Second Annual Operation Bottle Beanies Kick Off!

Saturday, September 24 is the official kick off of the second annual Operation Bottle Beanies.  We will be at Fifer Orchards in Camden-Wyoming, Delaware for the first Saturday of Fall Fest.  Delaware Head Huggers will have a table where we will be selling bottle beanies and other handmade items, with a full 100% of the price being donated to Code Purple, a non-profit that works to operate shelters in Delaware when the temperatures drop below freezing.

This is such an easy way to help - stop by and purchase something!  That's all you have to do.  

If you live too far away to stop by, help out by making and donating some bottle beanies for others to purchase.  Fifer's will be selling bottle beanies from now until Christmas!

  If you're not a fan of Delaware Head Huggers yet, stop by and "Like" our Facebook page.  Help us name the patterns and see all the beautiful hats that are donated.  Stop by Kozy Kovers for Kids Facebook page too!  We welcome everyone to join us.  Stop by and say hello.  You can always reach Schnapps or me at robin@delawareheadhuggers.org too!

Check out these adorable bottle beanies that were donated by Kathy, all the way from California!

 Here are a few that Schnapps made this week too!

We're going to share simple instructions on how we made these, but let your imagination run wild!  Creativity is key with these - the cuter, the better! 

We need LOTS of tiny hats!  We need themed hats for Fall and Winter such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and more.  We need farm themed hats like bee hives, pumpkins, apples, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.  We need adorable hats of any theme or type!  Sizes vary since there are many different items sold in the store; apple butter, local honey,  jams, oils, pickles and so many other yummy things.  

This is a great way to use up that scrap yarn! All yarn types are welcome.

 

 

To make a dog, make the basic bottle beanie pattern below, then embroider a nose and mouth, add some eyes and knit 2 ears. 
Ears:

Cast on 2 stitches
Row 1:  knit all
Row 2:  knit into the front and back of each stitch (4 stitches)
Row 3:  knit all
Repeat Row 3 until the ear is the length you wish
Then K2 together across the row (back to 2 stitches)
Cast off
Make a second ear to match and attach to the beanie

To make a monster, make the basic bottle beanie pattern below, then add an eyeball and an embroidered mouth!

Eyeball:  Cast on 2 stitches
Row 1:  knit all
Row 2:  purl all
Row 3:  knit into the front and back of each stitch (4 stitches)
Row 4:  purl all
Row 5:  knit all
Row 6:  purl all
Row 7:  K2 together across the row (back to 2 stitches
Row 8:  purl all
Row 9:  cast off

Stuff and seam together.....add some black yarn for a pupil and stitch it to your beanie.

Candy Corn:
Using yellow, 6 weight yarn, cast on 16 on size 13 dpns
Knit every row for an inch or two, then switch to orange yarn
Knit one row, then k3, k2tog for one row, then knit every row for another inch, then switch to white yarn
Knit one row,  then k2, k2tog for one row, then knit every row for about an inch, then k2tog for a row.  Leave a 6 inch tail, draw it through the stitches left on the needles, cinch and you're done!

Owl:

Using brown, 5-weight yarn, cast on 16 stitches on size 10.5 dpns and join in the round
Row 1:  knit all
Row 2:  purl all
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until your owl is the length you want.  Cast off, seam the top, add some fringe at the corner, embroider a beak and glue on some eyes!

Basic Bottle Beanie:

Using 6 weight yarn and size 13 dpns, cast on 18 stitches, join in the round.
Knit every row until you reach your desired length
Decrease as follows:  k4, k2tog for one row; k3, k2tog for one row; k2, k2tog for one row; k1, k2tog for one row; k2tog for one row
Leave a tail and draw it through the remaining stitches, cinch and secure.

To use different yarn weights, you can either stick with the pattern and just make a smaller bottle beanie or you can adjust to casting on 24 stitches on size 10 dpns for 5 weight yarn and casting on 36 on size 7 dpns for 3 or 4 weight yarn.

