Zara

I met my friend, Telly, when we were both pregnant with our first babies, and now our 5yo babies are still friends. Not only is her Zara a bright and cute girl, she has a proper appreciation for knitting. She requests knitted things, and that sort of enthusiasm shouldn't be discouraged.

Having said that, she requested this hat a long time ago!

It was to be blue and purple, with hearts and pompoms.

I kept putting it off for other things, until one night I found myself knitting with blue and purple yarn, and realized that the hat had started itself.

(Not Zara, but my 4yo knitting model, Jasmine)

Pattern

Stuff: 6mm needle (I used a 40cm circular), 100g of DK yarn, 50g of contrast DK yarn (or less, if you don't need 5 tries to make pompoms like me)

Bottom: Holding two strands together, cast on 70 stitches. (Knit two rounds, purl two rounds) three times. Knit four more rounds. Follow the chart (adapted a bit from an Alice Starmore book)

and then knit 35 more rounds.

Top: I wanted a pointy bit in the middle, so I did some short rows on each "side".

1. Knit 21, place a marker, k 35, place a marker, k14 (you are back at the start of the round)
2. Knit to marker, turn.
3. Slip 1, purl 6, turn. Slip 1, knit 5, turn.
4. Slip 1, purl 4, turn. Slip 1, knit 3, turn.
5. Slip 1, purl 2, turn. Slip 1, knit 1.
6. Knit the next three stitches together with the stitch below. (Look for the stitch that wraps around the base of the stitch, and lift it onto your left needle; knit those two together.)
7. Repeat 2-6 for the point on the other side.
8. The next round is for picking closing the holes on the right side of the points. Knit right up to the first gap, and knit the three stitches together with the stitch below. Just like before, but the gap is on the right of your stitch instead of the left. Do the same for the other point.

Casting off: I lined up my points (starting at the start of the round) and kitchenered the front and back together.

Pompoms :)

I'm hopeless at pompoms! I started off with three strands, threaded through the points, folded into 6 strands, and plaited. Then I attached fork pompoms.

Fun, hey? I think I made mine wrong; I tied through the middle and cut only on the back. Must try them properly, because pompoms are cute.