Chainmail – the good kind

Note:  I have designed this to be an easy, quick and flexible knit for the beginner knitter.  Don’t worry too much about gauge, exact size of needles or thickness of yarn – use what you have available that is closest to the suggested types.  This pattern allows for variation because of the stretchiness of the “chainmail”, so if you don’t have the suggest larger size needles, feel free to use a slightly larger or smaller size – whatever you have in your needle case!  You can use worsted with either size of needle, but with the smaller size, it won’t be as open and airy, nor will it be as quick a knit (I knitted mine in an evening!). 

You will need:

1 ball worsted weight yarn (1 ball DK or sportweight yarn)

size 10.5 mm (7.5 mm) 16" circular needles and double pointed needles

size 5 mm (4 mm)16" circular needles and double pointed needles

Directions:

With circular needles, cast on 50 (70) sts, very loosely.  Connect in round, making sure not to twist, place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round.

Knit 1 round.

Chainmail pattern:

Round 1A:  *yfwd, sl1pwise, k1, psso*, repeat * * to end of round

Round 2A:  knit to end of round

Repeat these 2 rounds until your project measures anywhere between 3" and 5", depending on length of your child's neck.

End with Round 1A.

Chainmail Decrease round:

Round 1B:  *knit 3 (5), k2tog*, repeat * * to end of round

Round 2B:  same as Round 1A

Now you have 40 (60) sts on needle.

Return to working Rounds 2A and 1A for another 2 sets for a helmet that has an open face, longer if you want the chain mail to cover higher in the face, ending with round 2A.

Creating Face Opening:

At the beginning of a Round 1A, BO 10 (16) sts.  Continue round as stated in pattern to end of row.  Note, you are no longer working in the round, rather you are now working in rows.

Row 1:  sl1pwise, purl to end of row.

Row 2:  sl1pwise, *yfwd, sl1pwise, k1, psso*, repeat * * to last stitch, k1

Repeat these two rows until your face opening is just above your child's eyebrows (approximately 4"-5"), ending with Row 2.

Creating the helmet:

At the end of Row 2, on large size needles, cast on 10 (16) sts in your favourite manner (backward loop CO works just fine), this will be the forehead.  Now pick up your 5 mm (4mm) needles and you are going to start knitting off the larger needles at the right-hand temple of the helmet with the smaller needles and the yarn that is attached to your forehead cast on.

Round 1C:  kf/b of every stitch (*k1, kf/b*, repeat * * ) to end of round, place stitch marker.  80 (90) sts

Round 2C: purl

Round 3C: knit

Round 4C: purl

Round 5C: knit

Round 6C: purl

Knit 10 (15) more rounds in stocking stitch (knit every round).

Helmet Decrease:

Now, at this point you can create a "beanie" style hat, as shown in the photo, or you can lengthen it.  The taller option will be shown in brackets ().  When it starts to get difficult to knit on the circulars, switch to your dpn.  I suggest that you follow the bracketed pattern if you are working with 4 mm needles, at this point.

Round 1D:  *k8, k2tog *, repeat * * to end of round

Round 2D:  knit

(Round 3D:  knit)

Repeat these 2 (3) rounds, decreasing 1 st between k2tog's - i.e.. next decrease round of k7, k2tog, followed by a round of k6, k2tog...) until you reach *k4, k2tog*, at this point start knitting 2 rounds between decrease rounds until you have *k2tog* to end of round.  Break yarn and weave through stitches and pull closed.  Tie off on underside.  Weave any ends.  Decorate as desired.

Glossary:

BO - bind off

CO - cast on

k – knit

kf/b – this is an increase:  knit into the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle, then immediately knit into back loop of same stitch before letting it drop off left hand needle - you now have 2 stitches on right hand needle

k2tog - knit two stitches together, as one

p- purl

psso - pass the stitch you slipped onto the right hand needle over the last knitted stitch on the right hand needle

sl1pwise - slip 1 stitch as if you were going to purl, but the yarn is still at the back of your work

yfwd – yarn forward – bring yarn to the front of your work, even if you are knitting, it is going to create the “hole”