Kyle's baby blanket and hat

I finished the baby blanket last night and couldn't resist immediately casting on for a matching hat. Starting it, I knew it would be a very quick knit, so I had to stay up to finish it, and then of course I had to stay up even later to write up the pattern for the blog!

So here it is.

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun (bulky weight: per skein 6ozs/170g, 185yds/169m)
4 skeins for both hat and blanket (making the hat alone will take 60g or about 2ozs)
Gauge for both items: 2 sts to 1 inch on #15 (10mm) needles with two strands held together throughout
Both items are knitted flat, although a circular needle is recommended to hold the bulk of the work.

The blanket has a garter stitch border and three large cables on a reverse stockinette (stocking) stitch background. The hat has a garter stitch brim and the remainder is in st st.

Finished size for the blanket is about 28ins wide by 30ins long. The hat has a circumference of 16ins and a depth of 6ins.


Directions for the blanket:

Holding two strands of yarn together, cast on 60 sts.

Knit 5 rows, then commence pattern.

Pattern: Rows 1, 3, 7 and 9 - K4, P9, K6, P8, K6, P8, K6, P9, K4
Row 5 - K4, P9, C6F, P8, C6F, P8, C6F, P9, K4
Rows 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 - K13, P6, K8, P6, K8, P6, K13

C6F means to place the next 3 sts on a cable needle, hold them to the front, knit the next 3 sts, then knit the sts from the cable needle. (I used a large crochet hook instead of a cable needle and it worked well.)

Work 9 repeats of the ten row pattern.

Knit 5 rows.

Bind off loosely. Weave in tails.


Directions for the hat:

With two strands of yarn held together, cast on 34 sts.

Knit 5 rows.

Starting with a purl row, work st st (one row knit, one row purl) until hat measures 5 ins from cast on edge, ending with a purl row.

Decrease for crown:

1st dec row - *K2, K2 tog* repeat from * to * across row to last 2 sts, K2
2nd dec row - *P1, P2tog* rep from * to * across row to last 2 sts, P2
3rd dec row - *K2 tog* across row
4th dec row - *P2tog* across row to last st, P1

5 sts remain

Cut yarn with a 12 inch tail, thread darning needle with both strands, draw yarn through remaining stitches on needle and pull to gather. Sew up seam using mattress stitch, taking half a stitch from each side to minimise bulk.
Weave in tails.


Abbreviations:
K - knit
P - purl
K2tog - knit two together
P2tog - purl two together
dec - decrease
sts - stitches
st st - stockinette stitch
ins - inches
rep - repeat