Cherry Red Riding Hood
An elderly friend of mine heard that I knit, and so gave me some lovely
pattern books from 1940.
Many of the patterns were originally made on very small (sizes 0,
1, and 2) needles at very fine gauges (around 7 stitches to the inch).
They were all lovely, however, and I thought that many of them would look
as good on modern children as they look on vintage children.
My friend Eleanor had knitted a particular hat for her daughter in 1940,
and decided to make one for my friend Stefani's daughter Caterina.
I re-gauged the little hood and re-wrote the pattern for premie to
age 12. Here you can see it in Cherry Moon knit on size 4 needles
at 5 stitches per inch and modeled by the American Girl doll Addy:
Cherry Red Riding Hood
Sizes: Premie, (Newborn, 6-18 months, 18 months-4 years,
4-8 years, 8-12 years)
Head circumference 15 (16.5, 18, 19.5, 21, 22.5) inches.
Use any yarn that will give you 5 stitches per inch in
stockinette. For this hood, you will need to use needles
approximately two sizes smaller than those required for
stockinette gauge.
Cast on 62 (70, 78, 86, 94, 102) stitches.
Work 4 rows in k2, p2 ribbing.
This edge will frame the face.
Row 5 (right side): k6, p2, *k2, p2,* k6
Row 6: p6, k2, *p2, k2,* p6
Row 7: p4, k2, *p2, k2,* p4
Row 8: p6, k2, *p2, k2,* p6
Row 9: k6, p2, *k2, p2,* k6
Row 10: k8, p2, *k2, p2,* k8
These six rows form the basic diagonal pattern for the hat.
The edge portion is a three-row pattern consisting of two
rows of stockinette and a purl ridge. The center portion
is in 2x2 ribbing. Every time the edge pattern repeats, it
grows 2 stitches from each edge towards the center. This
pattern continues until the edge pattern consumes everything
but the center knit rib, as follows:
Row 11 (right side): k10, p2, *k2, p2,* k10
Row 12: p10, k2, *p2, k2,* p10
Row 13: p8, k2, *p2, k2,* p8
Row 14: p10, k2, *p2, k2,* p10
Row 15: k10, p2, *k2, p2,* k10
Row 16: k12, p2, *k2, p2,* k12
Row 17 (right side): k14, p2, *k2, p2,* k14
Row 18: p14, k2, *p2, k2,* p14
Row 19: p12, k2, *p2, k2,* p12
Row 20: p14, k2, *p2, k2,* p14
Row 21: k14, p2, *k2, p2,* k14
Row 22: k16, p2, *k2, p2,* k16
Row 23 (right side): k18, p2, *k2, p2,* k18
Row 24: p18, k2, *p2, k2,* p18
Row 25: p16, k2, *p2, k2,* p16
Row 26: p18, k2, *p2, k2,* p18
Row 27: k18, p2, *k2, p2,* k18
Row 28: k20, p2, *k2, p2,* k20
Continue in this manner until the edge pattern has consumed
everything except the center rib. Knit one more plain row. The
open stitches will form the back seam of the hat. Either fold
hat with right sides together and use a joinery (three-needle)
bind-off to complete, fold hat with wrong sides together, break
yarn, and weave open stitches together, or bind off all stitches
and sew seam with blanket stitch.
Set hat aside.
Cast on 6 (6, 6, 8, 8, 8) stitches for tie.
All rows of tie: sl 1, p1, *k1, p1*
Work until tie measures 24 (25, 26, 27, 28, 29) inches long.
Bind off.
Sew center 8 (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) inches of tie to purl ridge edge
of hat, easing extra hat width into tie.
|