Monday, November 02, 2009

Warm Bonnet for A Big Girl

Over the weekend I fell in love with this hat designed by the Great Elizabeth Zimmerman. I didn't have the pattern but that didn't stop me from trying to figure it out and make one my size.
Now I know I am no baby, but this is precisely the kind of hat that will keep my head warm since I insist on getting a very short haircut everytime I visit the salon.
The original bonnet has a very cute bull's eye in the back and I decided that would not be a good look on my head, so I fashioned a long mitered rectangle instead.

O you laugh! But you try and take pictures of your head from the back. It took me 34 tries to get these few in focus.
My husband calls this a beat-up hat. Which means that if I wore it to school the kids would beat me up. But then I don't go to school, so I have nothing to fear.
I love anything mitered (no surprise) so this was right up my alley. I used short rows on the neck ribbing to make it slightly longer in back.
The back miter is picked up from the edge of the finished front part, which by the way are two mitered squares of 41 sts, with 20 stitches between the left and the right mitered squares.
102 sts cast on in bulky yarn and size 8 needles. The back miter part is around 60 sts.
The recipe follows, and it is so flexible that you can use whatever works for you.


Recipe for Warm Bonnet for a Big Girl

Since there are so many choices of yarn, needles, and gauge, I thought it would be easiest if you made a garter stitch mitered square swatch to determine the number of stitches to cast on. It is always a good idea to slip the first stitch of every row, to make it easier to pick up stitches later, and to provide a neat edge.
The top of the hat is a rectangle consisting of two miters and the space between. To make it simple, count the number of stitches on ONE side of your miter as x.
So your mitered square is x + one center stitch + x. The number of stitches between the two ends (the two miters) is equal to x. That's all the math there is.
The back is accomplished by picking up stitches along the edge of the front band and decreasing at the top ( you decide where) until only one stitch remains. Then the remaining stitches are closed with a three needle bind off. The optional ribbing at the bottom is made by picking up stitches along the edge and knitting to desired length, loosely binding off. Add I-cord ties to the ribbing. Questions? Email me.

13 comments:

  1. okay... I see now what you were saying. I like this... but I work at a school and I don't want to have any problems..LOL

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  2. I LOVE this cap! I'd like to have one, too ... but I"m not as advanced a knitter as you are. I await your lead.

    :) Linda

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  3. It's a bonnet -- with all the rows upon it! Very Amelia Earhart.

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  4. It looks very warm and cozy! And of course, I love your colors... you and I would have stood out for sure if we had gone to school together! I was all purple and chartreuse, pink and orange, etc... I'll bet you were too!

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  5. LOL! I think your husband is right. Be careful out there if you wear this!!! I think you should make one of those scarfs that have the hood right in them...your neck would be warm, too!

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  6. Well done! My entire getup these days is Beat Up fodder so maybe you and I could start a gang?

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  7. Anonymous8:52 AM

    Mel,don't take any chances, you may still get beat up. In Walmart perhaps.
    The child's bonnet is adorable. v.j. kohout

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  8. What a great bonnet/hat. Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to make one.

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  9. 34 tries and no picture of you just smiling wearing your cute hat. I'm thinking my husband would have something to say if I wore that hat also not sure if I will ever find that out. You have too much time on your hands. Where's the quilts or paints??? I love you & your blog and your knitting. What ever you are doing it is entertaining!

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  10. It looks Amish to me. Not the colors so much - too ostentatious - but the shape seems right.

    I've enjoyed a visit to your blog. Thanks for the informative posts :)

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