Monday, August 26, 2013

Owl Earflap Hat - Take 2


Looking at the Owl Earflap Hat I shared with you in the previous post I started feeling concerned that it would be too small for Chirphead.  I therefore decided that it would be worth it to create a second one in the next size up. This way, one should fit Chirphead for his newborn photos.  The other can make a great shower gift or hat for a stuffed animal!  This time I selected the 3-6 month size.

Plans changed a bit as I do not have enough of the Lion Brand Wool to make a second small hat, let alone one that is slightly bigger.  (To be fair, there was a lot of waste for the braids etc in the previous version, but I would hate to start it and then not have any contrast for the braid.)  I will need to rethink the colors to make the larger version.  I therefore decided to hold Berroco Peruvia with a strand of KnitPicks Palette to give a similar stranded like effect.


This hat was also crocheted with a size H (5.0 mm) hook.  The beak and eyes were once again formed out of  KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Daffodil (3 yards), White (18 yards) and Coal (3 yards).  I used Berroco Peruvia in colors 7104 Oat (39 yards) and 7152 (Brown 40 yards.)  I held the darker Brown Peruvia with a strand of KnitPicks Palette  (33 yards) to get a similar standed effect as was present in the first newborn hat.


The pattern starts out pretty differently for the larger hats, and the contrasting color stripe is larger.  I will do the dark brown through row 7 and then swap for the lighter brown (3 DC rows of the lighter color rathern than 4 as written.)


I noticed that the larger patterns have better instructions for the earflaps than the newborn pattern.  You count stitches along the front rather than along the seam, so you have the same RS/WS for both ears.  I sewed the two eyes together before attaching them to the hat to give make it easier for them to be connected (and to make the overall placement a bit easier.)  


The newborn hat was 6" across and 4.25" deep (to front edge.)  The 3-6 month hat is 6.75" across and 5.25" deep.  One of these should fit a newborn chirphead!