Untitled Document

Simple Baby Hat With a Ruffle By Jinny Davis 
Taken from News & Views Vol 25, December '95 with author's permission
(Natalie's Aunt Jeanece)  
http://www.nataliesknitting.com

Image shown is Natalie's version
See below machine pattern for hand knit directions by Natalie
Pattern fits newborn, adjust inches for bigger baby. Dimensions: Without the neck edge of hat hem:
  11" X 6" rectangle.

Jinny says: These are very pretty little hats, easy to make, and if you haven't used your Garter Bar
 for holding work while you complete other parts,  this will give you an opportunity to give it a try. 
(Not necessary to use a garter bar)
Natalie says: Round out the hat after finishing with steam blocking. 
Pull the height into the hat, and steam, then pat and steam while tugging into a rounded head shape.
Gentle if it's acrylic! 

To use the Garter Bar: Pull the needles to E position, 
place the garter bar on the needles and pull the st into the Garter Bar. 
There are 2 sides, and the side you want is the one with 2 rolled edges and grooves on the inside of the bar 
(where the needles hook on). 
To replace the st, place the garter bar back onto the needles 
and pull the st back behind the latches on the needles.

Note: You can make the hat larger by increasing the amount of st and add proportionally to the ribbing. 
Determine what amount of ribbing you need by holding the side of the hat to the needle bed
 and determine the approximate number required.

Yarn: Mary Lou's Solo, English 4 ply, Tamm 3 ply
Gauge: 8 st/10 rows
Suggested Tensions: Ten 7.1 Solo; Ten 7 English 4 ply; Ten 6 Tamm 3 ply

Abbreviations:
CO = Cast On
EON = Every Other Needle
LTBO = Latch Tool Bind Off
St = Stitches
BO = Bind Off

Pattern

Ruffle: Row count 000 Prepare ruffle by casting on 140 st. (Natalie added 1/3 again as many st
for even more ruffle)
E-wrap CO [L70/R70] Knit 12 rows. Take off on ravel cord and waste yarn and set aside.

Main Body of Hat:
Row count 000. CO 70 st with E-wrap or Crochet cast on. Knit 1 row. (COL)
Starting with the second st from the left, transfer EON to the right, keeping empty needles in working position.
Knit to Row 55 (COL) Remove work from machine with ravel cord and waste yarn or use garter bar.

Hang the ruffle on empty bed, using needles L35 to R 35, hanging 2 stitches on every needle.
(Natalie had to hang many needles with 3 st for extra ruffle. Splitting it up by hanging the end st, then the center,
then the centers of those centers for spacing. I hung ruffle knit side facing me)

Rehang hat: from ravel cord or garter bar and knit 1 row.
(RC56) Set machine to hold and pull EON out and knit 2 rows.
(RC58) Release hold and knit to row 68.

Hem: Starting with the second st from the left, transfer EON to the right, keeping empty needles
in working position. (This will form a picot trim when finished.) Knit 10 more rows to RC 78.

Hang Hem: Remove weights and bringing work up,
fold it so that you can see the last row knit before the holding rows.
There are small little "holes" that come from the holding st,
you want to pick up the st in the row just before them.
When you start picking these up, you should be able to see them easily.
and using transfer tool, rehang these stitches so that you form a hem. Knit one row to catch in hem, and LTBO.
(Natalie used backstitch BO for elasticity around the growing face)

Decorative edge finish: Wrong side of hat facing, pick up 3 st at face edge of work, using the st from the LTBO,
and knit 6 rows. *Pick up next 3 st and knit 6 rows.* Continue across work until edge is complete.
On the last set of 3 picked up, don't make the trim, just LTBO at this point.
(This trim finishes the hat at the face and makes a pretty edge.) (Natalie did not do this part)

Ribbing: (Natalie picked up st along bottom edge, and knit 4 rows, transfered for picot hem,
knit 4 rows, then hung hem--no rib)
Bring needles L16/R15 to work position on main bed and corresponding needles for 1X1 rib. Zigzag CO.

