Minion Beanie 2.0

After making my first minion beanie, I wasn't 100% happy with the result....it was a little long for a 2 year ols and i knew I could do better! I also wanted to add some blue to mimic their overalls. I had seen pictures of other minion beanies with ear flaps and braided/knit cords hanging down so that is what I decided to make.

I started with the I-Cord on either side of the loom. I counted over eight pegs from the anchor peg on each side to begin the cord.

I-Cord:
Use link to tutorial (Easy I-Cord tutorial) to get started. I did 32 rows which came out to about an 8" cord. Then e-wrap the three pegs (don't remove the i-cord) and knit across the 3 pegs.

**I cut the end of the yarn and started on the other i-cord because I wasn't sure what I was doing....if I did it again, I would start the flap, knit over to the other side and start the next i-cord and flap then knit around the loom back to my start point.**

Ear Flap:
Since I cut the yarn, I had to make a slip knot and place it over the first peg where the i-cord started. Then I e-wrapped the next two pegs and knit over. To increase the size I knit across the three pegs and e-wrapped a 4th peg. Then I purled across (alternating knit and purl stitches is called a garter stitch) the 4 pegs and e-wrapped a 5th peg. Repeat (1 knit row and 1 purl row, adding one more peg on each side so a total of 7 pegs are used). I continued the garter stitch until the flap was about 4" long (sorry i didn't keep track of rows)

Pom-poms:
For the pom-poms I used another video tutorial Mini Yarn Pom Poms
For these mini pom poms you will need a fork.
1. First cut a 6in piece of yarn and set it aside. You will be wrapping the yarn around the fork tines.

2. Start with the front of the fork facing you. Place the end of the yarn near the bottom tine of the fork.

Wrap 35x

3.Make a loop going around the middle 2 tines and then you will be wrapping the yarn around the fork about 35x. As you are wrapping, try to keep wrapping over the same place. Don't spread it out too much.

Step 2

Make a loop

4. Cut the end and hold it to keep it from unraveling.
5. Take the 6in piece you cut before and tie it around the yarn in the opposite direction. Cinch it tight but don;t make a knot yet.

Step 5

6. Slide the yarn off the fork and now cinch it as tight as you can then make a knot.
7. Cut all the loops apart to make the pom pom. Keep the 2 long strands so you can attach it to the end of the i-cord.

Finished Pompom

Step 6

Beanie:
For the beanie I used the garter stitch and just changed colors. (knit = k and purl = p)

Blue - k1; p1 - 4x
Yellow - k1; p1 - 12x
Black - k1;p1 - 4x
Yellow - k1;p1 - 7x

To close the beanie, cut the yarn, thread it on to a plastic yarn needle, and starting with the last loop you knit, thread the loops onto the needle from the bottom of the peg up all the way around the loom. Pull the yarn tight and knot the end. Thread the left over yarn through the beanie using a crochet hook.

Eye:
I found a different method for making the eye. I used the orange 12 peg loom. I used white yarn to make the main part of the eye. I used a tutorial for making the eye as well. Simply Intertwined Loom Knitted "Eyes"

Once the white part of the eye is completed (follow the tutorial link above) I threaded gray yarn onto my yarn needle and wrapped it around the perimeter of the eye to make the goggle part. If I did this again I would probably change colors on the loom so I wouldn't have to do this extra time consuming step!
For the pupil I just threaded black yarn onto the yarn needle and make a star pattern goiing back and forth from the front to the back of the eye until it looked mostly circular. I used the yarn end of the white and the black to tie the eye onto the beanie. Then I thread the needle with gray again and sewed the eye on running the yarn between the gray part and the white part from the front to the inside of the beanie until the eye is firmly attached.

Mouth:
For the mouth I just threaded black yarn onto the yarn needle and sewed the yarn on by weaving back and forth from the outside to the inside, making loops so that no yellow was showing and breaking up the line of the mouth. make sure to tie a knot at the beginning and end of the mouth (on the back side) so it doesn't come undone.

**I wrote these instructions very quickly so I know they need some clarifying I will try to edit them in the near future...** Leave a message if I can clear anything up.

