Snow Bear Balaclava

Knitted balaclava for children in DROPS Alpaca Bouclé and DROPS BabyMerino. The piece is worked in stocking stitch with I-cord. Sizes 2 - 14 years.

DROPS Children 50-12
DROPS Design: Pattern ab-003-bn
Yarn group C + A or D
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SIZES:
Fits head-size in 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 ALPACA BOUCLÉ from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group C)
100-100-100-100-100-150-150 g colour 0100, Off White
And use:
DROPS BABY MERINO from Garnstudio (belongs to yarn group A)
50-50-100-100-100-100-100 g colour 02, Off White

NEEDLES:
DROPS CIRCULAR NEEDLE SIZE 5.5 MM: Length 40 cm and 60 cm.
The technique MAGIC LOOP can be used – you then only need an 80 cm circular needle.

KNITTING TENSION:
15 stitches in width and 19 rows in height with stocking stitch and 1 strand of each quality on needle size 5.5 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:
INCREASE 1 STITCH TOWARDS THE LEFT:
Use left needle to pick up the strand between 2 stitches from the 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 the strand between 2 stitches from the row below, pick up strand from the back and knit in the stitch loop that is on the front of the needle.

I-CORD CAST OFF:
Cast on 9 new stitches on the right needle (from the right side). Slip these 9 stitches onto the left needle so the strand is 9 stitches in on the needle and work from the right side without turning as follows:
* Knit 8, knit 2 twisted together. Slip the 9 stitches on the right needle onto the left needle and tighten the strand *. Work from *-* until there are 9 stitches left.

I-CORD:
Work a tube of 2 stitches using double pointed needles as follows: Cast on 2 stitches. Knit the 2 stitches, * push the stitches to the right-hand end of the needle without turning, tighten the strand, knit the 2 stitches *, work from *-* to your desired length.

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START THE PIECE HERE:

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BALACLAVA - SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE:
The hood is worked back and forth with circular needle, from mid-front across the forehead and backwards. Stitches are knitted up on each side 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 finished in the round.
Around the face-opening an I-cord casing is worked, then the I-cord which is threaded through the casing.
2 pom poms are worked to finish and fastened on each side of the top of the balaclava.

BALACLAVA:
Cast on 17-17-17-19-19-19-19 stitches with circular needle size 5.5 mm, 1 strand DROPS Alpaca Bouclé and 1 strand DROPS Baby Merino (= 2 strands). Cast-on edge = mid-front of forehead.
Work stocking stitch back and forth for 12-13-14-14-15-15-16 cm. Cut the strand. This piece is mid-top of the hood.

Now knit up stitches from the right side, inside the outermost stitch, on both sides as follows:
Start from the corner of the cast-on edge and knit up 18-20-21-21-22-23-24 stitches along the right-hand side (when the cast-on edge is towards you, from the right side), knit the 17-17-17-19-19-19-19 stitches across the top of the balaclava, knit up 18-20-21-21-22-23-24 stitches along the left-hand side (when the cast-on edge is towards you, from the right side) = 53-57-59-61-63-65-67 stitches. The piece is now measured from here.

ROW 1 (wrong side):
Purl.
ROW 2 (right side):
Knit 1, slip 1 stitch, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, knit until there are 3 stitches left, knit 2 together, knit 1 (= 2 decreased stitches).
Work ROWS 1 and 2 a total of 2-3-3-3-3-3-3 times (4-6-6-6-6-6-6 rows worked) = 49-51-53-55-57-59-61 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 stitch on the row, with 24-25-26-27-28-29-30 stitches on each side of the marker-stitch.
Now increase on each side and decrease mid-back each side of the marker-stitch as follows - read INCREASE TIP:
ROW 1 (right side): Knit 2, increase 1 stitch towards the left, knit until there are 3 stitches left before the marker-stitch, knit 2 together, knit 3 (marker sits in the middle of these 3 stitches), slip 1 stitch, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, knit until there are 2 stitches left on the row, increase 1 stitch towards the right, knit 2 (= 2 increased stitches and 2 decreased stitches) = 49-51-53-55-57-59-61 stitches.
ROW 2 (wrong side): Purl.
Work ROWS 1 and 2 a total of 4 times (8 rows worked) = 49-51-53-55-57-59-61 stitches.

Work the next row from the right side as follows:
Knit all stitches, then cast on 6-6-8-10-10-12-12 stitches at the end of the row = 55-57-61-65-67-71-73 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 stocking stitch in the round for 1 cm. On the next round increase 6 stitches evenly spaced = 61-63-67-71-73-77-79 stitches.
Continue working until the piece measures 3 cm from the marker. On the next round increase 9 stitches evenly spaced = 70-72-76-80-82-86-88 stitches.
Continue working until the piece measures 6 cm from the marker. On the next round increase 12 stitches evenly spaced = 82-84-88-92-94-98-100 stitches.
Continue working until the piece measures 9 cm from the marker. On the next round increase 16 stitches evenly spaced = 98-100-104-108-110-114-116 stitches.
Continue working until the piece measures 11-11-12-12-12-12-13 cm from the marker. Cast off slightly loosely.

CASING:
Use circular needle size 5.5 mm and 1 strand of each quality (2 strands). Start from the right side in the middle of the cast-on stitches under the face-opening and knit up 84-88-92-96-100-104-104 stitches evenly around the face-opening.
Continue in the round from the right side, working I-CORD CAST OFF – read explanation above.
If you do not want a cord, the 9 stitches left on the needle can be sewn to 9 cast-on stitches at the beginning of the casing, using grafting stitch.
If you would like a cord, cast off the last 9 stitches leaving an opening each end.

CORD:
Use double pointed needles size 5.5 mm and 1 strand of each quality (2 strands). Work an I-CORD– read explanation above. When the cord is 120 to 150 cm long, thread the strands through the 2 stitches and fasten. Thread the cord through the casing, from one end to the other.

POM POMS:
Using 1 strand of each quality (2 strands) make 2 pom poms, 5 cm in diameter. Fasten the pom poms to each side of the top of the balaclava - see photo.

Diagram explanations

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