I always think that the build up to Christmas comes sooner and sooner each year and I must admit it drives me a bit bonkers. I'm loathed to admit it but this year I'm adding to that build up with a free Christmas Pud Hat but with good reason, I promise. I figure that by the time these festive hats hit the shops on their destined bottle of Innocent Smoothie that we are going to be in November if maybe not even December and so it won't be too early. Anyway that's what I think and I hope even if you don't that you might like to knit some of these as a change to the usual bobble hats to keep your brain ticking over!
I'm going to transfer this post over to a page in due course so you can continue to find it in my list of free patterns.
Enjoy!
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Christmas Pud Hat Knitting Pattern
You will need:
1 pair 3.25mm knitting needles
Small amounts of yarn in double knitting (DK) in green, red, cream, brown and gold/yellow
Large eyed blunt sewing needle
Notes
Once sewn up the finished hat measures about 6 cm across and about 5.5 cm high.
Abbreviations
BDD - balanced double decrease - slip the next 2 sts knit wise from the left needle to right needle, k the next stitch as normal and then pass the 2 slipped sts over the one you've just knit
Beg - beginning
K - knit
K2tog - knit the next 2 sts together by inserting the right needle in through the front of the loops
K2togTBL - knit the next 2 sts together through the back loops by inserting the right needle in through the back of the loops
M1 - make one stitch by lifting the horizontal bar between the 2 knitting needles inserting the tip of the left hand needle into the front of the bar and lifting. Then knit into the back loop of the new stitch.
P - purl
P2tog - purl the next 2 sts together
Rep - repeat
Sts - stitches
St-St - stocking stitch
YF - yarn forward - bring the yarn through to the front of the work as though to Purl but instead knit the next st. This creates a new st. On the purl side remember to purl through the back loop of this st to avoid making a little hole.
The Pattern
Pudding
Cast on 30sts using brown yarn
Row1: *K2, P2; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2
Row 2: *P2, K2; rep from * to last 2 sts, P2
Row 3: *using brown k3, change to gold and K1, rep from * to last 2 sts, using brown K2
Row 4: using brown purl all
Row 5: using brown k5, *change to gold and K1, change to brown and K3; rep from * to last st and continuing with brown K1
Row 6: using brown purl all
Row 7: as Row 3
Row 8: using brown purl all
Row 9: using brown K3, *change to cream and K2, change to brown and K5; rep from * to last 6 sts; change to cream and K2, change to brown and K4
Row 10: using brown P4,* change to cream and P2, change to brown and P5; rep from * to last 5 sts, change to cream and P2, change to brown and P3
Row 11: using brown K2, *change to cream and K4, change to brown and K1, change to gold and K1, change to brown and K1; rep from * to end
Row 12: *Using brown P3, change to cream and P4; rep from * to last 2 sts, change to brown P2
Row 13: using cream for the rest of the hat, K all
Row 14: P all
Row 15: K all
Row 16: P1, *P2tog; rep from * to last st, P1 - 16sts
Row 17: K2tog to end - 8sts
Cut the yarn leaving a long tail of about 20 cm and thread through the remain sts on the knitting needle. Then using mattress stitch or back stitch join the seam. Knot the loose ends where you have joined new colours and weave in the ends.
Leaves - make 2
Cast on 3 sts using green and leaving a tail of about 10cm.
Row 1: P
Row 2: *K1, M1, YF; rep from * to last st, K1 - 7 sts
Row 3: P
Row 4: K2togTBL, BDD, K2tog - 3 sts
Row 5: P
Rows 6-9: rep rows 2 - 5
Row 10: slip the first st purlwise, P2tog, pass the slipped st over the one you've just purled - 1 st
Fasten off. Cut the yarn leaving a long tail of about 10 cm. Sew the leaves to the top of the hat. I only sewed half the leaf the the hat so that part of the leaf is "free" and stands away from the hat. Tie of any ends on the inside of the hat and weave in the loose ends.
Berries (make 3)
Using red cast on 3 sts leaving a tail of about 10cm
Row 1: P3
Row 2: K1, M1, K1, M1, K1 - 5sts
Row 3: P
Row 4: K2togTBL, K1, K2tog - 3sts
Row 5: slip the first st purlwise, P2tog, pass the slipped st over the one you've just purled - 1 st
Fasten off. Cut the yarn leaving a 10 cm length. Tie the two 10cm lengths tightly together and this will being to make a small bobble. Thread one of the yarn ends and sew together the two opposite sides not brought together by the initial knot. Tie the two ends together again. I promise this is easier to do in practice then to describe! Sew the 3 berries to the top of the leaves and tie the ends off on the inside of the hat. Weave in any loose ends.