A few weeks after this year's Ride the Rockies, I discovered a new yarn.
Not only would a beanie made of this stuff have kept my ears warm on the chilly high-altitude mornings, but the reflective nature of yarn would have been awesome when I left an hour before the sun came up each and every day of the tour.
Of course, I would want a snowflake on my beanie...
I employed tapestry crochet to get the snowflake design. I've included a helpful video below from Tamara Kelly of Moogly if you are unfamiliar with tapestry crochet, which is a form of colorwork in which you crochet over the strands not being used as you work a design rather than carry them loosely across the back or wrong side of the project. The layers of yarn inside tapestry crochet stitches make this beanie even warmer in the pre-dawn hours.
Lizard Beanie without flash
Lizard Beanie with flash
Lizard initially said I could make his beanie black with a gray snowflake, but ultimately decided he didn't want a snowflake on his beanie. He wanted solid black. Very manly. His beanie is not as thick as mine, but the difference is negligible; it's still a great ear warmer, and it fits perfectly beneath his helmet. The vents on both our helmets allow reflective yarn to do its job under our helmets when illuminated by vehicle headlights.
Guess what's going to be going along with me on my next Ride the Rockies!
You may do whatever you'd like with beanies you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!
Finished Size: 8 inches high, 18 inches circumference
Materials: One 3.5-ounce skein of Red Heart Reflective yarn in three colors (or 2 skeins for a one-color beanie) or approximately 120 yards/8 oz. of bulky yarn, size J crochet hook, size 10 double pointed or circular knitting needles.
Snowflake Shimmer Beanie Instructions
NOTE: This project is worked in the round. Do not join at end of each round.
COLOR KEY used in my tri-color beannie: Color A=hot pink; Color B=purple; Color C=black.
With Color A if making a tri-color beanie, make magic ring. If making solid color beanie, follow instructions below, eliminating color changes.
Round 1: 6 sc in ring. Pull magic circle tight. (I crocheted over the tail in following Rounds as I worked until it was completely buried.)
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around.
Rounds 3-9: Inc 6 sc evenly spaced each Round, taking care not to place each inc directly above inc below. (If your beanie starts getting a hexagon shape, you know you've placed Round increases too close together.) Stitch count: Round 3=18 sc, Round 4=24 sc, Round 5=30 sc, Round 6=36 sc, Round 7=42 sc, Round 8=48 sc, and Round 9=54 sc.
For tri-color beanie, begin working Color B into Round 3, following color chart here. Carry unused color along as you work, crocheting over the extra strand. (Tapestry crochet.) (I did not tie a knot, but left a 3-inch tail and crocheted over it as I worked 3rd and 4th Rounds.
Rounds 10-11: Work 1 sc in each sc around. Continue following color chart if making tri-color beanie. Upon completion of Round 10, bind off Color A, and work Round 11 totally in Color B. (I did not tie a knot, but left a 6-inch tail, which I continued to crochet over until it was completely woven into the beanie. No ends to weave in at the end!)
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.
Rounds 12-20: 1 sc in each sc around. To make beanie shorter in height, work 1 or 2 fewer Rounds. To make beanie longer, work an extra Round or 2.
Round 21: If making the tri-color beanie, join Color C. (I used the Russian join and worked an extra couple of sc until I reached Color C. No ends to weave in!) Remove hook and insert double-pointed knitting needle or circular knitting needle. Pick up one loop through each sc around for a total of 54 loops.
Rounds 22-29: K1, P1 around. Bind off at end of Round 29. Weave in end(s). (I weave in the knitting end of a beanie by wrapping the tail around and up knit stitches on the inside or wrong side of my project, so in this case, around and up toward the hat center on the inside of the beanie.)
If you do not knit, Moogly has another great tutorial here for a crocheted rib.
No snowflakes ON the plain black beanie,
But that doesn't mean I can't wrap the beanie in snowflakes!
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Practical times two, keeps you warm and seen. A win win indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat! I do think this is a winner! It's coming in really handy these 16-degree days now, too!!!
DeleteWhat! He didn't want a lizard on his hat?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration. I need to get out my reflective yarn and work something up. It will come in handy for walking home from work in the dark.
Tapestry crochet is a huge untapped field of fun, isn't it? I read somewhere that if you want to design a tapestry crochet motif, use hexagon-graph paper instead of squared graph paper. The hexagons apparently reflect the undulating nature of crochet stitch alignment and give you a more accurate idea of the outcome.
Today's Crochet Tip was brought to you by Mrs. M. ;)
Shhhhh! Don't give him any ideas!!! :). (Now I'm going to have to see if I can figure out a tapestry lizard...)
DeleteThanks for the hexie hint. That minght make it easier.