This hat was designed to give me some practice with Fair Isle knitting. I had never attempted Fair Isle before but this was a truly easy project that didn’t take much time. I highly recommend doing miniature versions of patterns (like training socks and training mittens) before you start a new project that you’ve never done before. I am not certain that it is truly a Fair Isle pattern. However, it came out beautifully and is sized to fit a medium preemie.
Skill Level: Easy (at least I thought so)
Size: 8” circumference, 4 ½” tall
Materials:
1 set size 3 double pointed needles
1 skein white
1 skein light pink
1 skein rose
(I used Red Heart Super Saver)
Stitch Marker’s (I use twisty ties from garbage bags)
Blunt End (Tapestry) Needle
Gauge:
6 sts to an inch. (I admit I never check my gauge)
Hat:
Cast on 48 sts. I used the long tail cast on. Divide evenly on to 3 needles. Join being careful not to twist sts. Place marker at beginning of round. Work K1, P1 ribbing for 1,” then work stockinette stitch until measures 3.5”
Shape crown
Next Rnd: *K6, k2tog, repeat from * around 42 sts.
Rnd 2: *K5, k2tog, repeat from * around 36 sts.
Rnd 3: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * around 30 sts.
Continue to decrease in this manner until there are 6 sts left.
Cut yarn about 6”, Weave into the remaining 6 sts, tie off, cut leaving short tail, weave in tail.
Very Important Note:
To ensure that you don’t end up with holes on the seem edge during a color change at the last stitch of the round I did a knit front and back loop increase (kfb), then slipped the newly created stitch onto the 1st needle, adding my new color by knitting the first 2 stitches together.
EXAMPLE:
RND 1 WHITE ST st
RND 2 WHITE Knit to last stitch, KFB
RND 3 Slip new st onto 1st needle, attach PINK color, K2TOG using PINK yarn
RND 4 PINK ST st
I had one skein of yarn on each side of me and one in the front. It really kept the yarn from becoming tangled. I attached the light pink at the 3rd round and then the rose at the 7th round. From that point on they just dangled.
For a great demonstration on Fair Isle knitting and kfb increase go to www.knittinghelp.com.
The way I worked it:
Repeat the following til end of round
RND 1, 2 WHITE
RND 3, 4 LIGHT PINK
RND 5, 6 WHITE
RND 7, 8 ROSE
RND 9 WHITE
RND 10 LIGHT PINK
RND 11 K1 WHITE, K1 ROSE
RND 12 WHITE
RND 13 K2 LIGHT PINK, K1 WHITE
RND 14 WHITE
RND 15 K1 WHITE, K3 ROSE
RND 16 K2 WHITE, K1 LIGHT PINK, K1 WHITE
RND 17 K1 WHITE, K3 ROSE
RND 18 WHITE
RND 19 K2 LIGHT PINK, K1 WHITE
RND 20 WHITE
RND 21 K1 WHITE, K1 ROSE
RND 22 LIGHT PINK
RND 23 WHITE
RND 24 ROSE
RND 25 WHITE
RND 26 LIGHT PINK
Shape Crown Rounds:
RND 27 K6 WHITE, K2TOG ROSE
RND 28 K5 LIGHT PINK, K2TOG ROSE
RND 29 K4 WHITE, K2TOG ROSE
RND 30 K3 LIGHT PINK, K2TOG ROSE
RND 31 K2 WHITE, K2TOG ROSE
RND 32 K1 LIGHT PINK, K2TOG ROSE
RND 33 K2TOG ROSE
I appologize I don't have the chart saved as a picture. It was created in excel. I will add it as soon as I can. Enjoy and God Bless You!
