This is GREAT!!
I found a
vid on YouTube that explained the smock stitch. I'd love to give this a try.
What sized needles did you use? How many stitches to start? At what point did you start the decreasing?
What a beautiful hat!
~CD~
Are you on Ravelry? Because if so, I put the pattern as a free printable .pdf - called smocked & awed. If not, I can post the pattern here, too.
To answer your questions, though:
I did the first 6 rounds of ribbing on size US 4 (3.5mm), then changed to US 6 (4.00mm) for the body of the hat. It's worsted weight yarn.
I cast on 96 stitches. Now this IS a smallish hat - only fits up to a 19" head, so you can increase the circumference by adding stitches in multiples of 8. If you need more length, add a few rounds of ribbing at the bottom, or do an extra set of the pattern rows.
The decrease starts on the 6th round of the smocking stitch - you're actually purling together the two purl stitches in the center of the smock. For most of the pattern, when doing the smocking stitch, you are inserting your right hand needle between the 6th and 7th stitches on the left hand needle, but on the very last round of the smocking stitch, that changes to between the 4th and 5th stitches because of the decreases.
But anyway, let me know if you need the pattern posted here, too. =)
you made this up as you "went along"??!?!?! wish I had that kinda talent. Well done!
Heh, thanks... but after getting the body done, I sat there for over an hour trying to mentally figure out how to decrease and still keep smocking. I guess I looked pretty blank, because my husband kept checking on me, asking me if I was ok...
great job, I really like it
Thanks!
Oooh! What a lovely pattern, and the color you picked is fab. Love it.
I'm embarrassed to admit, that yarn is probably 20 years old. My mom was cleaning out her basement and gave me some of her old Lamb's Pride that she had no use for, anymore. After washing it the basementy smell was gone, and it looked fresh as when it was new.
