Crystal Chill Balaclava

Knitted hoodie hat/balaclava for children in DROPS BabyMerino. Piece is knitted bottom up in rib. Size 2 - 14 years

DROPS Children 50-18
DROPS design: Pattern bm-043-bn
Yarn group A
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SIZE:
Head circumference cm:
48/50 - 50/52 - 52/53 - 53/54 - 54/55 - 55/56 - 56/57
Equivalent to approx. child age:
2 - 3/4 - 5/6 - 7/8 - 9/10 - 11/12 - 13/14 years

YARN:
DROPS BABY MERINO from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group A)
100-100-100-150-150-150-200 g colour 100, Mermaid Spell

NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 3 mm: Length 40 and 80 cm.
The technique MAGIC LOOP can be used- you then only need circular needle of 80 cm.

KNITTING TENSION:
26 stitches in width and 34 rows vertically in stocking stitch on needle size 3 mm = 10 x 10 cm.
REMEMBER: Needle size is only a suggestion! If you have too many stitches on 10 cm switch to larger sized needles or if you get too few stitches on 10 cm switch to smaller sized needles.

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EXPLANATION FOR THE PATTERN:

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GARTER STITCH (when working back and forth):
Knit on all rows, i.e. knit from right side and knit from wrong side.
1 ridge vertically = knit 2 rows.

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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BALAKLAVA - SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
In this pattern needles of different length have been used, begin with fitting length for number of stitches and switch as needed.
The neck is worked in the round bottom up, then cast off for face opening, and work the hood back and forth. Then slip stitches on a thread in each side and work back and forth over the upper piece of piece. Stitches on the thread are sewn to the sides of upper piece. Then pick up an edge around the face opening.

NECK:
Cast on 312-324-336-348-360-372-384 stitches on circular needle size 3 mm with DROPS Baby Merino. Work 4-4-6-6-6-8-8 rounds rib (= knit 2/purl 2). Work next round as follows: * Knit 2, purl 2, purl 2 together, purl 2, purl 2 together, purl 2 *, repeat from *-* the entire round = 260-270-280-290-300-310-320 stitches.

ROUNDS 1-2: Work rib (= knit 2/purl 8).
ROUND 3: * Knit 2, purl 6, purl 2 together *, work from *-* the entire round = 234-243-252-261-270-279-288 stitches.
ROUNDS 4-5: Work rib (= knit 2/purl 7).
ROUND 6: * Knit 2, purl 2 together, purl 5 *, work from *-* the entire round = 208-216-224-232-240-248-256 stitches.
ROUNDS 7-8: Work rib (= knit 2/purl 6).
ROUND 9: * Knit 2, purl 4, purl 2 together *, work from *-* the entire round = 182-189-196-203-210-217-224 stitches.
ROUNDS 10-11: Work rib (= knit 2/purl 5).
ROUND 12: * Knit 2, purl 2 together, purl 3 *, work from *-* the entire round = 156-162-168-174-180-186-192 stitches.
ROUNDS 13-14: Work rib (= knit 2/purl 4).
ROUND 15: * Knit 2, purl 2, purl 2 together *, work from *-* the entire round = 130-135-140-145-150-155-160 stitches.
ROUNDS 16-17: Work rib (= knit 2/purl 3).
ROUND 18: * Knit 2, purl 2 together, purl 1 *, work from *-* the entire round = 104-108-112-116-120-124-128 stitches.

Work rib (= knit 2/purl 2) until piece measures 10-10-10-11-11-12-12 cm from cast-on edge. On next round increase all 2 purl stitches to 3 purl stitches by picking up the strand between 2 stitches and purl the strand twisted = 130-135-140-145-150-155-160 stitches.
Work 2 rounds rib (= knit 2/purl 3). On next round cast off the first 12-12-12-12-12-17-17 stitches of face opening = 118-123-128-133-138-138-143 stitches. Insert 1 marker in piece, now measure piece from this marker.

HOOD:
Then finish the piece back and forth on circular. Work rib as before while AT THE SAME TIME casting off 1 stitch at the beginning of every row 7 times in each side (= 14 rows worked and 14 stitches decreased) = 104-109-114-119-124-124-129 stitches. Continue rib as before with 1 stitch in GARTER STITCH - read explanation above, in each side for approx. 17-18-19-20-20-21-21 cm from marker, work last row from wrong side. Cut the yarn, now measure piece from here.
Slip the first and last 40-40-40-45-45-45-50 stitches on separate threads = 24-29-34-29-34-34-29 stitches in the middle of the needle (= upper piece). Continue to work the upper piece as explained below.

UPPER PIECE:
Begin from right side and work back and forth with rib as before over the 24-29-34-29-34-34-29 stitches on needle - work until upper piece measures approx. 12-12-12-13½-13½-13½-15 cm. Work last row from wrong side.
Upper piece should be somewhat longer than the 40-40-40-45-45-45-50 stitches in the sides, so that the stitch on a thread in each side is stretched a bit in width when they are sewn to the sides of upper piece (this is because the rib is stretched when used).
Leave the 24-29-34-29-34-34-29 stitches on a stitch holder - do not cut the yarn, work from here after the hood is assembled.

ASSEMBLY:
Sew stitches on a thread in each side to the sides of upper piece, sew inside outermost stitch on upper piece - you can use grafting/kitchener stitches.

EDGE:
Now work an edge around the face opening.
Begin from right side and work rib as before over the 24-29-34-29-34-34-29 stitches on upper piece while AT THE SAME TIME decreasing 1 purl stitch in every purl section (= 4-5-6-5-6-6-5 stitches decreased - rib should fit knit 2/purl 2 = 20-24-28-24-28-28-24 stitches), pick up 100-104-108-116-116-120-124 stitches inside 1 edge stitch around the rest of face opening = 120-128-136-140-144-148-148 stitches - number of stitches must be divisible by 4.
Continue the rib (= knit 2/purl 2) for 5-5-5½-5½-5½-6-6 cm, cast off with knit over knit and purl over purl. Fold the rib double towards the wrong side and fasten to pick-up edge - make sure to avoid a tight seam.

Diagram explanations

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