Minnie Mouse Beanie

Another beanie for my adorable niece. She loooooves Minnie Mouse. I found a picture on Pinterest to get my inspiration.

The finished product!

Loom: Loops & Threads purple 31 peg loom

Yarn: Red Heart Kids in Pixie Pink and Loops & Threads Impeccable in Black #01040

Beanie:

1. To cast on the loom, e-wrap all 31 pegs in pink  yarn.

2. e-wrap 1 row. 

3. knit 1 row. 

4. Repeat steps 2&3 8 times.

5. Cut the pink yarn and switch to black yarn. 

6. e-wrap 1 row 

7. knit 1 row.

8. Repeat steps 6&7 9 times. 

9. To cast off, wrap the yarn around the loom one time to make sure there is enough yarn then cut it. 

10. Thread a yarn needle with the yarn end. 

11. Beginning with the last peg worked, insert the yarn needle in the loop from bottom to top and lift it off the peg, sliding it onto the yarn end. 

12. Repeat for each loop around the loom.

Ears:

1. Chain cast on 10 pegs. 

2. E-wrap knit 6 rows.

3. To work the gathered bind off, transfer the first loop (opposite side of the loom where the yarn end is) to the next peg , lift the bottom loop over the top loop and off the peg; repeat until only one loop remains.

4. Cut the yarn leaving a long end for sewing and pull through the last loop. 

* Make 4 "ears* 

5. Sew two together with the right side facing out. 

6. I used one long end to sew the ears together 1/2 way then tucked the rest of the strand. I used the other long end to sew up the other side of the ears. (look at drawing on the right...it might help?)

7. I cut an extra strand of black yarn per ear to sew the ears to the top of the beanie. 

Bow:

1. E-wrap on 2 pegs. 

2. Knit 2 pegs making 6 rows.

3. on the 6th row wrap one extra peg and knit across 3 pegs then add another loop to a fourth peg. 

4. Knit 1 row.

5. Purl 1 row.

6. Repeat steps 4&5 29 times. 

7. Transfer the loop on the end peg to the adjacent peg and slip the bottom loop over the top loop then knit a row. 

8. At the end of that row repeat step 7. Now there should only be 2 pegs with loops of yarn on them. 

9. Knit the 2 pegs making 6 rows.

10. Transfer the loop from the left peg over the right peg then pull the bottom loop over the top loop.

11. Cut the end leaving a long tail (about 12"-14"). Pull the end of the yarn through the last loop and off the loom. 

12. Fold the two tapered ends towards the back middle of the bow. Wrap the long end around neatly (about 10x maybe..) to cinch the middle and make it look like a bow. 

13. Using a crochet hook pull the end across a few loops through the back side of the bow. 

14. Using the rest of the long end, pull it through the top of the beanie. Sew the bow to the top of the beanie in front of the ears. 

The last step (I actually did this before putting the ears and bow on.) is the buttons. I used white thread and a sewing needle to sew 9 buttons randomly around the pink part of the beanie. I had 10 buttons total but didn't plan out the spacing very well so I used the last button in the center of the bow. 

I hope this all made sense. I am just learning how to write out these instructions. I will try to add pictures of steps in the future but I get caught up the excitement of putting it all together that I forget. 

I would love to hear comments/feedback if anyone tries to make this!

Enjoy! 

Slouchy Hat

I absolutely love how slouchy beanies look and feel. I found this pattern on YouTube so I can't take any credit for it but I just want to share how much I love it. The  video link is posted below along with written instructions taken directly from the video description:
What I used-
Loom: Loops & Threads, 36 pegs (orange loom)
Yarn: Loops & Threads Country Loom, Color #01307 Nobility (shades of purple)

PICTURES!

Me wearing the finished product!

Back/side view to see the slouch.

Top view to see the pattern.

Everything below the line is the original information from the video. Credit: Joy4Crafts
_________________________________________________________________________________
 Loom Along Slouchy Hat Video
There are very basic stitches such as e-wrap, purl, drop stitch and garter stitch. 
Hope you enjoy it!


