Introducing Love Lines!

 The Covid-19 pandemic is still raging on.  We all need to focus energy and time on spreading kindness and taking care of those around us.  

This is a new pattern, created with 6-weight yarn, but instructions are included for all yarn weight.  I used Lion Brand Hometown USA, one of my favorite super bulky yarns to get a soft, cozy hat.

Thank you Virginia for the name!  I really enjoyed this quick knit and have already made a few.  A great stash buster when you make a contrasting brim, you could, of course, knit this all in one color.

DEHH’s main goal is to spread kindness. We try to help those going through an absolutely awful time by doing something small. We use the talents we have to give others some comfort. To show people that someone cares. We don't care what political party, race, religion or gender anyone is - we try to help. Just like we accept hats from anyone who wants to make a difference.

I've noticed an increasingly vicious tone to so many social media comments and posts. Public health agencies having to put up with horrible treatment for simply doing their job and posting updates. Attacking people on both sides of the political spectrum simply for their political beliefs.

Keep in mind that each of us is responsible for the things we say, how we act and what we do. No one can blame anyone else for our actions. If we want change, we have to live it ourselves.

I, for one, am so very sick and tired of hearing everyone argue, be mean spirited and unkind and complain. Everyone, please think before you speak or post on social media. I limit the time spent on any online platform because the vitriol and rhetoric are depressing and in complete contrast to how I want to spend my life.

I don't want to know anyone's political views. Just like I don't share mine. Attacking others for differing viewpoints isn't productive, ever. Making inflammatory statements isn't helpful. Being angry that covid is still around and saying things like "only old or vulnerable people die, who cares anymore......let us go back to normal" is frankly, horrible.

Each and every person who has died, no matter their age, whether from covid, cancer or any other cause, leaves behind people who are devastated. Each of those lives was valued. Each should be mourned, not dismissed.

There is so much negativity in the world today - because so many people embrace the negatives.Try to make a conscious effort to focus on the positive and find the beauty in each day. Please, be kind, every day, to everyone.....not just those who agree with your views.

Love Lines

Knit using 2 colors of 6-weight yarn and size 13 needles.

Less than 80 yards total were used for the models

Abbreviations:

C4B:  Place the next 2 stitches on a cable needle and hold to the back of your work.  Knit the next 2 stitches, then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle.

C4F: Place the next 2 stitches on a cable needle and hold to the front of your work.  Knit the next 2 stitches, then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle.

k2tog:  knit 2 stitches together

Using Color A, cast on 48 stitches, place marker and join, taking care not to twist stitches.

Work Brim:  Using Color A

Row 1:   knit all stitches

Row 2:   purl all stitches

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until your work measures 1.5 to  2 inches in length, or longer if you prefer.

Work Body of Hat Using Color B:

Rows 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 & 8:   knit all stitches

Row 3:   *k2, C4B*; repeat around

Row 7:   *C4F, k2*; repeat around 

Repeat Rows 1 - 8 until piece is about 7 to 7.5 inches in length.  End with a Row 4 or a Row 8.

Decrease Crown:  use dpn’s when needed

Row 1:    knit all stitches

Row 2:    *k4, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 3:    *k3, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 4:     *k2, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 5:     *k2, k2tog *; repeat around 

Row 6:     *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.  

If using 4-weight yarn, use size 7 needles and cast on 84.  

If using 3-weight yarn, use size 5 needles and cast on 102 stitches.   

The pattern is worked over 6 stitches.  

Feel free to use just 1 color.  

Experiment and enjoy!

Introducing Vertices

Sadly, the United States and the whole world is still battling Covid-19.  So many lives have been lost and so many things have been changed, probably forever.  Now, more than ever, it is important for us to be kind, spread love and help each other.  Delaware Head Huggers has cautiously restarted operations with several new guidelines.  More information about that can be found at our website.  I have already shipped out 4 boxes of hats and will have more on the way soon.