 

Have fun and be creative!!!!!!!

Introducing Licorice Twist!

Well, Labor Day Weekend is over and it is time to gear up for the cold weather again.  Football season starts this week and Schnapps is SO excited!  He loves Football Sundays - curling up and knitting the day away....actually, I am just as excited!  Licorice Twist (thanks again Lani for the name!) is the perfect hat to knit on a Football Sunday or on any day.  Using Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn this knits up super quickly.  The color combinations are practically endless!  Use just 2 colors if you want too.  I have included directions for other yarn weights, so feel free to try it with the pattern repeated or with a wider brim.......let us see what you create!  

If you're not a fan of Delaware Head Huggers yet, stop by and "Like" our Facebook page.  Help us name the patterns and see all the beautiful hats that are donated.  Stop by Kozy Kovers for Kids Facebook page too!  We welcome everyone to join us.  Stop by and say hello.  You can always reach Schnapps or me at robin@delawareheadhuggers.org too!

If you are have not purchased any patterns or any fundraiser items recently, please consider making a donation using the link on right side of this page to help us pay for postage and supply costs.   We are getting ready to ship out LOTS of hats to cancer centers for the Fall.  You can see where our hats go by visiting our website:  www.delawareheadhuggers.org

Schnapps walking the skateboard ramp at the park!

Operation Bottle Beanies is kicking off it's second year on September 24!  For those of you who don't know about OBB, check out some information here.  We are excited to help the homeless and look forward raising even more money this year!

Licorice Twist

You will need 3 different colors of 6-weight yarn and size US 13 circular needles or some other combination listed below.

Abbreviations:
k2tog:  knit 2 stitches together

Using Color A, cast on 45 stitches, place marker and join, taking care not to twist stitches.

Work Brim:  Using Color A
Row 1:  *k3, p2*; repeat around
Repeat Row 1 until your work measures 2 to 2.5 inches in length, or longer if you prefer.

Work Body of Hat Still Using Colors B & C:
All stitches are knit stitches.  Letters refer to which color to use.

Set up row Color B:  knit all stitches
Rows 1, 5 & 9:  *2A, 3B*; repeat around
Rows 2 & 8:   *1A, 2A, 2B*; repeat around
Rows 3 & 7:   *2B, 2A, 1B*; repeat around
Rows 4 & 6:   *3B, 2A*; repeat around
Repeat Rows 1 and 9  if desired until piece is about 7 to 7.5 inches in length.  Model was made using 6 weight yarn and only one repeat. Pattern will look much different if repeated.  Other instructions for different yarn weights are below.

Decrease Crown:  use dpn’s when needed Using Color B
Row 1:    knit all stitches
Row 2:   *k3, k2tog *; repeat around
Row 3:   *k2, k2tog*; repeat around
Row 2:   *k1, k2tog *; repeat around
Row 3:   *k2tog*; repeat around

Finish: Cut working yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail.  Draw the tail through the remaining stitches, cinch  closed and secure.  Weave in ends and share.

 

 If using 5-weight yarn, use size 10.5 needles and cast on 60.  Work brim for 3.5 inches, then work pattern once.  Repeat Row 1 of crown decrease until piece is 8 inches in length, then continue with pattern

If using 4-weight yarn, use size 7 needles and cast on 90.  Work brim for 4 inches, then work pattern once.  Repeat Row 1 of crown decrease until piece is 8 inches in length, then continue with pattern.

If using 3-weight yarn, use size 5 needles and cast on 100 stitches.   Work brim for 5 inches, then work pattern once.  Repeat Row 1 of crown decrease until piece is 8 inches in length, then continue with pattern.

Use 2 strands of 4- or 5-weight yarn or 3 strands of 3-weight yarn held together as one strand and work pattern as written if you want to use other yarn weights and have the hat look like the model

The pattern is worked over 5 stitches.