How to Knit a Long Stocking Cap

A wonderful long stocking cap can be knitted in an afternoon. This hat looks like ones seen in several movies including the Harry Potter series. They are soft, easy to make and make a unique gift for anyone on your gift list. This cap is warm and is about 30 inches long including the tassel. It fits a head circumference range of 19 to 22 inches.

Things You'll Need

• 1 skein main color soft cotton or wool yarn
• 1 skein contrast color soft cotton or wool yarn
• 9 inch circular needles size 7 (4.5 mm) or size to meet gauge
• Scissors
• Large eyed needle

Instructions

Knitting the Hat

1. Using the main color, cast on 88 stitches onto the circular needles. Join in round, twist stitches, and knit in a pattern of Knit 2, Purl 2 for 3.5 to 4.5 inches. This will make the cuff of your cap.

2. Use the scissors to cut a 4 inch tail off the main color, tie the contrast color on close to the needles. Knit a row, always twist stitches and continue to knit 4 rows with the contrast color; this completes a stripe of color.

3. Knit 4 sets of 4 rows, alternating color for each stripe. You should now have the cuff in the main color, a 4 row stripe 1 in the contrast color, stripe 2 in main color, stripe 3 in contrast color, stripe 4 in main color.

4. Switch back to the contrast color and start stripe 5, this row will start shaping the top. Knit the stripe decreasing as follows: row 1 - knit 2 together, knit 11, repeat around; row 2 - knit; row 3 - knit 2 together, knit 10, repeat around; row 4 - knit.

5. Starting with stripe 6, knit each even row in main color, knit normally with 4 rows in each stripe. Knit odd rows in contrast color, decreasing 1 knit stitch each time only in row 2 of the stripe. Stripe 7 - knit 2 together, knit 9. Stripe 9 - knit 2 together, knit 8. Continue until you reach the stripe that knits 2 together, knit 4. Once you get to stripes 7 or 8, you may want to switch from knitting in the round to turning the work and then knitting. This will allow for when stitches become too tight to fit 9 inch round needles.

6. Knit with no decreases for 4 stripes.

7. Knit the last stripe, knit 2 together, knit 4 until you have approximately 10-12 stitches left on the needle.

8. Cut a tail approximately 18 inch long with the scissors, thread in the large eyed needle. Sew through the final stitches from the back so that if you draw it up, it would gather tightly, set it aside.

Making the Tassel and Braid

1. Make the tassel by winding both colors of yarn around four straight fingers of your hand held together until the yarn is about ½ inch thick on one side of your fingers for a typical 1 inch tassel.

2. Cut the contrast color even with the bottom of your hand; allow the main color to be cut 12 inches below your hand. Thread this through the large eyed needle, spread your fingers apart enough to allow the needle to wind the thread around the yarn between your ring finger and your last finger. This will make the top of the tassel.

3. Wind it several times around and pull tightly, thread the needle through the smaller loop and carefully remove your hand. Knot this on top and leave the yarn attached. Set this aside.

4. Make the braid by cutting 6-10 strands of the main color approximately 15 inches in length, fold in half over a knitting needle, braid strands to the end, and tie the end up with loose yarn from the braid.

Putting It All Together

1. Attach the tassel to the braid by taking the loose yarn still in the needle of the tassel and sew it through the braid loop made by the knitting needle.

2. Sew it back into the tassel, pull tightly to secure them together. Sew through tassel so that yarn dangles down with others in tassel.

3. Attach tassel to hat by turning hat inside out, re-thread needle onto loose yarn of the hat end, place braid end inside hat so that it will hang from the end on the right side, and sew securely to end with needle. Continue to sew down the slit made by knitting last few rows straight knit. Knot and cut loose ends. Turn hat right side out. Trim any long threads

Tips & Warnings

• If you twist the yarn's first and last stitches on the first row of each color change, it will make the color bands appear even.

• Your gauge should be 4.5 stitches = 1 inch.