Vertices is the latest hat that I have knit.  I used KnitPicks Brava Sport in 3 colors for this model.  A vast variety of colors could be used.  You could certainly use just 2 colors and keep the brim and crown one of the pattern colors if you'd like.  Instructions for other yarn weights are included as well.  This model is a full 3 repeats of the pattern.  Using thicker yarn will decrease the number of repeats, of course, so it will look different, but still great.

Today is 2 years since we lost our Schnapps.  This year, I am sharing this pattern in his honor.  Last year, in his honor, I wrote Stash Hats, which covers all the basics that you need to get started on knitting hats using whatever yarn is in your stash.  Schnapps would want everyone to keep making a difference for those fighting cancer!  More info about this book, and the patterns in it, can be found here.  All pattern sales are put back into shipping and supply costs for Delaware Head Huggers.  

Vertices

You need 3 colors of 3-weight yarn and size 5 needles or another combination listed below.

Abbreviations:

k2tog:  knit 2 stitches together

Using Color C, cast on 126 stitches, place marker and join, taking care not to twist stitches.

Work Brim:  Using Color C

Row 1:  knit all stitches

Row 2:  purl all stitches 

Repeat Rows 1-2 until your work measures about 2 inches in length.  

Work Pattern:  all stitches are knit stitches.  The numbers and letter refer to color:  In the model Color A is pink and B is teal.  

Row 1:  *2B, 3A, 2B, 3A, 1B, 3A *; repeat around 

Row 2:  *1A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 2A*; repeat around 

Row 3:   *2A, 3B, 3A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 1A*; repeat around

Row 4:   *2A, 3B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 2B*; repeat around

Row 5:  *1A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 2A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 1A*; repeat around

Row 6:   *2B, 3A, 2B, 2A, 3B, 2A*; repeat around 

Row 7:   *1A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 2A*; repeat around 

Row 8:   *2A, 3B, 3A, 2B, 1A, 2B, 1A*; repeat around 

Row 9:   *3A, 1B, 3A, 2B, 3A, 2B*; repeat around 

Row 10:  *1B, 5A, 2B, 5A, 1B*; repeat around 

Repeat Rows 1 -10 until piece is about 7 to 7.5  inches in length.

Work Crown:  Using Color C:  use dpn’s when needed 

Row 1:    knit all stitches

Repeat Row 1 until piece is about 8 - 8.5 inches in length.

Work Crown Decrease in Color C:  

Row 1:     *k12, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 2:     *k11, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 3:     *k10, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 4:     *k9, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 5:     *k8, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 6:     *k7, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 7:     *k6, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 8:     *k5, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 9:     *k4, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 10:   *k3, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 11:   *k2, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 12:   *k1, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 13:   *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 6-weight yarn, use size 13 needles and cast on 56.

If using 5-weight yarn, use size 10.5 needles and cast on 70. 

  

If using 4-weight yarn, use size 8 needles and cast on 98.   

This  pattern is worked over 14 stitches.  Adjust accordingly for size differences. 

Learn more about Delaware Head Huggers by visiting www.delawareheadhuggers.org

 Follow us on Pinterest or to find our  Ravelry store.  

We also have patterns available as paperbacks or a Kindle e-books from Amazon.  They can be purchased here. 

Remember to join us on our Facebook page - you can see all the beautiful hats that are donated and shipped out.   

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram too!  

Stop by Kozy Kovers for Kids Facebook page too and see all the gorgeous handmade blankets that are going to help children in crisis throughout our area.  We welcome everyone to join us.  Stop by and say hello.  

You can always reach me at robin@delawareheadhuggers.org too!

If you want to donate to Delaware Head Huggers, you can use the donate button on the right hand side of the page.  Every dollar truly does help us get hats out to those who need them most.

Introducing Pinball!

All of us, all over the world are still battling COVID-19.  So many lives have been lost since I posted the last pattern on April 1, 2020.  I hope that all of you are safe and healthy and that your families are too.  Delaware Head Hugger operations are still suspended for the foreseeable future.  Hopefully, someday, we will be able to get back to normal.  Stay safe and be well!