MATERIALS:

-Loom: Knifty Knitter, 36 pegs, green loom. 
-Stitches: e-wrap, purl, drop stitch, ribbed stitch, and garter stitch. 
-Yarn: Red Heart Boutique Midnight. Two strands held as one were used in the sample.
-Knitting tool and Crochet hook

Note: I'll show working counterclockwise. In the ribbed section of the brim is done in e-wrap, can used also as flat stitch for tight. 

Important: This pattern calls for 5 sets of Drop Stitch and Garter Stitch. You can rewind to 5:07 for Drop Stitch and quick version of Garter stitch at 7:01 (slower version go to 4:15)

Abbreviations: 
EW: e-wrap
P: purl 
YO: yarn over

*Ribbed section 

Cast on in 2x2 ribbed stitch. 
Row 1-9: *K2, P2. Repeat from * all around the loom. 

** Garter stitch section
Row 10: EW
Row 11: P

*** Drop Stitch section
Row 12: EW, knit off and YO 2 times on same peg. Repeat all around the loom. 
Row 13: Take off all YO and Purl on first stitch.

Row 14-15: Garter Stitch section 

Row 16-31: Repeat 5 times from Drop Stitch section and garter stitch section 
Example: -Row 16-17: Drop Stitch section. -Row 18-19: Garter stitch section. -Row 20-21: Drop stitch section. -Row 22-23: garter stitch section -Row 24-25: drop stitch section -Row 26-27: garter stitch section -Row 28-29: drop stitch section -Row 30-31: garter stitch section

Ribbed section for the crown part of the hat.
Row 32-37: *EW2, P2. Repeat from * all around the loom. 

Bind off: Slipping with the yarn in the back twice (SWYB2) then thread cut working yarn (WY) through 2 purls. Repeat for purl stitches. And on the last row, thread through the e-wraps. Make a knot and weave all tails.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Top of beanie. Love this bind off method1

I found the above bind off instructions kind of confusing....this video by Jeannie Phillips really helps. Flat Drawstring Castoff

Minion Beanine

My sister asked if I could knit a minion beanie for my 2yr old niece. I scoured the internet (youtube, google, pinterest, etc..) looking for patterns I found one I liked at Knitting Rays of Hope and was inspired!

Below you will find all the details for how I created mine:

Yarn: Bright Yellow (Red Heart), Black, White, and Gray (don't remember the brands. I used scraps from other projects)

Loops & Threads round loom - To make a toddler size beanie I used the purple loom with 31 pegs.












Steps to make beanie:
1. E-wrap cast on all 31 pegs.
2. Knit 7 rows for brim
3. E-wrap 15 rows in yellow.
4. Cut yellow and tie on black yarn.
5. E-wrap 5 rows in black.
6. Cut black yarn and tie on yellow yarn.
7. E-wrap 10 rows in yellow.
8. Remove beanie from the loom using gathered removal (steps listed below).
9. Weave in the beginning end.
10. Attach eye (steps for how I created the eye below) by sewing the gray part to the beanie.
11.  I also attached the black eye center to the beanie as well.

Gathered Removal Steps:
1. Cut yarn leaving an 18" length for sewing.
2. Thread a yarn needle with the yarn end.
3. Beginning with the last peg worked, insert the yarn needle in the loop from the bottom to top and lift the loop off the peg sliding it on to the yarn end.
4. Repeat for each loop around the loom.
5. With the yarn end on the wrong side (inside) of the project, pull the end tightly to gather all loops in the center.
6. Knot the yarn tightly and weave in the end.

Minion Eye:
1. I used the orange flower making loom (12 pegs)
2. E-wrap cast on all 12 pegs in gray yarn.
3. Alternate a knit row and a purl row 3 times. in gray.
4. Cut the gray yarn and tie on white yarn.
5. Knit 10 rows of white.
6. Cut the white yarn and tie on black yarn.
7. Knit 3 rows of black yarn.
8. Use the same gathered removal to take the eye off the loom.
9. It comes out looking like a tiny beanie. I just folded the gray over and tucked the white inside.