Fairy Flurry Balaclava

Knitted balaclava for children, in DROPS Fiesta. The piece is worked top down with stocking stitch and rib. Sizes 2 - 14 years.

DROPS Children 50-5
DROPS Design: Pattern fs-013-bn
Yarn group B
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SIZES:
Fits head-size cm:
48/50 - 50/52 - 52/53 - 53/54 - 54/55 - 55/56 - 56/57
Child’s age:
2 - 3/4 - 5/6 - 7/8 - 9/10 - 11/12 - 13/14 years

YARN:
DROPS FIESTA from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group B)
100-100-150-150-200-200-200 g colour 14, Rainbow Sprinkles

NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3.5 MM: Length 40 cm and 60 cm.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3 MM: Length 40 cm.
The technique MAGIC LOOP can be used – you then only need 80 cm circular needle in each size.

KNITTING TENSION:
22 stitches in width and 30 rows in height with stocking stitch on needle size 3.5 mm = 10 x 10 cm.
NOTE: Remember, the needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get to few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

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EXPLANATIONS FOR THE PATTERN:

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INCREASE TIP-1:
INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS THE LEFT:
Use left needle to pick up strand between 2 stitches from row below, pick up strand from the front and knit in the stitch loop that is on the back of the needle.
INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS THE RIGHT:
Use left needle to pick up strand between 2 stitches from row below, pick up strand from the back and knit in the stitch loop that is on the front of the needle.


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START THE PIECE HERE:

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BALACLAVA - SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
The pattern uses both long and short needles; start with the length which fits the number of stitches and change when necessary.
The hood is worked back and forth, from mid-forehead backwards. Stitches are knitted up on both sides and the piece is continued back and forth, downwards. When the hood is finished, stitches are cast on under the face-opening and the neck is worked in the round. An edge is worked around the face-opening to finish.

TOP PIECE:
Cast on 26-26-26-26-28-28-28 stitches with circular needle size 3.5 mm and DROPS Fiesta. Cast-on edge = mid-forehead.
Work stocking stitch back and forth for 12-13-14-14-15-15-15 cm.
Cut the strand. The top-piece is finished.

HOOD:
Now knit up stitches along both sides of the top-piece, inside the outermost stitch, as follows:
Start from the corner of the cast-on edge from the right side and knit up 27-29-31-31-33-33-33 stitches along one side, (right-hand side when the cast-on edge is towards you), knit the 26-26-26-26-28-28-28 stitches from the top piece, knit up from the right side 27-29-31-31-33-33-33 stitches along the other side, (left-hand side when the cast-on edge is towards you) = 80-84-88-88-94-94-94 stitches. The piece is now measured from this knitted up row.

Work as follows:
ROW 1 (wrong side): Purl all stitches.
ROW 2 (right side): Knit 2, slip 1 stitch, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, knit until there are 4 stitches left, knit 2 together, knit 2 (2 decreased stitches).
Work ROWS 1 and 2 a total of 4 times (8 rows worked) = 72-76-80-80-86-86-86 stitches.

Continue stocking stitch back and forth until the piece measures 12-13-14-15-16-17-17 cm from the knitted-up row. Insert 1 marker in the middle of the row, with 36-38-40-40-43-43-43 stitches on each side of the marker.
Now increase on each side, at the same time as decreasing mid-back each side of the marker, read INCREASE TIP-1, as follows:
ROW 1 (right side): Knit 3, increase 1 stitch towards the left, knit until there are 3 stitches left before the marker, knit 2 together, knit 2 (marker sits between these 2 stitches), slip 1 stitch, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, knit until there are 3 stitches left on the row, increase 1 stitch towards the right, knit 3 (2 increased and 2 decreased stitches) = 72-76-80-80-86-86-86 stitches.
ROW 2 (wrong side): Purl all stitches.
Work ROWS 1 and 2 a total of 6 times (12 rows worked) = 72-76-80-80-86-86-86 stitches.

On the next row from the right side knit all stitches, then cast on 8-10-10-14-12-14-16 stitches at the end of the row = 80-86-90-94-98-100-102 stitches. The piece measures approx. 16-17-18-19-20-21-21 cm from the knitted-up row. Insert 1 marker. The piece is now measured from here. Work the neck as follows.

NECK:
Work rib in the round (knit 1, purl 1) for 2 cm.
Now increase to knit-2, purl-1 as follows:
* Knit 1, increase 1 stitch towards the left – remember INCREASE TIP, purl 1 *, work from * - * to end of round = 120-129-135-141-147-150-153 stitches.
Work the new rib (knit 2, purl 1) until the neck measures 5-5-6-6-6-6-6 cm from the marker.
Now increase to knit-2, purl-2 as follows:
* Knit 2, increase 1 stitch towards the left – remember INCREASE TIP, purl 1 *, work from * - * to end of round = 160-172-180-188-196-200-204 stitches.
Work the new rib (knit 2, purl 2) until the neck measures 11-11-12-12-13-13-14 cm from the marker.
Cast off with rib.

EDGE:
Now work an edge around the face-opening.
Use circular needle size 3 mm. Start in the middle of the cast-on stitches mid-front. Knit up from the right side 104-108-112-116-120-124-128 stitches around the opening: the stitch count must be divisible by 4.
From the right side, work rib in the round (knit 2, purl 2) for 4-4-4½-4½-5-5-5 cm. Cast off with rib.
Fold the cast-off edge to the inside and fasten to the knitted-up edge, sewing in every 2nd stitch and making sure the seam is not tight.

Diagram explanations

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