To navigate through scary times, I find distractions are helpful.  I've been spending a lot of time in my yard watching the birds and bees and butterflies and some time knitting as well.  This is a hat pattern that I originally made a year or so ago and then promptly lost my pattern notes.  So, I decided to work it out again and share it with everyone.  To show how if at first you don't succeed, this pattern was worked out 3 different times before I got it the way I wanted it to look.  To me, it looks like a pinball machine a bit and I know I feel like life has become a pinball machine, so I thought the name fit.

The first try, I wasn't paying attention and had a partial pattern repeat on the bottom of the hat.

On the second try I had a partial pattern repeat on the bottom and at the top of the hat!  Now, neither of these ruins the hat, so if you want to knit it this way, it works fine.  But, it wasn't what I had planned - I just wasn't paying attention.

Finally, I did it the way I had envisioned!  This used 5-weight yarn and size 11 needles, because that's what I had ready to go in my stash.  Instructions for all yarn weights are included.

Pinball

You will need 5-weight yarn in 2 colors and size 11 needles.

Abbreviations:

k2tog:  knit 2 stitches together

Using Color A, cast on 63 stitches, place marker and join, taking care not to twist stitches.

Work Brim:  Using Color A

Row 1:  knit all stitches

Row 2:  purl all stitches 

Repeat Rows 1-2  until your work measures about 2.5 inches, or longer if you prefer, in length.  

Work Pattern:  all stitches are knit stitches.  The numbers and letter refer to color:  In the models Color A is gray and B is turquoise.   Color A is seafoam and B is pink.  Color A is brown and B is cream.

First Repeat Only IF you want to prevent the start of the partial pattern as seen on the seafoam/pink hat and the brown/cream hat.

Row 1:  *1B, 8A*; repeat around

Row 2:  *1B, 1A, 1B, 6A*; repeat around

Then work rows 3-6 and repeat 1-6, as below, as needed.

Row 1:  *1B, 4A, 3B, 1A*; repeat around 

Row 2:  *1B ,1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2A; repeat around 

Row 3:   *1B, 1A, 2B, 5A*; repeat around

Row 4:   *1B, 1A, 3B, 4A*; repeat around

Row 5:   *1B, 2A, 2B, 2A, 1B, 1A*; repeat around

Row 6:   *1B, 5A, 2B, 1A*; repeat around 

Repeat Rows 1 - 6 until piece is about 7 inches in length.  

End with a Row 4 and work Rows 5 & 6 as below.

Last Repeat Only IF you want to avoid the partial pattern at the top of the seafoam/pink version.  If not, just work the last 2 rows as written.

Row 5:  *1B, 2A, 2B, 4A*; repeat around

Row 6:  *1B, 8A*; repeat around

Work Crown:  Using Color A:  

Row 1:    knit all stitches

Repeat Row 1 until piece is 7.5 - 8 inches in length.

Work Decrease in Color A:  use dpn’s when needed

Row 1:     *k7, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 2:     *k6, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 3:     *k5, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 4:     *k4, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 5:     *k3, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 6:     *k2, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 7:     *k1, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 8:      *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 6-weight yarn, use size 15 needles and cast on 45.

If using 4-weight yarn, use size 8 needles and cast on 81. 

  

If using 3-weight yarn, use size 6 needles and cast on 108.   

If using 2-weight yarn, use size 4 needles and cast on 144.  

This  pattern is worked over 9 stitches.  

Adjust accordingly for size differences.

Learn more about Delaware Head Huggers by visiting www.delawareheadhuggers.org

 Follow us on Pinterest or visit our  Ravelry store.  

We also have patterns available as paperbacks or a Kindle e-books from Amazon.  They can be purchased here. 

Remember to join us on our Facebook page - you can see all the beautiful hats that are donated and shipped out.   

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram too!  

Stop by Kozy Kovers for Kids Facebook page too and see all the gorgeous handmade blankets that are going to help children in crisis throughout our area.  We welcome everyone to join us.  Stop by and say hello.  

