Help keep a soldier warm when the temperature plunges.
Share a little bit of heartfelt and practical warmth with the troops in Afghanistan with a handmade, knitted hat that will help to keep away the cold during the severe winters that country experiences. The hat is simple to make and requires very little previous knitting experience, just a basic understanding of some easy stitches. Even as a novice knitter, you can complete the hat in about an hour.
Instructions
Knit the Hat
1. Cast on 86 stitches to the U.S. size 8 knitting needles.
2. Work the first row in ribbing. Knit the first stitch and then purl the next. Continue across the row in this pattern.
3. Repeat the above ribbing until the work measures 1 inch. This creates the bottom brim of the hat.
4. Switch to the U.S. size 9 knitting needles. Knit this entire first row. Purl the next row. This is a stockinette stitch. Repeat this until you have created six inches in this stitch. End the stockinette stitch with a purl row.
Shape the Hat's Top
5. Knit three stitches and then knit three stitches together by sliding the needle through three stitches at the same time -- this is abbreviated K3tog. Continue this pattern across the row. This pattern creates the domed-shape top of the hat and gradually reduces the number of stitches on your needles.
6. Purl the next row.
7. Knit three stitches on the next row and then K3tog. Repeat across the row. Purl the next row. Purl the next row. Repeat the knit three, K3tog row and then a purl row until you have six to eight stitches remaining on the needle.
Finish the Hat
8. Measure out 12 inches of yarn from your final stitch. Cut the yarn here.
9. Thread the yarn through the remaining stitches on your needle and then slide the stitches off the needle. Pull firmly to gather the top of the hat.
10. Fold the hat so the sides lie together. Thread the 12 inches of yarn onto a yarn needle and sew a straight stitch along the side of the hat. Start at the top of the hat and work toward the bottom.
11. Tie a knot at the bottom of the hat and cut off the excess yarn. Flip the hat right side out, and your creation is ready to keep a deserving service member warm.
Tags: three stitches, Purl next, inches yarn, knit three, Knit three
