FO and Pattern: Katamari Damacy Prince of All Cosmos Baby Hat!

Katamari Damacy Prince of All Cosmos Baby Hat

Size

infant (it fits my 2 month old daughter with PLENTY of room to spare, and it ties on, so it is somewhat adjustable)

Materials

worsted and sport weight yarn (I used Red Heart Designer Sport and scraps of acrylic worsted):

-spring/medium green (RH Designer Sport)- if you use worsted for everything, there are numbers in parentheses for you to use instead.

-neon/light green

-forest/dark green

-yellow

-red

-polyfil stuffing

-tapestry needle

Hook

US size F/G (you want a firm fabric- the hand/drape is more crucial than the gauge)

Gauge

approx 3 sc/inch in worsted (sides and antenna), 4 sc/inch in sport (bonnet part)

PATTERN

Bonnet

Top and sides

With medium green, ch 56 (42), and turn. Starting with 2^nd ch, sc back across chain. 55 (41) st.

Sc back and forth through both loops for 18 (14) rows, break yarn, and fasten off.

Back of bonnet

The bound-off side of your crochet is where you’ll be resuming your work. Imagine it divided into three sections: 18-19-18 (14-13-14) st. You’ll be working the center 19 (13) st, crocheting the st from the side sections together with the last st of each row to make a half-box shape, like a cube with the front and bottom missing.

On 19^th (15^th) st in, attach yarn and ch 2. Sc for 16 (12) st, and then dec (insert hook into next st, yo and draw loop through; insert hook into next st, yo and draw loop through, yo and draw yarn through 3 loops on hook- 1 st decreased). *Ch 1 and turn. Sc back across the row you just did (it’s 19 (13) st total), but when you get to the last st, dec, using the last sc of your row and the st from the row below. * Repeat from * to * until you run out of st from the row below- it’s going to get box shaped as you go. This is the same concept as turning a flap heel on a sock, if that helps.

Antenna

With yellow, ch 4, sl st in first chain. 6 sc into loop.

Sc around for 2 rows (6 sc)

dec, sc around (5 sc)

Sc around for 1 row

2 sc, dec, sc (4 sc)

Sc for 1 row

Dec, sc around (3 sc)

Switch to red:

2 sc in each st (6 sc)

*sc, 2 sc in 1 st* repeat around (9 sc)

Sc around

*sc, dec* around (6 sc)

Dec around (3 sc)

Sc, dec, break yarn and draw through loops.

Bonnet bumps

With dark green, ch 4, sl st in first ch to make a loop.

6 sc in loop (6 sc)

*2 sc in one st* around (12 sc)

*sc, 2 sc in one st* (18 sc)

*2 sc, 2 sc in one st* (24 sc)

*3 sc, 2 sc in one st* (30 sc)

*4 sc, 2 sc in one st* (36 sc)

*5 sc, 2 sc in one st* (42 sc)

Sc around for 5 rounds.

Switch to light green and sc around for 4 rounds.

Switch to med green (held doubled if you’re using sport weight) and sc around for 5 rounds. Sl st in next st and fasten off.

Assembly

Using whip st, sew antenna to top center of bonnet with yarn tail.

Lightly stuff head bumps and sew to sides of bonnet, using photograph to help center them. They will overlap onto the back panel a little bit.

Strap

Using yellow yarn, ch 30, then sl st around front opening of bonnet, starting on left side (facing the hat), ch 30. You should be working across the right side of the bonnet. Sc back over ch and sl st through back loops- this makes the ties and frames the front of the bonnet.

Weave in ends and enjoy! My baby loves wearing her hat and enjoys bopping the padded sides against things- it’s like a little baby helmet.

Sizing considerations

In order to make the bonnet wider, ch more than 55 st to start. To make it deeper, work more sc rows before fastening off and crocheting the back. In order to make a grown-up size, make a bonnet to fit the recipient’s head. Make the antenna a little longer, and continue crocheting the end of the head bumps using *x sc, 2 sc in one st*, increasing x on each round by 1. You’ll increase the length of the ties, too.

Happy Halloween!

None of us are free until all of us are free.

Not just some, or a few, or the ones at the top, or them but not me, or me but not them.

And certainly not just the ones with the fucking guns.

I will be enjoying the Olympics this year. I mean, it's the Speedo Olympics, after all. Also, I have a soft spot for the indomitable human spirit, and the Olympics brings it out all day, every day. But I will not forget that no matter where the games are held, any place on Earth, there is a contradiction between the spirit of the Olympics and the actual opportunities and rights of the people who live in the host nation. Or anywhere, for that matter.

Here comes the preachy part (I never get preachy, either... maybe whiny, or grumpy, or angry...):

So get your popcorn and your Olympic-branded beverage of choice (sigh) and enjoy the thrill of watching some of the most talented athletes on Earth continue to best each other and the generations of humans who came before. But maybe think about the people of Tibet a little, too, and what we can do to make the indomitable human spirit a little more like the indomitable humans, period.

Also, check out this blog if you want sweet yarn that screams Free Tibet!

FO: Bibstravaganza

Well, I did it. The knitting was done a while ago, but it took time to sew on the velcro (without a thimble- ugh.).

Bibstravaganza (lime green bib not pictured)
US size 5 needles
Sugar and Cream yarn, lots and lots (less than a skein per bib)

I based these on the Bibs O' Love from Mason Dixon Knitting. I didn't have the book, so I improvised. I got about 4 st to the inch, so I cast on 36 stitches and knit till there were 30 garter ridges. I bound off till there were only 9 stitches left (25%) and knit till the strap had 36 ridges, or until I could fold it diagonally across the bib itself. Sew on a little velcro and tada!

I didn't want to do buttons because the dogs are button fiends, and I fear I can never sew a button on tight enough to prevent them from eating it. For sweaters, this is not an issue, but bibs get tossed around and torn off and dropped on the floor enough that I was a little concerned.

I love the stupid kitchen cotton, although it's a little splitty (even for me). I really like the hand of the finished fabric, and the garter ridges are great for wiping spit/gunk/baby-ness off of Vivienne's face. I might embroider on these, or maybe make little felt appliqué patches. The orange one is just crying out for a little black bat or a Jack 'o' lantern. I highly recommend this project to anyone who needs baby accessories and who could use a little garter stitch therapy.