Knitted skull hat

At long last, my skull hat is complete! I really enjoyed this project and I'm really looking forward to my next knitted delight. I based this hat on a great template I found - Norwegian Star Earflap Hat by Tinnie, but I wasn't mad on the snowflake pattern, so I came up with my own {after much head scratching} and merged it with this surprisingly straight forward knit. 

This is my second knitted achievement outside of my previous scarf safety zone. My first was a pair of striped trousers for a lovely toddler with an old school skull on the tush - you can see it here. After my excitement of making those, and after finally finishing college, this was my next project. 

This particular hat is for another friend of mine back home - more specifically, for her son's head. I've yet to post it, so I don't know what his thoughts are on it just yet. Fingers crossed he likes it, 'cause I'm assuming all young boys like skulls and pirates. 

Since the pattern is kind of wordy, I tidied it away below. If you'd like to tackle this knit, by all means give it a go! If you are as inexperienced as I was, don't be overwhelmed by it! Just take it one row at a time.

I knitted this to Tinnies 'adult' sized hat, and I'm glad I did. It turned out smaller than expected, since neither myself or my fiance could wear it once I finished! The details below are what I used for this particular hat for the needles I was using. For the full pattern please check it out here. 

Materials:

- 2 standard balls of wool - one main color, and one contrast

- I used 4 US #5 double ended needles {aka 3.75mm or #9 imperial needles}. I ended up using 5 needles altogether since it got quite wide for comfort. It is by all means possible to do it on 4

- 1 stitch marker, or a paper clip if you don't have one

- a crochet hook for weaving in the ends

Pattern Notes:

I worked the first earflap back and forth on two of the double ended needles. When the first one is done, I leave it on those needles, and worked the second earflap on the remaining two needled. When the second one is done, casted on stitches for the front of the hat using the backward loop method, and join up with the first earflap, then I cast on stitches for the back of the hat, and then join for knitting the hat in the round on double needles.

Abbreviations:

CO - Cast on 

BO - Bind off 

sts - stitches

K - Knit 

P - Purl 

K2Tog - Knit 2 Together

WS - Wrong side 

RS - Right side 

PM - Place marker

M1R - With left needle, lift loop between stitches by moving needle tip from back to front and knit into the front of loop to make a stitch that slants to the right

M1L - With left needle, lift loop between stitches by moving needle tip from front to back and knit into the back of loop to make a stitch that slants to the left

Earflaps:

Using US #5/3.75mm needles, CO 5 sts {use one set of needles for 1st earflap, use second set of needles for 2nd earflap}. Each row begins and ends with K2 for garter stitch edges.

Row 1: (WS)  K2, P1, K2 turn = 5 sts 

Row 2: (RS)  K2, M1R, K1, M1L, K2  = 7 sts 

Row 3: (WS)  K2, P3, K2 = 7 sts 

Row 4: (RS)  K2, M1R, K3, M1L, K2 = 9 sts 

Row 5: (WS)  K2, P5, K2 = 9 sts 

Row 6: (RS) K2, M1R, K5, M1L, K2 = 11 sts 

Row 7: (WS) K2, P7, K2 = 11 sts 

Row 8: (RS) K2, M1R, K7, M1L, K2 = 13 sts 

Row 9: (WS) K2, P9, K2 = 13 sts 

Row 10: (RS) K2, M1R, K9, M1L, K2 = 15 sts

Row 11: (WS) K2, P11, K2 = 15 sts

Row 12: (RS) K2, M1R, K11, M1L, K2 = 17 sts

Row 13: (WS) K2, P13, K2 = 17 sts

Row 14: (RS) K2, M1R, K13, M1L, K2 = 19 sts

Row 15: (WS) K2, P15, K2 = 19 sts

Row 16: (RS) K2, M1R, K15, M1L, K2 = 21 sts

Row 17: (WS) K2, P17, K2 = 21 sts

Row 18: (RS) Knit = 21 sts

Row 19: (WS) K2, P17, K2 = 21 sts

For first earflap, break yarn, set aside, leaving sts on hold on extra needles. 

Row 20: (RS) K21, CO 47 sts for front using backwards loop method, K held sts from first earflap, CO 23 sts for back using backwards loop method, PM, and join to work in the round. Be careful not to twist stitches. 112 sts total.

Hat:

For the edge between the earflaps, I did a pattern of K2, P2 to stop the edge from curling up. I didn't carry this pattern above the earflaps on the hat itself. I did this for 6 rows {see image below, since I'm not the best at describing}. 

K7 rounds. Work 30 rounds of skull hat chart {right}. Knit one round.

Crown for adult hat:

{To decrease faster or slower, add or remove a few of the knit rounds}

Round 1: [K14, K2Tog] 7 times = 105 sts 

Round 2: Knit 

Round 3: [K13, K2Tog] 7 times  = 98 sts 

Round 4: Knit 

Round 5: [K12, K2Tog] 7 times = 91 sts 

Round 6: Knit 

Round 7: [K11, K2Tog] 7 times  = 84 sts 

Round 8: Knit 

Round 9: [K10, K2Tog] 7 times = 77 sts 

Round 10: Knit 

Round 11: [K9, K2Tog] 7 times =  70 sts

Round 12: Knit

Round 13: [K8, K2Tog] 7 times  =  63 sts

Round 14: [K7, K2Tog] 7 times  =  56 sts

Round 15: [K6, K2Tog] 7 times  =  49 sts

Round 16: [K5, K2Tog] 7 times  =  42 sts

Round 17: [K4, K2Tog] 7 times  =  35 sts

Round 18: [K3, K2Tog] 7 times  =  28 sts

Round 19: [K2, K2Tog] 7 times  =  21 sts

Round 20: [K1, K2Tog] 7 times  =  14 sts

Round 21: [K2Tog] 7 times  =  7 sts

Cut a long tail, draw it through the remaining sts to close top of hat.  Bring tail to WS and weave in your ends.

Pom pom, ropes and tassels:

Here is a tutorial I did a couple days ago for making pom poms. This is the one I used at the top of the hat. 

I searched high and low on the internet machine for a tutorial for making the cords/rope for each earflap. And nowhere could I find one. I'm not sure if this is how they're made, but this worked a treat for me. I simple cut 9 even lengths of yarn {per earflap} and with my crochet hook, threaded 3 through at a time in 3 intervals. I simply then braided them together and finished it by tying a piece of yarn around the bottom. 

Et voila! I can't wait to make one of my very own ...