Top Down Bonnet w/ Anime Character

This makes a great plain bonnet, just leave off the ears and face!

To fit head measuring: 14” (16”, 18”, 20”) newborn (baby, child, adult)
Materials: sport weight yarn- approx. 50 (75, 100, 125) yards (shown in Knit Picks Ambrosia in Fog), plus small amounts of fingering weight yarn in black and white for face, if desired.
Needles: size 3US dpns and 16” circular, or whatever size to get gauge and similarly sized crochet hook.
Gauge: 6 sts. and 8 rows = 1”

Pattern:
Cast on 36 (40, 44, 48) sts. with figure 8 cast on (half on one needle, half on the other). Join into round.
The bonnet has two sides, the front and back, divided by 2 vertical lines of increases, which you start now:

Round 1. Knit plain (Knit second half of first round only through the back loop to untwist stitches.)
Round 2. Increase round- *k1, m1, k16 (18, 20, 22), m1, k1* Repeat once more.
Round 3. Knit plain
Round 4. Increase round- *k1, m1, k18 (20, 22, 24), m1, k1* Repeat once more.

Continue in this manner until you have 80 (88, 96, 104) sts. on the needles.

You will now need to decrease for the nape of the neck. Keep increasing as you have been, every other round, while decreasing every round as follows:

Round1. work 18 (20, 22, 24), K2TOG, place marker, SSK, work58 (64, 70, 76)
Round2. work to 2 sts. before marker, K2TOG, slip marker, SSK, work around

Work round 2 until you have done 5 (6, 7, 8) decreases, then stop decreasing and continue increasing until there are 54 (58, 62, 66) sts. on the front of the bonnet (side without decreases), ending on an increase row.  Stop increasing now.  Purl the next row, and then alternate knit rows with purl rows (garter stitch) for .5(.75,1,1.25) inches ending on a purl row. Bind off in knit stitches. Do not cut yarn. 

I-cord ties:
Pick up two more stitches (3 on needle at the corner of the bonnet at the point created by increases) and knit a 3 st. i-cord for 10” (11”, 12”, 13”). Make another one at the other increase point.

Optional Ears:
Referring to photo for placement, at the cast on edge and with 1 dpn, pick up 5 (7, 9, 11)sts. in a straight line turn work and with a second dpn, pick up 5 (7, 9, 11) more, directly behind first 5. Join into round. K2 rounds plain, then begin increasing as follows:

1. *K1, m1, knit across needle* Repeat between *s on second needle.
2. Knit plain

Repeat these two rounds 4 (6, 8, 10) times, then begin decreasing as follows:

1. K2TOG, knit across needle. Repeat on second needle.
2. Knit plain

Repeat until 4 sts. remain, cut yarn and thread through sts. Make a second eat at the other top corner.

Face:

Following photo for placement, embroider mouth, nose, and eyes. I used single crochet for the eyes, starting with a black circle, single crocheted into the fabric of the hat , then rounds of white, until the eyes were as big as I liked.

Weave in all ends and block.

Content and photos are © Hello Yarn. All rights reserved. These patterns are for personal and non-profit use only.  This means you can knit for yourself, for a gift, for charity, or for a charity auction/sale.  You can print out the patterns for friends, if you wish, as long as you print straight from my site so the copyright information is intact.  You may not  sell items made from these patterns for profit or give these patterns away in your store in an attempt to sell yarn.