This week is National Knitting Week (6-12 October), a celebration of snuggly jumpers, woolly hats, and that thing with one too many arms (or legs) that your Grandma once made you. The official soundtrack is the rhythmic click-clack of knitting needles.
By way of celebration I've dived into the odds and ends of yarn at the bottom of my knitting basket and started knitting little hats for the Innocent Big Knit. It's really nice to work on a small project that gives almost immediate gratification for once--I'm still beavering away at my quilt bur the quilting design I went for feels absolutely endless.
If you haven't heard of the Innocent Big Knit, then here's a handy video for you:
I love seeing all the little be-hatted bottles on the shelves and it's much more fun than if Innocent were just to donate to AgeUK. Plus, there are apparently collectors out there, who pay insane prices for the hats on eBay!!
I've been working my way through lots of the fantastic patterns on Jo's Big Knit and stretching my design muscles a little. The three 'cake hats' in front are my own designs--I might have been craving cake when I came up with the carrot cake! Thinking of things to turn into hats has been such a lot of fun. I might try doing a jar of jam next and embroidering the label. First though, I need to make a cup of tea to go with the cakes!
As I'm particularly pleased with my Viccy Sponge hat, I thought I'd leave my pattern for it, in case anyone else fancies making one (or improving upon it). French knots aren't my thing, so I'm certain that yours will be better than mine!!
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Victoria Sponge knitted hat |
Victoria Sponge
light brown DK yarn (a sponge brown)
red DK yarn (suitably jam coloured)
cream DK yarn
4mm knitting needles
3.50mm crochet hook
wool needle
With the brown yarn cast on 28 stitches.
Purl one row.
Knit one row.
Starting with a knit row, stocking stitch (ss) 4 rows.
Join in the red yarn and knit one row. Cut off the red yarn leaving a tail to work in at the end to secure the stitches.
Join in the cream yarn and purl one row. Cut off the cream yarn leaving a tail.
Resume working with the brown yarn and ss 4 more rows.
Shaping top of cake:
Purl one row
Knit one row (this creates a handy ridge for you to sew the icing to)
Starting with a knit row ss 2 rows
(K2, K2tog) repeat to end
Purl one row
(K1, K2tog) repeat to end
Purl one row
(K2tog) repeat to end.
Cut the yarn leaving a long tail enough to sew up the hat. Thread a yarn needle and run the tail through the remaining stitches, pull up tightly and secure. Sew hat up from the wrong side by oversewing row ends. Work in the loose ends from creating the filling. Turn right side out.
Crochet the icing (US crochet terms)
The icing is worked in continuous rounds until the very end, as shown in the pattern. I use a paperclip as a stitch marker (I keep losing the proper ones!)
NB. If you wanted daintier icing, you could use 4ply yarn with a smaller hook. Thanks for the suggestion, Julia!
With cream yarn make a magic loop:
Round 1: 6 sc into loop. (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)
Round 3: (2 sc in next st, sc in next st) 6 times. (18 sc)
Round 4: (2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts) 6 times. (24 sc)
Round 5: (2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 3 sts) 6 times. (30 sc)
Round 6: 3 sc in each st around, sl st in next st to join, fasten off, weave in the short end from the magic loop and leave the long end to sew onto the cake.
Assembly
With red yarn sew a ring of French knots around the top of the icing, as shown in the picture. Fasten securely.
Sew the decorated icing piece to the top of the cake. I found it easiest to put the cake onto an empty smoothie bottle, pin the icing on, and then sew from just behind the frill of the icing down into the ridged row at the beginning of the shaping.