EVAN BALACLAVA

KNITTING PATTERN

Skill level: advanced

Sizes: baby/1-2 year-old/3-5-year-old/6-10-year-old

To fit head 17” (43 cm)/19(48)/20(51)/22(56)

MATERIALS

DK (11 wpi; 8 ply; no 3: Light) yarn such as Drops Lima

about 100-150g or 218-327 yards total (1.5 balls of MC
and CC1 and 0.5 balls of CC2 and CC3)

Double pointed knitting needles US 4 (3.5 mm) or to

obtain gauge 4” x 4” (10 x 10 cm) = 20 sts x 30 rows (in
stockinette stitch)

Optional: 12” or 16” (30 or 40 cm) long circular knitting

needles in the same size as your double pointed needles

2 stitch holders or 1 extra needle

Tapestry needle and a removable marker

Copyright 2016 © Maarja Marie Vaikla [Link] YARN COLORS

You need 3 colors of yarn for the fox hat (MC, CC1, CC3)
and all 4 for the cat striped balaclava

CC1 – contrast color 1, white yarn

CC2 - light grey

CC3 - brown

MC – main color yarn: for the fox it is orange and for the
cat dark grey

ABBREVIATIONS

St(s) – stitches
1
RS and WS – right and wrong side Repeat Cowl Round 1 until the cowl measures
MC and CC – main and contrast color yarns 2.5/3/4.5/4.5” (that is 6/8/11/11 cm) from the cast on
K – knit row.
P –purl
Kfb – knit in front and back of stitch Note! If you want the cowl to be in double cuff, work
K2tog – knit two stitches together twice the length.
Ssk – slip slip knit
Continue with the bottom part of the cowl.
PATTERN NOTES Change to MC, for cat hat continue with the Stripe
pattern. Mark the next round with a removable marker
The negative ease of the hat is about 2” (5 cm) and keep it in – you will measure the length of the cowl
Before you start check your gauge from here.

The hat is worked in the round, you can use circular Round 1: knit all sts
needles and change to double pointed when you need to Round 2: *k4, kfb*, repeat from *-* all around, knit the
You start the hat from top edge of the outer cowl last 1/1/0/1 st
working top down Rounds 3, 4 and 5: knit all sts
If you wish to make the balaclava without the cowl, Round 6: *k5, kfb*, repeat from *-* all around, knit the
move straight to # and cast on the shown amount of sts last 1/1/0/1 st
instead picking up
Round 7, 8 and 9: knit all sts
Pattern is given for fox and cat version of the balaclava
Round 10: *k6, kfb*, repeat from *-* all around, knit the
The outer cowl of the fox balaclava on the picture is in last 1/1/0/1 st
double cuff, instructions for that is given
Keep working in the same manner knitting 3 plain
It is easier to pick up stitches with smaller size needle
rounds after an increase round and each increase round
working 1 st more before kfb.
STRIPE PATTERN FOR THE CAT BALACLAVA
Work until the cowl measures 1/1.5/3/3” (that is 3/4/8/8
3 rounds with MC cm) from the marker (do not remove the marker!).
2 rounds with CC3 brown
2 rounds with MC For a cat hat choose one of the colors for making the
4 rounds with CC2 light grey bottom boarder (I used CC1) of the cowl, for fox hat
2 rounds with CC1 white continue with MC.

Continue increasing in the same manner as before but

THE COWL
work in garter stitch next 6 rows knitting the next round
and purling the round after that.
Cast on with CC1 76/86/90/96 sts (choose depending on
the size baby/1-2/3-5/6-10-year-old and follow the given After the 6 rows bind off all sts knit-wise.
number throughout the pattern), join working in the
round.
HAT PART
Cowl Round 1: *k1, p1*, repeat from *-* all around
Turn the cowl WS facing and find the round you marked
with the removable marker.

2
# Now pick up each stitch from that round that is After finishing the last row, you will continue again in the
76/86/90/96 sts. round and casting on new sts over the opening.

Picture 2: slip sts on a sts holder or spare needle

If you are advanced knitter, you can use scrap length of

waste yarn and do a provisional cast on. You can use any
cast on method you prefer (I used long tail) and later
pick up sts for the face ribbing.

Cast on 29/33/34/37 sts over the opening and knit the

remaining sts of this round.

For cat hat continue in the Stripe pattern, for fox hat
continue with MC.

Knit in the round in stockinette stitch over all

76/86/90/96 sts until the hat measures from the marker
3.2/3.5/3.4/3.7” (that is 8/9/9/10 cm).
Picture 1: picking up sts for the hat
Decrease Round 1: *k10/12/13/14, k2tog*, repeat from
Continue with MC yarn. Place the piece so that it is RS *-* all around, knit last 4/2/0/0 sts (70/80/84/90 sts)
facing and the last row of the cowl is pointing to your
lap, so you’d be knitting out from the cowl like on the Next and Every Alternate Round: knit all sts
picture above.
Decrease Round 3: *k9/11/12/13, k2tog*, repeat from *-
Continue in the round. * all around, knit last 4/2/0/0 sts

Hat Round 1: *k1, p1*, repeat from *-* all around Decrease Round 5: *k 8/10/11/12, k2tog*, repeat from
*-* all around, knit last 4/2/0/0 sts
Repeat Hat Round 1 until the piece measures
2.5/3/4.5/4.5” (that is 6/8/11/11 cm) from the cast on or Continue decreasing in the same manner working one
pick up row. plain round between the decrease rounds until you get
to the following:
Next row: turn and purl 47/53/56/59 st, replace the
removable marker, you will measure the hat from here. Decrease Round: *k3, k2tog*, repeat from *-* all around

Slip the remaining 29/33/34/37 sts on a spare needle or Next Round: *k2tog*, repeat from *-* all around
stitch holder for the face ribbing.
Repeat the last round once again, cut the yarn, pull it
Continue working the hat flat in stockinette stitch for 5 through the remaining sts and fasten.
rows more (6 rows total) on the 29/33/34/37 sts.
3
 RIBBING AROUND THE FACE Row 7 (RS): k1, ssk, k6, k2tog, k1 (10 sts left)

Slip the bottom 29/33/34/37 sts on a needle and pick up Row 8: purl all sts
3 sts on both sides (6 sts total) and 29/33/34/37 sts from
Row 9: k1, ssk, k4, k2tog, k1 (8 sts left)
the top edge of the opening. You will have 64/72/74/80
sts total on your needles. Row 10: purl all sts

Continue in the round with CC3 for the fox balaclava and Row 11: k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1 (6 sts left)
one of the stripe colors for the cat hat.
Row 12: purl all sts
Round 1: *k1, p1*, repeat from *-* all around
Row 11: k1, ssk, k2tog, k1 (4 sts left)
Repeat Round 1, 5 times more. Bind off all sts.
Row 13: purl all sts

Row 11: ssk, k2tog (2 sts left)

Bind off the remaining sts.

When you’ve finished knitting the ears, sew the longer

edges of CC1 and CC2 together with WS facing leaving
the bottom open.

Turn RS facing and with running stitches sew the bottom

together, pull slightly so the ear would curve. Attach the
ear with this side to the hat about 1-1.5” (2-3 cm) from
the middle point.

Picture 3: slip all sts on the needle for the face ribbing Repeat all for the other ear. Weave in all ends.

Embroider small triangle as a nose and whiskers on the

POINTED EARS (MAKE 4)
cowl. I used scrap pink yarn for the cat nose.
Make 2 ears with CC1 and 2 ears with MC.

The ears are knitted flat.

Cast on 12 sts, work stockinette st for 6 rows