DIY Network

Man's Best Friend It's said some owners resemble their dogs, but whether you do or not, now you can at least dress alike. From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-704

Drew Emborsky and Annie Modesitt, the co-authors of Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them, present a cute combo of projects: a fun doggie sweater and matching "human" hat that any knitter will love to make for a special four-legged (and two-legged) friend.

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Man's Rasta Hat

Annie Modesitt shows how to begin a cute hat by casting on and working in a striped rib stitch, carrying the unused color neatly on the inside. She then works her way up, shaping the hat as she goes, and demonstrates how to make fun yarn "dreadlocks."

Note: The Man's Rasta Hat pattern is taken from Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them, by Annie Modesitt and Drew Emborsky (Lark Books, January 2007).

Materials:

	Man's Rasta Hat
	PDF Hat schematic: click to enlarge.

Malabrigo worsted in the following colors/amounts: Azul Profundo (A), 2 balls; 601 Vetiver (B), 1 (1, 2) ball(s); Pollen (C) 1 (1, 2) ball(s)
24" circular needles, 1 pair each US sizes 10 and 8
double-pointed needles (dpn), 1 set US size 8
darning needle

Sizes: S (M, L)

Finished measurements: 20 (21.5, 23) '' / 51.3 (55.1, 59) cm

Skill level: easy

Gauge: 3.25 sts x 4 rows = 1" on larger needles, working with 2 strands held together

Ribbing

With B and smaller needles, cast on 64(68, 76) (figure A); work in k2, p2 rib for 4 rows; join.
Switch to C and work in k2, p2 rib for 1 round; then work 1 round of ribbing with B.
Rep last 2 rounds 1 (1, 2) more time(s); continue with B only for 4 (4, 6) rounds (figure B), stranding C along wrong side of work. With C, work 2 (4, 4) rounds of ribbing. Work 2 rounds of ribbing with B (figure C).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Crown

	Constructing the crown (1)
	Constructing the crown (2)

With A and larger needles, inc 1 (inc 2, dec 1) sts evenly around all sts (65 [70, 75] sts).
Next round: With B k1 (2, 3) sts, [make one 2-1/2'' dreadlock into next st, k3], rep around hat. Work in St st in A for 4 rounds, stranding B and C up along inside of hat by twisting with strand of A every other round.
Next round: [With C k3, then make one 3'' dreadlock in next st], rep to end of round, end k1 (2, 3) sts. Work in St st in A for 4 rounds, stranding B and C up along inside of hat by twisting with strand of A every other round.
Next round: [With B make one 4'' dreadlock, k1 with C, k1 with B, with C make one 4'' dreadlock, k1 with B, k1 with C], rep to end of round, end k1 (2, 3) sts, alternating sts in B and C as established. Cut C, leaving a 6'' tail.
Work in St st in A for 4 rounds, stranding B up along inside of hat by twisting with strand of A every other round.
Next round: [With B make one 4-1/2'' dreadlock, k1 with A, k1 with B, with A make one 4-1/2'' dreadlock, k1 with B, k1 with A], rep to end of round, end k1 (2, 3) sts, alternating sts in A and B as established.

Crown Shaping

Next round: With A, [k3, k2tog] 13 (14, 15) times around all sts: 52 (56, 60) sts rem.
Work 3 rounds in A with no decreasing.
Next round: [With A k1, then make one 5'' dreadlock in next st], rep to end of round.
Next round: With A, [k2, k2tog] 13 (14, 15) times around all sts: 39 (42, 45) sts rem. Work 2 rounds in A with no decreasing.
Next round: [With A k1, then make one 5'' dreadlock in next st], rep to end of round. End k1 (0, 1).
Next round: With A, [k1, k2tog] 13 (14, 15) times around all sts: 26 (28, 30) sts rem. Work 1 round in A with no decreasing.
Next round: [With A k1, then with A and C held together make one 3" dreadlock], rep around all sts.
Next round: [With A, k2tog] 13 (14, 15) times around all sts: 13 (14, 15) sts rem. Work 1 round in A with no decreasing.
Next round: [With A k1, then with A and C held together make one 3" dreadlock], rep around all sts, end k1 (0, 1). Cut B, leaving a 6" tail.
Next round: [With A, k2tog] around all sts, end k1 (0,1): 7 (7, 8) sts rem.
Next round: With A, K all sts. Cut A, leaving a 9" tail, draw tail through rem sts and pull tight.

Dreadlock

Knit into next stitch, but do not slide stitch off of the left-hand needle. With your right index finger pull the new loop off of the right-hand needle and pull loop toward you, making a total length of the loop twice the length from needle to your right hand as desired for finished dreadlock. Twist loop clockwise until it is very, very tight, then slip loop off of right index finger onto the left-hand needle, allowing loop to twist on itself.Knit loop together with stitch from which it is drawn to lock dreadlock into place.

Finishing

Block piece, weave in all ends, use B tail at start of work to sew first 2 rows of ribbing together.
With a strand of B, tie all A/B dreadlocks from the last round together to form a pigtail at the tip of the hat.

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