer corner of one eye, leave a few-inch-long tail and loosely whipstitch across the top of the eye to create an eyebrow. End in between the eyes. Pull the end of the yarn back through all stitches created. Do the same with the tail at the beginning. Repeat for the other eye. Fluff up the eyebrows by pulling the wool apart a bit more. Make sure to place the eyebrows correctly or they look ridiculous (see picture). ☺

Sew the head to the body at the neck parts of each.

The head is shaped in three places: 1) to pull the eyes into the head to make him look grumpier. 2) to pull the back of the mouth in so it doesn’t pop out when stuffed. 3) to pull the chin down on the neck so he isn’t looking upward. To do each of these shapings, thread a tapestry needle with about a foot of one strand of Salsa for 1 and 3, or with grey wool-ease for 2. For shaping 1) stab the bottom of the head leaving a tail, push it through to where the nose would be, grab a couple of stitches, and push it back down to the starting place. Pull until the eyes are as far into the head as you like, tie a knot, weave in the ends. For shaping 2) stab the back of the head in the same way, grab a strand of mouth yarn, stab it back out and tie a knot. For shaping 3) grab a couple of stitches from both the chin and the neck and tie them together. These instructions probably don’t make sense, but it will be ok if you don’t do them.


Arms (make 2)
Work back and forth in St st with 2 strands of Salsa held together using size 10.5 straight needles.

CO 20
R1: BO 5, P15.
R2: K15, CO5.
Repeat rows 1&2 four more times.
BO 20.

Break yarn. With the yarn end nearest the fingers, weave through a finger until yarn is at the wrist. Draw the end through both sides of the wrist to make a cylinder with the purl side out. Tie a knot. Finish weaving in ends.


Garbage Can

Work in the round in K4 P4 rib using Cascade 220 with size 15 circular needles.

CO 48, join to work in the round.
K 2 rounds.
Next row: *K5, Kf&b. Repeat from * across. (56 st)
Next row: *K5, P2, K1. Repeat from * across.
Next row: *K4, P4. Repeat from * across.
Repeat this row until garbage can measures about 11.”
Next row: *K5, P2, K1. Repeat from * across.
K 2 rounds.
BO.

Put in a zippered pillowcase. Throw in the washing machine with some jeans to felt it. (Don’t over-felt or he won’t fit inside!) Pull to shape, let dry.

Garbage Can Bottom
Use grey Wool-Ease and a size H crochet hook. You can use Cascade 220 if you’d like.

Make a loop of yarn.
Sc 6 stitches into the loop, sl st to join in the round. Pull the loop to get rid of the hole.
*Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st. Repeat from * around.
*Sc in next two sts, 2 sc in next st. Repeat from * around.
Continue crocheting around like this, increasing by sc 2 st in a stitch to keep it flat, until the circle is the same size as the bottom of the garbage can.

Using one strand of whatever yarn used to crochet it, whipstitch to the bottom of the can.

Finishing
Stuff the head, body and garbage can. Using the sewing needle and thread, sew the body to the inside of the can. Using one strand of Salsa, sew the arms to the sides of the body. Shape, and enjoy!