Monday, June 2, 2008

Trav's Balaclava

Just a quickie whipped up for my brother-in-law to keep him warm at work. When I tried to find a basic balaclava pattern on the web I was sorely disappointed so I have written this one up for you. It is pretty much a modified Jacques Cousteau Hat (give or take a few bits).

Materials:
150g of 8 ply yarn
4mm 40cm circular
4mm dpns
darninng needle
5 Stitch markers
Glossary
pm: place marker
SSK: slip, slip, knit

Gauge: 22sts / 10 cm in stockingette

Pattern:
Using the circular needle, cast on 120 stitches. Join to work in the round, place the marker and work 25cm of 3x2 rib (knit3, purl 2).

Bind off 45 sts at the start of the next round and work 11 rows of rib back and forth on the remaining stitches.

Cast on 45 stitches and rejoin to work again in the round.

Work a futher 8cm of rib.

Continuing with the rib, work 26 sts, SSK, pm, work 28 sts, SSK, pm, work 28 sts, SSK, pm, work 28 sts, SSK, pm, p2.

Continue in the rib performing the SSK on the last two sts before each of the placed markers. Continue this until there are 12 sts left. Cut yarn and thread through remining sts.

This also makes a great knights helmet for a little boy if you are interested and also pulls back over the head to make a neck warmer or easily allow you to eat!




This pattern is provided free for your own personal use. You may knit it for yourself, as a gift, a swap or for charity. This pattern is not intended for commercial use. Any intended commercial use requires permission in writing.








19 comments:

Misha said...

Looks awesome! Thanks for this pattern. I am adding it to my to-do patterns...just have to finish a few projects first. Don't we all say that?!

Unknown said...

I'm afraid I'm doing something wrong. I'm decreasing for the top of the balaclava, but if I'm reading the pattern correctly, I only decrease 4 stitches each round. Seems like the top is going to be awfully long and pointy and not like the picture. Should I be decreasing at a faster rate? Thanks for sharing your patterns.

Jack said...

All is well, have faith grasshopper.

Unknown said...

awesome, i promised my neighbour i'd knit something like this but i was having a hard time finding something satisfactory. she had very specific requests and i was having a hard time filling them!

Jackie said...

this is what i needed for my ski holiday in Dec, wish i can find yours earlier, well, no fret ! i m going to knit one for my next winter ski holiday next Dec, thanks.

Therese said...

Thanks so much for sharing this!

Cindy said...

My friend is asking for a balaclava that he can also use as a gator. Would this work for that?

gunksdesigns ( goonksdesigns) said...

Thank for this pattern. My mother used knit them for the boys in our family. I've been looking for a pattern for some time. This one is different to the ones she used to knit but I'll give it a try.

Karen said...

Thank you. I have been looking for one. A lot of them out there,just nothing appealed to me. My 11 yr old granddaughter Breanna wants a camo one for when she goes hunting with her daddy.Guess I'd better make him one,too.lol..If not,when she gets hers he will say ugh where's mine?

Unknown said...

Thanks all the way from Western Australia. My Son-in-Law works Night shifts and it DOES get Cold Here in Our Winters, this will suit him fine ty. Mary Rose. :)

Unknown said...

Thanks all the way from Western Australia. My Son-in-Law works Night shifts and it DOES get Cold Here in Our Winters, this will suit him fine ty. Mary Rose. :)

BlueRose said...

Thanks for the pattern. I use 4ply yarn so how many would I cast on to make this pattern work. Also do you have a pattern for the child size of this pattern. I have several boy's in family that wants these. thanks, Barbara

Carla(OMA) said...

Such an easy pattern!!!! My granddaughter has been asking for one of these for ages and I haven't been able to find one I liked. Now I have! Thanks so much from Canada!

Maggie S. said...

I made these for my brothers 6 or 7 years ago. When I was home for Christmas this year, one of them brought out a tattered and worn balaclava and asked for a repair job. I guess it was a real winner. The old one was beyond help, but I'll gladly knit this easy and effective pattern again to replace it. Thanks!

Tessa said...

I’m running into the same problem! And the numbers seem off. With 120 stitches and following instruction I end up with 7 extra stitches at the end.

And just 4 stitch decreases per row seems like it would be pointed.

Help!! Thank you. Great pattern and easy

Mary said...

You can decrease any number of times you want as long as the number of Dec is divisible into the number of st evenly:

For 120 st, Dec 10 St 12 times?
120-10=110
110-10=100, etc.
I haven't tried this pattern, but that's how I do it. So it is k8 st, k2tog until you end up with 10 St? 20? Whatever you want to end up with.
Heck, I've even added or decreased 1 St to make the count work out evenly.
Good luck,!

Odia said...

Thank you so much for the free pattern. My 76 year old father loves his balaclava and noe all the male neighbors want one!!! 😁 😁 😁

Unknown said...

Would you share with what your 8 ply yarn was as it seems like it would be too thick for the needles used. Could I use a worsted weight yarn?

Unknown said...

I just made this balaclava and its perfect. I would love to have directions for child sizes (2-4), (6-8), (10-12) so that I can make matching hats for my nephews.....thanks