You can always reach me at robin@delawareheadhuggers.org too!

Introducing Gentle Swells

All of us, all over the world, are fighting the battle against COVID-19 right now.  Delaware Head Huggers has suspended operations until further notice due to infection control concerns, so we are not accepting any or shipping any chemo caps.   We hope that things can be resolved soon, but we understand the need for everyone to stay at home and be safe.

Many of us, when faced with stressful situations turn to our yarn.  Many of us now have extra time on our hands too.  I, myself, have had trouble getting involved in any large project and find myself easily distracted.  I did finally get this pattern worked out and finished and want to share it with you.

This was knit using worsted weight yarn and size 8 needles.  It is a small adult hat.  The pattern is in multiples of 20, so you can always add 20 stitches to your cast on to adjust for a larger hat.  You can try using smaller or larger needles to adjust the size too.

We hope that each and every one of you stays healthy and well.  Stay safe and follow the guidelines and rules.  Please remember to thank all those who are working to keep you safe and to protect your health and well-being.

Gentle Swells

Abbreviations:

k2tog:  knit 2 stitches together

Using Color B, cast on 80 stitches, place marker and join, taking care not to twist stitches.

Work Brim:  Using Color B

Row 1:  knit all stitches

Row 2:  purl all stitches 

Repeat Rows 1-2  until your work measures about 2.5 inches, or longer if you prefer, in length.  

Work Pattern:  all stitches are knit stitches.  The numbers and letter refer to color:  In the model Color A is teal and B is black.  

Rows 1& 6:  *2B, 3A, 2B, 6A, 2B, 3A, 2B*; repeat around 

Row 2:  *1A, 2B, 1A, 4B, 4A, 4B, 1A, 2B, 1A*; repeat around 

Row 3:   *2A, 3B, 2A, 2B, 2A, 2B, 2A, 3B, 2A*; repeat around

Row 4:   *3A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 3A, 2B, 3A*; repeat around

Row 5 & 10:   *1B, 3A, 2B, 3A, 2B, 3A, 2B, 3A, 1B*; repeat around

Row 7:   *1A, 2B, 3A, 2B, 4A, 2B, 3A 2B, 1A*; repeat around 

Row 8:   *2A, 2B, 3A, 2B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 2B, 2A*; repeat around 

Row 9:   *3A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 3A, 2B, 3A*; repeat around 

Repeat Rows 1 - 10 until piece is about 7.5 to 8 inches in length.

Work Crown:  Using Color B:  

Row 1:    knit all stitches

Repeat Row 1 until piece is about 8 to 8.5  inches in length.

Work Decrease in Color B:  use dpn’s when needed

Row 1:     *k8, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 2:     *k7, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 3:     *k6, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 4:     *k5, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 5:     *k4, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 6:     *k3, k2tog *; repeat around

Row 7:     *k2, k2tog*; repeat around

Row 8:     *k1, k2tog*; repeat around 

Row 9:      *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 6-weight yarn, use size 15 needles and cast on 40.

If using 5-weight yarn, use size 11 needles and cast on 60. 

  

If using 3-weight yarn, use size 6 needles and cast on 100.   

If using 2-weight yarn, use size 4 needles and cast on 140.  

This  pattern is worked over 20 stitches.  Adjust accordingly for size differences. The hat will be small worked as written.  Add 20 stitches to your cast on to make a larger hat.

Learn more about Delaware Head Huggers by visiting www.delawareheadhuggers.org

 Follow us on Pinterest or visit our  Ravelry store.  

We also have patterns available as paperbacks or a Kindle e-books from Amazon.  They can be purchased here. 

Remember to join us on our Facebook page - you can see all the beautiful hats that are donated and shipped out.   

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram too!  

Stop by Kozy Kovers for Kids Facebook page too and see all the gorgeous handmade blankets that are going to help children in crisis throughout our area.  We welcome everyone to join us.  Stop by and say hello.  

You can always reach me at robin@delawareheadhuggers.org too!