Knitted hats are extremely popular. Their advantages are obvious: they are warm, soft, sometimes fluffy and colorful.
In addition to functionality, hand-made hats have another plus - they are pretty quick and easy to knit. If there is even a minimal knitting experience, literally in the evening you can make a warm hat with a three-dimensional pattern. Therefore, knitting patterns with braids with needles are so popular.
General principles of knitting hats
The specifics of making hats is that they have volume. Here you can not do with a simple knitted fabric, as, for example, when knitting a scarf.
Craftswomen give the caps a shape corresponding to the human head, thanks to the use of techniques to reduce and add the number of loops in the canvas.
As a rule, knitting hats with knitting needles starts from the bottom, knits a flat area and starts to reduce, minimizing the number of loops. The remaining few loops are collected on a thread, tightened and tightened.
Alternatives to knitting hats
Along with the traditional, there are also several other ways of knitting hats:
- Flat canvas tied at the crown.
- Beret (initial expansion, then narrowing of the canvas).
- Drawing up caps (berets) of 5 or 6 wedges.
- Flat fabric sewn with one seam (when put on the head, forms two corners).
All these methods are equally effective, but significantly affect the patterns used for knitting hats with needles. Schemes "braids" Suitable for decorating almost any model.
Features and characteristics of harnesses
Harnesses familiar to many, they are also braids or arana, have become almost a symbol of knitting. Their application is very wide: from hats and mittens to swimwear and shoes.
The formation of a braid occurs when the banal crossing of the required number of loops on the spoke with their subsequent knitting in this position. The auxiliary tools for this manipulation are an additional knitting needle or knitting pin. The loops are first transferred to a pin, then they are re-positioned and put on the main needle again.
The harnesses can be of very different sizes, it depends on the number of crossed loops (1: 1, 2: 2, 3: 3 and so on). The obtained braids can be combined into various combinations, including other bundles, solid patterns, bumps, knitted separately and sewn to the canvas, or even openwork fragments.
When planning to use a pattern with braids, it should be taken into account that they, due to their volume, require a large amount of yarn (about 20% more than a flat cloth).
Many schemes for knitting hats with braids with needles suggest using the principle of forming bundles for knitting a “net”, in which one front loop is crossed with one wrong loop and smooth inclined lines are obtained.
How to calculate the narrowing of the canvas
One of the main difficulties that cause inconvenience to the craftswomen when trying to tie a hat is the difficulty in calculating the reduction of loops. Knitting hats with needles (patterns with a "braid" in particular) require uniform narrowing, in which the structure of the pattern is preserved and there are no too sharp transitions.
The shape of the cap will be correct with a reduction of 12 loops in each front row. These reductions can be distributed in any way. Often it depends on the number of rapports, since it is very convenient to make cuts between braids. Depending on the size of the rapports (there may be 3-6 or 6-12, it is also possible that the number is not a multiple of three), you can reduce two loops between large fragments or one loop between small fragments.
Loop reduction due to braid width
Some patterns for knitting caps with braids with needles include too small gaps between the braids. Their reduction is not enough for the formation of the cap, so the reduction is performed directly when knitting braids. This technique requires careful calculations, since it is possible to violate the proportions of the braid (if too sharp narrowing is allowed). Most often, a successful result becomes possible only after several attempts.
In this case, you need to monitor the condition of the thread: repeated dissolution can damage its integrity and worsen the appearance. If fluffy yarn is used, it is better to avoid blooming, otherwise you can easily get an uneven stained thread with stray fluff.
Horizontal knitting in the manufacture of hats
The following figure depicts a relatively simple knitting pattern for women hats with braids.
It can be called simple because there is no need to narrow the canvas and calculate the loops. The most difficult part is knitting a sample, measuring it and calculating the number of loops in the first row. The width of the knitting will be equal to the height of the future product.
Then, knitting a flat cloth continues until it reaches the head volume of the person for whom the hat fits. That is, if the head volume is 55 cm, then the height of the knitted fabric will be the same.
At the final stage, a side seam is made and one side of the knitted fabric is pulled together. If desired, instead of tightening, you can sew a flat knitted circle that will serve as the bottom of the cap.
For such a model, many knitting patterns with caps with braids are suitable.
Dressing hats
The use of harnesses as the main decorative elements of caps has long been a classic. However, if necessary, decorate a children's or women's headdress, you can consider other options:
- Sewing separately connected fragments to the finished fabric (applications, colors, cones, pompons). They are made using a hook or knitting needles.
- The use of textured yarn for knitting some rows (vertical, horizontal, binding the edges).
- The use of beads, beads and ribbons.
- Knitting "cat ears." This effect is achieved by stitching the protruding corners of a rectangular cap.
- Sewing a visor or long "ears" as in caps with earflaps.
The transition from knitting gum to braids
Another important aspect that distinguishes knitting hats with braids for women (patterns rarely illustrate this) is the correct transition from knitted elastic to the execution of the braids themselves.
If you continue to knit without changing the number of loops, the braids can pull the fabric too tight and the hat will be cramped. Experienced craftswomen recommend making additions after the elastic: plus 1-2 loops for each tourniquet.
Knitwear Care
The finished hat should be washed only by hand, avoiding hot water, twisting and hanging. Dry only when unfolded. Ignoring these recommendations, you can find that the size of the cap has sharply decreased, or, conversely, that it has elongated.
Having mastered braid knitting (patterns with the description of the caps can be combined with different patterns), it's time to start practical implementation of all your ideas and ideas.