Introduction: Baby Space Invader Hat

By Sputterly Utter
About: Safety third.

This pattern fits a 6-12 month old baby.

Step 1: Materials

Black and white yarn--I used Cascade brand 220 Superwash (100 grams/3.5oz 220 yards)
Size 8 (US) circular needles
Size 8 (US) double-pointed needles
Three stitch markers

The gauge is 1.5 sts for 1 cm, or 15 sts for 10 cm.

Step 2: Charts

It's a good idea to draw these out for yourself on graph paper.

Step 3: Knitting Instructions


1. Cast on 7 st with black yarn

2. Knit the ear flap, from the bottom up, following chart #1. You'll increase by 2 sts every other row until you have 17 sts. Add a st after the first st and right before the last st of every increase row. Don't despair if your increases leave holes that are kind of ugly. You can go in and patch them up a bit when you weave in the ends. Make the first and last stitch of every row pretty tight.

3. When you've got the earflap knitted according to the chart, cut the thread (kind of longish) and remove the flap from the needles to put it aside. You should finish on a wrong side row and be ready for a right side next.

4. Repeat step two (but not step three) for the second earflap.

5. When you've finished the chart for the second earflap, turn it over and knit across, continuing the seed stitch pattern on the edges.

6. Cast on 8 sts.

7. Put the other earflap on the right side of the circular needles. Knit across, continuing the seed stitch pattern on the edges.

8. Cast on 18 sts.

9. Join the two end of your knitting into a circle and knit around five rows in seed stitch, but knit in garter stitch over the garter stitches in the center of the two earflaps. You're making a garter stitch border around the hat.

10. Knit around three rows in garter stitch.

11. Find the center back of the hat and mark off three stitches on either side (6 sts between two markers). These are marking the beginning and end of the repeat space invader pattern that goes around the hat. 54 sts or 23 x 2 +8. Don't worry about the math unless you want to.

12. Knit past the first marker and right after the second marker, start the pattern from Chart #2 at the bottom left and read the chart from left to right. Because you're knitting in the round, you will read every row of the chart from left to right and from the bottom up. I drew out the entire pattern, even though you really only should need the two repeating invaders.

13. Knit chart #2.

14. Stockinette stitch 3 rows.

15. Begin decreases every 20 sts. Decrease 6 sts every other row for 8 rows.

16. Transfer knitting to double-pointed needles.

17. Decrease every row until you have only 8 or 9 sts left.

18. Tie off the top of the hat

19. Weave in loose ends.

20. Block flaps with a steamy iron to make them flat.