…although these hats are a little bigger than the last lot!
Pattern: Basic Hat Pattern from The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd
Yarn: Oddments of DK: Jaeger Matchmaker Merino, Sirdar Countrystyle DK and other stuff that I have I no idea about
Needles: 3.25mm and 3.75mm circs
Unsurprisingly, the small people chose the colours for their new winter hats whilst I was knitting the Innocent Hats. 
They’re pretty much identical to last year’s versions: I used the same number of stitches, same yarn weight, and so on. I even used the same fold over hem as before, because I love the way it looks.
The only fly in the ointment was the stripes. Knitting them in the round means the dreaded “jog” when you change colours. I have tried a lot of different methods, but I’m still not entirely happy with the finished look of the back. Almost makes me wish I’d knit them flat and tried an invisible seam. 
I’m hoping that blocking (yes, the knitting on this page is unblocked! Drama!!) will help even out the larger stitches. I will report back!
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October 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Have you tried Grumperina’s spiral way of working stripes? It seems to give good results.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Stripes are great
I think I want a stripey hat now. I certainly want a hat - any hat! The wind this morning was ouchy 
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
The invisible ‘jog’ method does not work with 2 row stripes. nearly all methods work by creating a stitch that stretches over 2 rows, and if you only have 2 rows max then you are going to to have only 1 stitch left for each coloured band. So, if you got the jogless jog right, then it does look like a seam anyway, because you just get one stitch that alternates in colours going up the centre back.
I have just been making beanies too! And have put free patterns up for ‘little people’, aged Newborn (because most free hat patterns for infants are enormous and way off in size) and for a 4-6yr old or more (about up to 19 inch circumference head) because older kids tend to get forgotten in the world of free patterns, and my recipient knows me as ‘knit knit’ so I couldn’t disappoint by knitting only for her 2 day old brother this winter could I?
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Love the fold over hem!!(I forgot to say). I love any hem that can be knitted in as you go along.
Another nice hem for a hat is made if you use old fashioned English Cast on method
Choose a needle size half a size larger than for the main knit
Cast on with 2 needles (knit, pull out stitch, twist and put onto needle)
1st row, ktbl’s
And block flat, it usually stays flat when you put on your head and it looks neat but can be a bit tight
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Er….one more thing
Do you find the little people like to have DK or 4ply cos it sort of looks like a shop bought hat BUT if you try to get them into something chunkier, they sort of recoil as it looks a bit more like a hand knit?? Well….I find the boys do…..including boys all the way up to 47 yrs old.
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 pm
wow, those hats are cute! i’m busy doing a cable hat at the moment on circular needles. That hat pattern book looks interesting!
October 4th, 2008 at 2:37 am
i hate those stripe jogs too. i’ve got to chime in with aberdonian, grumperina’s post on the striping was a good one. don’t know if it would work with 2 row stripes. or, i think it would, but then you’d have lots of seperate yarn bits, although if you’re using leftovers already who cares. it might be better than seaming *hopeful smile*