Xmas Tree Helmet Hat

Mrs. T was walking in the woods with her daughter P. The girl was wearing her Xmas tree hat, decorated with wooden beads.
“I’m still cold,” she told her mother. “I want a hat just like the one I wore when I was still a toddler.” She meant a helmet hat. “But it has to look like an Xmas tree too, with a real trunk on it!” So there in the woods little P. designed her first hat! It’s the Xmas Tree Helmet Hat.

Back at home, Mrs. T climbed the stairs to her stash attic, grabbed some green and brown yarn and took 4 of us out of our box. First she knitted this Xmas tree hat again. Then she picked up 48 stitches from the last garter stitch row and knitted two rows in garter stitch 2. Then she cast on 32 extra stitches. (They form the open part in the helmet) She divided the 80 stitches evenly over the needles en connected them in the round and knitted 20 more cm/8 inches in garter stitch. The extra warm Xmas Tree Helmet Hat is finished! Mrs. T didn’t decorate this tree so P. can also wear it after Christmas!


You can of course use any Xmas tree hat pattern as basis. If necessary, adapt the number of stitches you pick up and cast on. (Mrs. T used a few less sts for the trunk as for the tree itself)

(Pictures were taken at the farm where Mrs. T buys her Xmas tree each year!)

Fishy in Knitty!

Someday this autumn, the 4 needles saw mrs. T jumping trough the room, shouting ‘Yes, yes, yes’! This happiness appeared to be aroused by an e-mail of the editor of Knitty, saying ‘You’re in!” The Dead Fish Hat pattern was to be submitted in Knitty’s winter 2008 edition!
It was not a joke, you can find the pattern here.
We, the 4needles, feel like we are a bit famous. In fact, we are the ones who knitted these hats in the first place! (With a little help of mrs. T of course!)

Half Fish Beanie

Proud as mrs. T. may be of her Fishy hat, she is not blind to the fact that some people wouldn’t dare to walk around with a dead fish on their head. Even not if it’s a woolly knitted one. Maybe this clear insight is because two of her own children (teenagers…) wouldn’t want to be seen dead wearing with the mentioned thing…
That’s why she designed a less decorated version of her Fishy. It’s a beanie with just a fishtail on top. She calls it ‘Half fish beanie’ and here’s the pattern!

Half Fish Beanie
Size:
large child/small adult
Finished measurements: circumvence 50 cm (unstretched)

Materials:
1 set US #3/3.25 mm dp needles (or size needed to obtain gauge)
and about 50 gr yarn in any color(s) you like.
(Mrs. T used unknown acrylic yarn from stash).

Gauge:
18 sts and 28 rows = 10 cm/4 inches

Pattern:
Cast on 86 sts using needle size US 3/3.25 mm. Divide sts (almost) evenly between needles and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Work in 2x2 rib stitch (k2, p2) for 2,5 cm/1 inch.
Start knitting in stockinette st and work until hat measures 10 centimeters/4 inches. Now prepare work for decreasing: K21, place marker, k22, place marker, k21, place marker, K 22, place marker.
Decreasing:
Row 1: k to 3 sts before marker, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2 tog, repeat 3 times (8 sts decreased).
Row 2: k all
Repeat row 1 and 2 seven times more until 22 sts remain.

Fish tail
K 3 rounds.

Next Round: K17; place last 11 sts worked on small st holder.

First half of tail will be worked back and forth over remaining 11 sts on needles (last 5 sts of current round and first 6 sts of next round).
Row 1 [RS]: [K1, kfb] 5 times, k1. 16 sts.

Even-Numbered Rows 2-6 [WS]: P all sts.

Row 3 [RS]: [K1, kfb] to end. 24 sts.

Row 5 [RS]: K1, kfb, [k3, kfb] 5 times, k2. 30 sts.

Rows 7-12: Work in stockinette st.

Row 13 [RS]: K1, k2tog, k to last 3 sts, ssk, k1. 28 sts.

Row 14 [WS]: P all sts.

Rows 15-20: Work as for Rows 13-14. 22 sts.

Row 21 [RS]: Work as for Row 13. BO remaining 20 sts.
Replace held sts on needle and rejoin yarn with RS facing.

Work Rows 1-21 as for first half of tail.

Sew tailparts and weave in ends.