Bear Hat Masterclass

Required materials:

• Yarn Lana Gatto Maxi Soft, 50 g / 90 m — 4–5 skeins (depending on variant: with ears or without).
  You can use a similar yarn with a length of 50 g / 90 m.

• Circular needles size 5 and size 6.

• Additional needle and thread.

• Tapestry needle.

• Markers — 8 pcs.

• Scissors.

Required skills:

• Knit and purl stitches on circular needles.

Abbreviations:
MK — master class
P — stitches
Knit — knit stitches
Purl — purl stitches
Pattern
Raglan line
Dec — decreases
Head circumference
VTO — wet-heat treatment

Knitting gauge:

From yarn Lana Gatto Maxi Soft in two strands.
On circular needles sizes 5 and 6.

Rib 1×1 (needles size 5)
18 stitches in 10 cm (slightly stretched).
→ 1.8 stitches per 1 cm.

Garter stitch (needles size 6)
16 stitches in 10 cm.
→ 1.6 stitches per 1 cm.

If the gauge doesn't match — choose needles larger or smaller.

Helmet calculations (head circumference 51–54 cm):

• Needles size 5 — for the face ribbing.
  Cast on 72 sts + 1 st for joining in the round.
  Knit 1×1 rib — 7 rows.
  Set aside 8 sts for the chin on an extra thread.

• Switch to needles size 6 and knit garter stitch 64 sts until decreases — 41 rows (17.5–18 cm) from the start.

• Divide stitches: side / center / side = 21 sts / 22 sts / 21 sts

• Decreases in the side parts — 16 rows.

• Decreases in the central and side parts — 26 rows.

• There are 8 stitches left on the needles.

• Pick up stitches for the neckline — 58 sts, knit 1×1 rib — 13–14 rows. Do not finish the last row; 7 sts left unworked.

• Manishka (balaclava): front / raglan line / side / raglan line / back / raglan line / side / raglan line =
  19 sts / 1 / 8 / 1 / 19 / 1 / 8 / 1.
  Knit 18 rows (optional +2–4 rows).

Part 2 — Knitting the hat

1. Beginning of knitting

With needles size 5, cast on 72 stitches + 1 stitch for joining in the round.
Join the knitting and knit 1×1 ribbing (1 knit, 1 purl) — 7 rows.

After this, set aside 8 stitches for the chin on an extra thread or needle.
There remain 64 stitches on the needles.

Switch to needles size 6 and knit garter stitch in turning rounds (all stitches in every row knit).
Edge stitches:

• The first stitch in a row should always be slipped,

• and the last stitch should be purled.

Knit 41 garter rows (approximately 17.5–18 cm from the start).
End on an odd row (on the wrong side of the work).

2. Shaping the back of the head

Divide stitches:
side / center / side = 21 sts / 22 sts / 21 sts
Mark with markers.

1st row (right side):
Knit the first side and central part in knit stitches, leaving one stitch unworked at the end of the central part.
The last stitch of the central part and the first stitch of the second side together purlwise.
Turn the work.

2nd row (wrong side):
Slip the first stitch, knit the rest, decreasing one stitch at the end of the central part.
The last stitch of the central part and the first stitch of the side part knit together knitwise.
Turn the work.

Thus, the number of stitches in the side parts decreases while the central part remains unchanged.
Knit in the same order for 16 rows with decreases in the side parts.
The last row should be worked on the wrong side.

3. Decreases in the central part

After the first 16 rows, begin tapering the back of the head toward the neck.

17th row (right side):
Slip the first stitch, knit to three stitches before the end of the central panel.
Knit the two-to-last stitches together through the back loop,
the last stitch of the central part and the first stitch of the side part — two together purlwise.

18th row (purl side):
Slip the first stitch, knit to three stitches before the end of the central part.
Knit the two-to-last stitches together through the back loop,
the last stitch of the central part and the first stitch of the side part — two together knitwise.

Decreases in the central part should be made every two rows.
Thus:

• rows 19–20 — decreases only in the side parts,

• rows 21–22 — decreases in both central and side parts,
  and so on to the end.

In total from the start of the back shaping there should be 42 rows (the last 41st and 42nd with decreases in the central part).
On the needles remains 8 stitches.

4. Neckline

On the right side, pick up stitches along the edge of the garment.
Total should be 58 stitches (including the 8 remaining).

Then knit in the round in 1×1 rib (1 knit, 1 purl).
Knit the first stitch of each round purlwise.
Knit 13–14 rounds, leave the last round with 7 stitches unworked (to offset the start of the round).

Part 3 — Neck warmer and ears

1. Neck warmer

After knitting the neckline (13–14 rounds of 1×1 rib, leaving 7 stitches unworked in the last row) proceed to the neck warmer.

Divide the stitches into 4 parts, adding raglan lines between them:

Front / raglan line / side / raglan line / back / raglan line / side / raglan line
= 19 sts / 1 / 8 / 1 / 19 / 1 / 8 / 1

The neck warmer is knitted in garter stitch in the round, with increases in the knit rows before and after each raglan line before and after each raglan line.
Raglan lines in all rounds are knitted knit.

1st row (knit): all stitches knitted.
2nd row (purl): all stitches purl, except raglan lines — they are knit.

From the 3rd row we begin increases:

• After each raglan row, lift the wrap and knit through the back loop.

• Before each raglan row, lift the wrap and knit through the front loop.

In the purl rows, the three stitches of the raglan line (before, on, after) are knitted, the others — purled.

Continue knitting, alternating knit and purl rows according to this principle.

Total to knit 18 rows for the neck warmer.
(If a longer length is needed — add another 2–4 rows.)

Cast-off:

Knit the 1st stitch (raglan row) knit,
the 2nd and 3rd — knit, then pass the 2nd over the 3rd.
Continue similarly to the end of the row.
Draw the last stitch through to join with the first, tuck the end neatly on the wrong side.

2. Ears

Knit on needles size 5, in two strands.

Cast on 15 stitches.
Knit a rectangle in garter stitch (all stitches knit) in turning rows, including the edge stitches.

Knit until height is 9.5 cm (width about 8.5 cm).
Then cast off in the usual way.

Fold the rectangle in half, sew the side edges, turn to the right side and form an ear by pressing the seam inward.
Do the same to make the second ear.

3. Attaching ears

Try the helmet on the child and mark where the ears will be located — they should be symmetrical.
Sew on with a needle, carefully catching stitches on the helmet and edge stitches at the base of the ear.
Hide the thread tails inside the ears.

If desired, you can instead attach pom-poms.