Apple-Picking Helmet (a pattern)

I needed something to keep my hands busy for the car ride on Saturday, and grabbed some yarn from my stash without a clear idea of what it would become. I imagine the result would be the perfect apple-picking hat - warm around the ears without screaming "winter" just yet, and offering some decent padding in defense of randomly falling fruit. The garter stitch edge is purposely a little floppy on the back (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) in order to give the back of your neck a little more protection.
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Materials

2 skeins Infatuation by Yarn Bee
1 skein classic Red Heart
(Both yarns are held together throughout.)



Size 8 double-pointed needles
Size 8 circular needle in a small enough length to handle 20" or so of work.
Size 17 needles (for matching scarf)


Gauge for hat: about 2.5 stitches per inch. Luckily, this hat relies more on gravity than on elasticity to stay on your head, so it's okay if the hat turns out a bit large.


Helmet


Ear Flaps (make 2)
Cast on 4 stitches
Knit 20 rows of I cord.
Knit 1, increase 2, knit last stitch
Knit across.
Continue garter stitch, increasing 1 stitch in the second stitch from each edge in every other row until you have 20 stitches. *
Break yarn and place first flap on stitch marker (or string the tail of your yarn through it).


When the second flap is complete, switch to circular needle and cast on 20 stitches.
Place marker, then place second flap on left needle and knit across.
Cast on 20 more stitches
You should have a total of 80 stitches on your needles.

BEING CAREFUL NOT TO TWIST (we all know this, and yet I did it again), join work into a circle. Work 5 rows of garter stitch in the round.

Next row (switching to Stockinette Stitch): Knit 20 stitches of ear flap, knit 1 stitch of back, knit two together, knit 14, SSK, knit 1, and knit the rest of the round. You have just decreased two stitches right behind the ears to pull the hat in a bit at the back of the neck.
Knit one round.
Knit 20 stitches of ear flap, knit 1 stitch of back, knit two together, knit 12, SSK, knit 1, and knit the rest of the round.
Knit one round.
Knit 20 stitches of ear flap, knit 1 stitch of back, knit two together, knit 10, SSK, knit 1, and knit the rest of the round.
Knit one round.
Knit 20 stitches of ear flap, knit 1 stitch of back, knit two together, knit 8, SSK, knit 1, and knit the rest of the round. You have now decreased a total of 8 stitches, and should have 72 stitches left on your needles.
Work even in stockinette stitch until your hat measures about 5" from the cast-on. (If you'd like your hat to come a little further down onto your eyebrows, keep going until about 5.5".)

First decrease row: Knit 6, knit 2 together, repeat until end of round.
Second decrease row: knit.
Third decrease row: Knit 5, knit 2 together, repeat until end of round.
Fourth decrease row: knit.
Fifth decrease row: Knit 4, knit 2 together, repeat until end of round. Switch back to double-pointed needles as necessary.
Sixth decrease row: knit.
Seventh decrease row: Knit 3, knit 2 together, repeat until end of round.
Eighth decrease row: knit.
Ninth decrease row: Knit 2, knit 2 together, repeat until end of round.
Tenth decrease row: knit.
Eleventh decrease row: Knit 1, knit 2 together, repeat until end of round.
Twelfth decrease row: knit.
Thirteenth decrease row: Knit 2 together, repeating to end of round.
Fourteenth decrease row: knit. You should now have a total of 9 stitches. I found it easier to rearrange them so I had 3 stitches each on 3 needles.
For each set of 3 stitches, slip one stitch, knit 2 together, then pass the slipped stitch over the decreased one. You should now have 3 stitches left.

Break yarn and draw through loops. Draw the yarn tight and secure it, then weave it in on the private side of the hat. Weave in remaining bits of yarn, and enjoy.


* Did that make sense? In other words, every odd row would be "knit 1, increase one, knit to the second stitch before the end, increase one, knit one."


Scarf

I had yarn left over (those Red Heart skeins go forever), and decided a matching scarf would be appropriate. I wanted to mimic the combination of stockinette and garter stitch in the hat, but I really didn't want to think too hard or take too long with the scarf. So:



Using the size 17 needles, cast on 18.
Work 5 rows of garter stitch.
Row 1: knit.
Row 2: knit 3, purl 12, knit 3.

Continue rows 1 and 2 until the scarf is the length you want or you are in danger of running out of yarn. (I wasn't even close.)

Work 5 more rows of garter stitch.
Bind off loosely and weave in ends.


(c) 2007 by Jami Huisjen Scott
All rights reserved unless it's for a good cause, yada yada yada