The Sandoval Panda Hat
In June when my siblings and I took our dad out for our annual Father's Day Giants game I fell in love with the panda hats many of the fans were sporting for Pablo Sandoval (the Panda). After a few beers (okay, maybe more than few beers...) I had sworn to my brother-in-law-to-be that I would knit him one and it would be way better than the one's on sale at the stadium.Lucky for me, when his birthday rolled around I was in the middle of this hat making kick. I tracked down a pattern online for a men's hat with ear flaps and knit it up in white wool-ease (its warm!). Then with a little creatively used graph-paper I covered some of the stitched with black yarn, attached a pair of ears, and called up my old friendship braid making skills to put a pair of tie-cords on the bottom. When I was visiting family over the weekend I got to see my awesome brother-in-law-be sport it while we drank Big Daddy IPA and watched the Giants take a hit from the braves. I didn't get a picture of him in it, but I'm sure everyone in the bar was jealous.
Sandoval Panda Hat
Size 6 needles
16” size 9 circular needle
Earflap 1.
On size 6 needles CO 6.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, K front and back, K to last 2 stitches, K front and back, K1 (2 sts increased; 8 sts)
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Rows 6- 25: repeat last 4 rows 5 times (18 sts)
Row 26: K front and back, purl to last stitch, K front and back (2 sts increased; 20 sts)
Move to stitch holder.
Earflap 2.
On size 6 needles CO 6.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, K front and back, K to last 2 stitches, K front and back, K1 (2 sts increased; 8 sts)
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Rows 6- 25: repeat last 4 rows 5 times (18 sts)
Row 26: Purl
Row 27: K front and back, knit to last stitch, K front and back (2 sts increased; 20 sts).
Move to circular needle.
Using backwards loop method CO 14 sts. Transfer earflap 1 to circular needle and knit across connecting to cast on sts. Using backwards loop method CO 14 sts on the other side of earflap 1. Place marker. Join new sts to earflap 2 to complete the circle. You should now have 14 sts between each earflap (68 sts on needle).
Knit in the round until hat measures 4.5 inches from newly casted on sts. For next row K 12, place marker, K 11, place marker, K 11, place marker, K 12 place marker, K 11 place marker, K 11 place marker. You should now have 6 evenly spaced markers. Begin decreasing as follows.
Row 1: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 62 sts).
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 56 sts).
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 50 sts).
Row 6: Knit
Row 7: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 44 sts).
Row 8: Knit
Row 9: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 38 sts).
Row 10: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 32 sts).
Row 11: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 26 sts).
Row 12: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 20 sts).
Row 13: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 14 sts).
Row 14: K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker, K2tog, K to marker (decreased 6 sts; 8 sts).
Remove markers. Cut yarn leaving tail and tread through remaining stitches. Pull tightly to close hole. Weave in ends.
Ears (make 2)
Using 2 strands worsted weight black yarn CO 10 sts on size 8 needles.
Row 1: k2, p6, k2
Row 2: p2, k6, p2
Row 3: k2, p6, k2
Row 4: p2, K2tog, K2tog, K2tog, p2
Row 5: k2, p3, k2
Row 6: p1, P2tog, k1, P2tog, p1
Row 7: k2, p1, k2
Row 8: P2tog, p1, P2tog
Row 9: Bind off all sts. Use this pattern (O is white, X is black) to embroider the panda face on it. I started the nose 6 rows up from the cast on.
OOOOXXOOOOOXXOOOO
OOOXXXXOOOXXXXOOO
OXXXXXXOOOXXXXXXO
XXXXXXXOOOXXXXXXX
XXXXXOOOOOOOXXXXX
OXXXOOOOOOOOOXXXO
OOXOOOOOOOOOOOXOO
OOOOOOXXXXXOOOOOO
OOOOOOXXXXXOOOOOO
OOOOOOOXXXOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOXOOOOOOOO
Comments