Tangerine

The hats are official FOs! The picture is rather disappointing, though. I snapped the shot late last night when I was really sleepwalking. Of course, this morning I had the brilliant idea of placing the hats in the fruit basket with apples, peaches, and plums. Now that would have been a cute photo! So, take a look at the hats, close your eyes, and then imagine them mingling with other fruits. Isn't that better?

As promised:

The pattern!
California Tangerines

Yarn: Catania 100% cotton in orange (1 ball)
Catania 100% cotton in green (1 ball)
(yarn is a sports weight)
Gauge: 6 stitches to the inch on US #5
Needles: US #5 16 inch circulars, US #5 DPNs
Size: Newborn to 3 months

For the hat:
Cast on 84 stitches onto size 5 16 inc circulars.
Row 1: Knit across stitches
Row 2: Purl across stitches
Row 3: Knit across stitches. Join stitches and continue knitting in the round until the hat measures 5 inches.

Begin decreasing:
Change to DPN, distributing stitches evenly (21 stitches on 4 dpns)
Row 1: *Knit 8, knit 2 together* repeat ** 4 times, knit 10, knit 2 together, *knit 8, knit 2 together,* repeat ** 2 times, knit 10, knit 2 together.
Row 2: *k7, k2tog,* repeat ** 4 times, k9, k2tog, *k7, k2tog,* repeat ** 2 times, k9, k2tog.
Row 3: *k6, k2tog,* repeat ** 4 times, k8, k2tog, *k6, k2tog,* repeat ** 2 times, k8, k2tog.
Row 4: *k5, k2tog,* repeat ** 4 times, k7, k2tog, *k5, k2tog,* repeat ** 2 times, k7, k2tog.
Row 5: *k4, k2tog,* repeat ** 4 times, k6, k2tog, *k4, k2tog,* repeat ** 2 times, k6, k2tog.
Continue decreasing in this manner, reducing the number of knits before the k2tog by one on each round, until 12 stitches remain.
Last row of decreases: k2tog all the around.

Icord stem:
Slide stitches to end of needle to begin icord. Change yarn to green.
Row 1: knit all six stitches.
Row 2: Knit into the front and back of all stitches. (I increase here back to 12 after decreasing for two reasons. First, a 12 stitch icord can be very difficult to knit well. Secondly, decreasing to 6 stitches for the crown makes the whole at the top of the hat smaller.)
Row 3: Knit 4 stitches of icord, place the next 3 stitches on a new dpn. Let the dpn hang. Continue knitting across the remaining stitches. The 3 stitches on the DPN will become a leaf.
Row 4: Knit 2, Knit next 3 stitches through front and back. Place the new stitches on a new dpn. Knit across remaing icord stitches with original dpn.
Row 5: Knit icord.
Row 6: Knit icord.
Row 7: Bind off.

Leaves:
Start with a new strand of yarn. Go to one of the hanging dpns. The right side of the leaf will face up, the wrong side of the leaf will face the hat.
Row 1: Knit 1, make 1, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), make 1, knit 1.
Row 2: Purl across.
Row 3: Knit 2, make 1, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), make 1, knit 2.
Row 4: Purl across.
Row 5: Knit 3, make 1, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), make 1, knit 3.
Row 6: Purl 4, turn. Knit 3, turn. Purl 7, turn. Knit 3, turn. Purl 4.
Row 7: Knit 4, make 1, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), make 1, knit 4.
Row 8: Purl across.
Row 9: Knit 2, k2tog, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), k2tog, knit 2.
Row 10: Purl across.
Row 11: Knit 1, k2tog, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), k2tog, knit 1.
Row 12: Purl across.
Row 13: K2tog, slip 1 purlwise (carry yarn on wrong side), k2tog.
Row 14: Purl 2 tog, purl 1
Row 15: K2tog.
Row 16: Close by binding off single stitch (pull yarn through to knot).
Repeat for second leaf.
Utterly free and reproducible for non-commercial use.

For those of you who may not read the Yarn Harlot, one of her readers is asking for donated baby hats in fruit and veggie themes to incourage low income mothers to nurse their babies. Isn't it a bit coincidental that I post about how important food is to me, while I'm knitting up a tangerine hat, and then Stephanie is asking readers for fruit themed baby hats. Hmmmm, very interesting. Please feel free to use the hat pattern for this project, or to just make a baby look cute. Hopefully, I'll have a picture of the twins wearing the hats. First, they need to be blocked and shipped.

In Little Clover News
Well, folks, it's been another exciting week with elementry kids! The week began with one of Little Clover's friend volunteering me to take him home for a playdate after a birthday party because his parents were going to a wedding and he didn't want to go. Needless to say, he came home with me. Little Clover and the friend had a good time even though his friend couldn't figure out why Little Clover wasn't bored all the time since he was an only child. The friend is one of four.

The week moved on to the final three baseball games of the season (cheering from the parents)! Game 1 was a good match between two gifted teams. The boys paid attention to the game for three out of the 5 innings which is quite an accomplishment. Both teams had minimal playing in the dirt time.

Game 2 spiced up the week with a match-up between school rivals! For the first four innings, Little Clover's team was trailing the rival team. With a few well placed hits (actually, the other little people were being little people while balls rolled between their legs), Little Clover's team tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth inning! the coaches conferred to discuss extra innings. The decision was made and Little Clover's team trotted back onto the field to the amazement of the parents!

Little Clover's team tried the best the could to stop the rivals from scoring, but inspite of their efforts, the rivals snuck in one run, pushing them ahead. Little Clover's team was able to end the inning only trailing by one.

Little Clover was the first to bat for his team. As he's warming up on deck, his coach says, "If you make a home run, I'll buy you a pizza." The crowd could see the determination in his eyes. He wanted that pizza.

He stepped up to the plate. The first pitch went by. Little Clover waited. The next pitch was launched. He swung...and he missed! The next pitch was launched, again he swung and missed. The tension in the stands was stifling. The next pitch was launched, again he swung. Pow! His hit landed in deep centerfield! He rounded first base, he rounded second base. The rival team scrambled to reach the ball. He rounded third, heading for home. The rival team threw the ball into the infield just as Little Clover crossed the plate! He was getting his pizza!

The score was tied again and once again, the coach got together. They decided to play one more inning. The rival team was at bat. The inning was brutal for Little Clover's team who allowed three runs in before the third out.

Little Clover's team was up to bat. With amazing skill and luck, they were able to make up the difference and tie the game! (With another homerun hitter declaring that he wanted a pizza as he crossed home plate). The team had two outs and one runner on third. Red, who had improved greatly through the year, was up to bat. He missed the ball with his first two swings. On the third swing, he made contact and beat the ball to first base, while the runner at third ran across home, for his first RBI of the season (and his second time to make it to a base)!!!!!! Little Clover's team wins (11 - 10)!!!!!!!!!

The final game was last night. They played another team from his school, so the game was very fun and very laid back. The parents cheered for all the kids from both teams, and much fun was had by all.