OTTOBRE knits - Baby Beanie and Mittens

OTTOBRE design® 4/2009 (page 2).



Baby beanie and mittens for a baby aged 8-12 months.

MATERIALS
- 80 g self-striping BFL wool yarn (100 g/225 m) (http://www.handu.fi/)
- set of double-pointed knitting needles (5 needles), size 3-4 mm
- darning needle for finishing ends
- cardboard for making pom-pom

GAUGE:
10 cm = 24 sts and 34 rows

BEANIE INSTRUCTIONS

Cast on 96 stitches and divide them equally between four needles. The beanie is knitted in the round.

Rounds 1-11: *Knit 2, purl 2*. Repeat from * to * around.
Rounds 12-31: Knit stockinette stitch.

Decrease as follows:
Round 32: *Knit 14, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Rounds 33-34: Knit stockinette stitch.
Round 35: *Knit 13, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Rounds 36-37: Knit stockinette stitch.
Round 38: *Knit 12, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Rounds 39-40: Knit stockinette stitch.
Round 41: *Knit 11, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 42: Knit stockinette stitch.
Round 43: *Knit 10, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 44: Knit stockinette stitch.
Round 45: *Knit 9, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 46: Knit stockinette stitch.
Round 47: *Knit 8, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 48: *Knit 7, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 49: *Knit 6, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 50: *Knit 5, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 51: *Knit 4, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 52: *Knit 3, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 53: *Knit 2, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 54: *Knit 1, knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.
Round 55: *Knit 2 together*. Repeat from * to * around.

Finishing: Cut yarn, leaving approx. 25 cm long end for fastening off. Pull yarn through remaining 6 stitches. Weave in all yarn ends on wrong side.

Pom-pom: Cut two circles of cardboard, both 8 cm in diameter, and cut a hole, 2 cm in diameter, in the center of each circle. Slash the edge of each circle. Place the circles together, aligning the slashes. Wind yarn around the outside of the circle and through the center hole until the hole is almost filled with yarn. Cut through the loops of yarn around the outside of the circle, holding the pom-pom tight. Insert a 55 cm long double strand of yarn between the circles, loop it around the center and tighten it slightly. Remove the cardboard circles, tighten the yarn and tie the ends in a knot. Shape and trim the pom-pom and attach it to the top of the beanie with the yarn ends. Weave in the yarn ends on the wrong side.




MITTENS INSTRUCTIONS

Cast on 28 stitches and divide them equally between four needles. The mittens are knitted in the round.

Right mitten: Rounds 1-15: *Knit 2, purl 2*. Repeat from * to * around.
Rounds 16-23: Knit stockinette stitch. Mark the thumb opening with a piece of scrap yarn (25 cm piece of contrasting yarn) as follows:
Round 24: Knit 6 with marker yarn. Transfer the 6 stitches worked with the marker yarn from the right needle back onto the left needle. Knit stockinette stitch with the working yarn to the end of the round.

Rounds 25-38: Knit stockinette stitch. Decrease to shape the tip of the mitten as follows: Round 39: *At the beginning of needles 1 and 3, first knit 1 and then slip 1, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over (skp). At the end of needles 2 and 4, knit the third and second last stitches together*. Repeat from * to * until there are 4 sts left.

Thumb: Remove the marker yarn. Place the live stitches onto two needles and pick up 1-2 stitches at the sides of the thumb opening to make a total of 14 sts. Divide the stitches equally between two needles.

Rounds 1-9: Knit stockinette stitch. Decrease to shape the tip of the thumb as follows: Round 10: *At the beginning of each needle, first knit 1 and then slip 1, knit 1 and pass the slipped stitch over (skp). At the end of each needle, knit the third and second last stitches together*. Repeat from * to * until there are 4 sts left.

Finishing: Cut yarn, leaving approx. 25 cm long end for fastening off. Pull yarn through remaining 4 stitches. Weave in all yarn ends on wrong side.

Left mitten: Knit the left mitten in the same way as the right mitten but mark the thumb opening with scrap yarn at the end of needle 2 (instead of the beginning of needle 1 as on the right mitten).