Knit A Helmet Hat

After a fairly mild, snow-free December, we are having a bitter cold start to January 2015.  Below zero temperatures are common throughout the area today and many schools are closed.  My middle grandchild, Sam, asked if I would make him a knit helmet hat.  I needed a project for our car trip to Michigan, so I grabbed my knitting needles and some yarn.  I put the supplies in the front seat with me and started to knit shortly after we began the trip.  Knitting in the car makes it easier for me to travel.  I am not a good traveler.  If we listen to a book and I knit, I can handle it.  I get car sick if I read, but for some reason I can knit.  A while ago, I blogged about making a skull cap.

 http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/03/ribbed-knit-skull-cap.html

I took the ribbed skull cap pattern in the child size and modified it a little.  With a worsted weight yarn, I cast on 92 stitches.   I used a size 8 twelve inch circular needle but four double pointed needles would work.  I put a marker at the beginning of the row and knit 2, purl 2 around for seven inches, slipping the marker when I came to it.  You can adjust this length depending on how far you want neck coverage.  Next I made the face opening by knitting 30 stitches, binding off 31 stitches and finishing the round by knitting 31 stitches in the rib pattern to the marker.  The next row, I knit in the rib pattern the 30 stitches after the marker, then cast on 31 stitches (the same number I just bound off) and then finished that row.  Again I knit round and round on 92 stitches keeping in the rib pattern for about five more inches.  The piece is about twelve inches.  Now it is time to decrease for the top of the head.  This is not ribbed, it is just plain knit.  If using a circular needle you may have to switch to double pointed needles to finish the decreases as the number of stitches becomes less.

Row 1: Knit around
Row 2: Knit 2 together, knit 21, knit 2 together, knit 21, knit 2 together, knit 21, knit 2 together, knit 21. (4 decreases-88 stitches)
Row 3: Knit around
Row 4: Knit 2 together, knit 9, repeat across row (80 stitches)
Row 5: Knit around
Row 6: Knit 2 together, knit 8, repeat across row (72 stitches)
Repeat in this manner knitting one less stitch between decreases until 12 stitches remain.
Knit three together across leaving four stitches.  Cut yarn and pull tail through those 4 stitches and secure.  

This is NOT my grandson, but it is a really cool dude.

Side view of the helmet hat

Here Sam is modeling his helmet hat.  The reason he wanted it was that he was invited to a fisheree birthday party.  The term Fisheree may not be a familiar term for those who live outside Wisconsin.  A Fisheree is an ice fishing tournament.  Many communities who have a nearby lake host fisheree's in the winter when the ice is frozen thick enough to be safe.  They cut holes in the ice and fish.  I guess this kids birthday party will be an ice fishing fisheree party.  Sam is very excited about this and now his face will be warm.