RC:000 T3/2 - Slide lever II. *Rib 8 rows and transfer ribber st to main bed. Hang side of hat,
wrong side facing, over rib st and LTBO.*
Repeat second set of ribbing (from * to *) and hang second side same as first.
Sew back seam of ribbing so that ribbing is joined at center back of hat.
(Natalie just repeated the picot hem, as before, on second side. And did not connect them)

Note: When picking up st from the side of hat, begin at the point where you began your "brim section"
where you put the st in hold
and continue to first row of knitting.
If you wish to have a little more ribbing hem on the side, you can fold the "brim" back and pick up those st also,
making sure that you have both edges of the opening on the needles.
Move the ruffle out of the way when working in this area, so that you don't pick up the ruffle edges.

To save time: Make ribbing all in one piece, doubling the amount of st needed
and then hanging both sides of the cap eliminating the need for making 2 sets of ribbing.

Finishing:
Sew the opening sides of the brim edge, and join the ribbing at the center back seam
(Natalie picked up both lower edges, including the hem, when hanging the picot hem
bottom edge--so no seam to close, and no attaching at the back)
make cording or lace ribbon through picot holes at back of hat to close the opening. Tie into a bow.
This part of the hat can be adjusted to the baby's head by making it looser or tighter...
so leave some extra ribbon or cording.


 Pattern Variations

Hat without the ruffle:
To make the hat without the ruffle, knit to row 56. Set machine to hold and pull EON out and knit 2 rows 
(RC58) Release hold and knit to RC 68. 
Starting with the second st from the left transfer EON to the right, keeping empty needles in working position. 
(This will form a picot hem when finished)

Knit 10 more rows to RC 78. 
Remove weights and bring work up, fold it so that you can see the last row knit before the holding rows, 
and using transfer tool, rehang these st so that you form a hem. 
There are small little "holes" that come from the holding st, you want to pick up the st in the row just before them. 
When you start picking these up, you should be able to see them easily. 

Knit one row and LTBO. 
Make finishing trim as before. 

Second Variation: Double Picot Brim:
Follow pattern through RC 78. 
Knit 2 rows, and set machine to hold and pull EON out and knit 2 rows. (RC 82)

Knit 8 rows, make picot row as before. 
Starting with the second st from the left transfer EON to the right, 
keeping empty needles in working position. (RC 90)

Knit 8 more rows (RC 98)
Knit one row and LTBO

Make finishing trim as before.

Hand knit:

Get gauge on prefered yarn and needles, then read over pattern. It's not a word for word pattern,
but you will see it can be done:

Stitch: stockinette st, knit on right side, purl on wrong side.
hat dimensions: Without the neck edge of hat hem, 11" X 6" rectangle.

Ruffle: is cast on 22", knit 1.5" and cast off, or save open stitches until you can knit together with main body of hat.
Saved until hat is nearly done. It is gathered legnthwise, then knit together with main body just before you knit the
brim. Brim is a 1" hem.

Main Body of Hat: Cast on enough stitches to get 11" wide, and knit one row stockinette.
Make lace like picot holes every other stitch, next row add that stitch back in
(for a row of holes to tie up the back of the hat).
Knit 5" and add ruffle by knitting each hat st. with 2 ruffle st knit together on right side of fabric.

Brim: Continue to knit one more inch, make picot hole row, add the stitch back in over the holes on the next row,
and knit one more inch. This can be knit together with the wrong side picked up stitches to match,
to make a hem, or sewn like a hem. The holes, when folded over, make a picot (zig zag) hem.

Picot trim, or rib trim on neck edge: Pick up stitches along short edges of rectangle, including hem,
in smaller needles (2 sizes smaller than main body needles). Either knit a rib for as long as desired for neck edge,
or make a picot hem as for brim. For picot hem knit only 1/4 inch before making picot holes.

Finishing: as for finishing machine knit directions above.

-------------