Dream Petal Balaclava

Knitted hoodie hat/balaclava for children in DROPS Air. Piece is knitted top down in stocking stitch and rib. Size 2 - 14 years

DROPS Children 50-7
DROPS design: Pattern ai-059-bn
Yarn group C or A + 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 AIR from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group C)
100-100-100-100-100-150-150 g colour 52, Rose Petal

NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4.5 mm: Length 40 and 60 cm.
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 4 mm: Length: 40 cm.
The technique MAGIC LOOP can be used- you then only need circular needle of 80 cm in each size.

KNITTING TENSION:
18 stitches in width and 24 rows vertically in stocking stitch on needle size 4.5 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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INCREASE TIP:
INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS THE LEFT:
Use left needle to pick up yarn between 2 stitches from row below, pick up yarn from the front and knit stitch in stitch loop behind the needle.
INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS THE RIGHT:
Use left needle to pick up yarn between 2 stitches from row below, pick up yarn from the back and knit stitch in stitch loop in front of needle.

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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.
Work hood back and forth on circular needle from mid front over forehead and backwards. Then pick up stitches on each side and work back and forth top down. When the hood is finished, cast on stitches under the opening of hood and continue the neck in the round. Then pick up an edge around the face opening.

UPPER PIECE:
Cast on 21-21-21-23-23-23-23 stitches on circular needle size 4.5 mm with DROPS Air. Cast-on edge = mid front over forehead.
Work back and forth in stocking stitch until piece measures 12-13-14-14-15-15-15 cm. Cut the yarn, this forms the upper piece mid on top of hood.

HOOD:
Now pick up stitches along both sides of upper piece inside outermost stitch as follows:
Begin in the corner at cast-on edge and pick up 22-23-25-25-27-27-27 stitches along one side from right side (= right side from right side when the cast-on edge is towards you), knit over the 21-21-21-23-23-23-23 stitches from upper piece, then pick up 22-23-25-25-27-27-27 stitches along the other side (= left side from right side when cast-on edge is towards you) = 65-67-71-73-77-77-77 stitches. Now measure piece from this pick-up edge.

Work as follows:
ROW 1 (= wrong side): Purl all stitches.
ROW 2 (= right side): Knit 1, slip 1 stitch off the needle, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over stitch worked, knit until 3 stitches remain, knit 2 together, knit 1 (= 2 stitches deceased).
Work 1st and 2nd ROW 4 times in total (= 8 rows have been worked) = 57-59-63-65-69-69-69 stitches.

Work in stocking stitch back and forth until piece measures 12-13-14-15-16-17-17 cm from pick-up along the side. Insert 1 marker in the in the middle stitch of row, there 28-29-31-31-34-34-34 stitches on each side of stitch with marker.
Now increase in each side while at the same time decreasing mid back on each side of marker.
Read INCREASE TIP and work as follows:
ROW 1 (= right side): Knit 2, increase 1 stitches towards the left, knit until 3 stitches remain before stitch with marker, knit 2 together, knit 3 (marker is in the middle stitch of these 3 stitches), slip 1 stitch off the needle, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over stitch worked, knit until 2 stitches remain on needle, increase 1 stitch towards the right, finish by knitting 2 (= 2 stitches increased and 2 stitches decreased) = 57-59-63-65-69-69-69 stitches.
ROW 2 (= wrong side): Purl all stitches.
Work 1st and 2nd ROW 5 times in total (= 10 rows have been worked) = 57-59-63-65-69-69-69 stitches.

Work next row from right side as follows:
Knit over all stitches, at the end of row cast on 9-11-11-13-11-13-15 new stitches on needle= 66-70-74-78-80-82-84 stitches. Piece now measures approx. 16-17-18-19-20- 21-21 cm from pick-up edge. Insert 1 marker in piece, now measure piece from this marker. Work neck in the round in rib as explained below.

NECK:
Work rib (= knit 1/purl 1) until piece measures 2 cm from marker.
Now increase for rib (= knit 2/purl 1) by working next round as follows:
* Knit 1, increase 1 stitch towards the left - remember INCREASE TIP, purl 1 *, work from *-* the rest of round = 99-105-111-117-120-123-126 stitches.
Work rib (= knit 2/purl 1) until piece measures 5-5-6-6-6-6-6 cm from marker.
Now increase for rib (= knit 2/purl 2) by working next round as follows:
* Knit 2, increase 1 stitch towards the left - remember INCREASE TIP, purl 1 *, work from *-* the rest of round = 132-140-148-156-160-164-168 stitches.
Work rib (= knit 2/purl 2) until piece measures 11-11-12-12-13-13-14 cm from marker.
Cast off stitches with knit over knit and purl over purl.

EDGE:
Now work an edge around the face opening.
Use circular needle size 4 mm and begin in the middle of the new stitches cast on for neck mid front. Pick up approx. 84-88-92-96-100-104-106 stitches around opening from right side - number of stitches must be divisible by 2.
Continue in the round from right side with rib (= knit 1/purl 1) until rib measures 4-4-4½-4½-5-5-5 cm. Cast off stitches with knit over knit and purl over purl.
Fold the cast-off edge in and sew cast-off edge against pick-up edge (sew in every other stitch) - make sure to avoid a tight seam.

Diagram explanations

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