Frost Buster Balaclava
#frostbusterbalaclava
Knitted hat / balaclava in DROPS Air. The piece is worked with moss stitch and ribbed edges.
DROPS 225-7
DROPS Design: Pattern no ai-360
Yarn group C or A + A
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SIZES:
S/M – L
Fits head size: 54/56 – 58 cm
MATERIALS:
DROPS AIR from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group C)
150-150 g colour 02, wheat
NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4.5 MM: Length 40 - 60 cm for moss stitch.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3.5 MM: Length 40 cm for rib.
KNITTING TENSION:
17 stitches in width and 30 rows in height with moss stitch = 10 x 10 cm.
NOTE: Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.
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EXPLANATIONS FOR THE PATTERN:
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RIDGE/GARTER STITCH (worked back and forth):
Knit all rows.
1 ridge = knit 2 rows.
MOSS STITCH:
Round/row 1: * Knit 1, purl 1 *, work from *-* to end of round/row.
Round/row 2: Purl over knit and knit over purl.
Repeat round/row 2 onwards.
DECREASE TIP (evenly spaced):
To work out how to decrease evenly, count the total number of stitches on needle (e.g. 115 stitches) and divide by the number of decreases to be made (e.g. 23) = 5.
In this example decrease by knitting together each 4th and 5th stitch.
CASTING-OFF TIP:
To avoid the cast-off edge being tight you can cast off with a larger size needle. If the edge is still tight, make 1 yarn over after approx. each 4th stitch at the same time as casting off; the yarn overs are cast off as normal stitches.
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START THE PIECE HERE:
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BALACLAVA – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
The piece is worked in the round with circular needle, bottom up. Stitches are slipped on a thread for the face-opening and the piece finished back and forth.
The hood is sewn together at the top. A ribbed double edge is worked around the face-opening.
BALACLAVA:
Cast on, slightly loosely, 115-127 stitches with circular needle size 4.5 mm and DROPS Air. Work 1 round of stocking stitch, then work MOSS STITCH – read description above. Remember the KNITTING TENSION!
When the piece measures 6 cm, work 2 rounds of stocking stitch – AT THE SAME TIME on the first round decrease 23-25 stitches evenly spaced – read DECREASE TIP = 92-102 stitches.
Change to circular needle size 3.5 mm. Work 4 rounds of rib (knit 1, purl 1).
After this rib, change back to circular needle size 4.5 mm and knit 1 round where you decrease 5-5 stitches evenly spaced – remember DECREASE TIP = 87-97 stitches.
Continue with moss stitch in the round until the piece measures 14 cm from the cast-on edge in both sizes.
On the next round place the middle 17-19 stitches mid-front on a thread, leaving an opening mid front = 70-78 stitches on the needle.
Insert 1 marker in the middle of the row (= mid-back). Allow the marker to follow your work onwards – it will be used when dividing the piece at the top.
Now work the hood as described below.
HOOD:
Continue back and forth with moss stitch over all stitches.
Continue working until the piece measures 40-42 cm from the cast-on edge (the piece measures approx. 26-28 cm from the division mid-front). There is approx. 3 cm left to finished length; try the balaclava on and continue to desired length.
Now cast off stitches mid-back. Divide the piece at the marker and complete each section separately as described below.
SECTION 1:
= 35-39 stitches. Continue with moss stitch back and forth and cast off at the beginning of each row from mid-back as follows: Cast off 1 stitch 1 time, 2 stitches 2 times and 3 stitches 1 time = 27-31 stitches left. Knit 1 row from the right side. Cast off with knit from the right side. The piece measures approx. 43-45 cm from the top down.
SECTION 2:
Work in the same way as Section 1.
ASSEMBLY:
Sew the balaclava together at the top, inside the cast-off edge.
EDGE AROUND FACE-OPENING:
Place the stitches from the thread mid-font on circular needle size 3.5 mm. Purl over knit and knit over purl over these 17-19 stitches, then knit up 111 to 125 stitches inside 1 stitch around the whole opening = 128 to 144 stitches. The number of stitches should be divisible by 2. Work rib in the round (knit 1, purl 1) for 6-7 cm. Loosely cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl – read CASTING-OFF TIP.
Fold the ribbed edge double to the inside and sew down. To avoid the edge being tight and rolling outwards, it is important that the seam is elastic.
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