R2D2 Baby Hat – Star Wars Inspired Fair Isle for Jedi Infants

After knitting New England Knit’s Whale Watch Hat, I was hooked on Fair Isle colorwork and thought I’d give it another go right away. I wanted something quirky so I chose the R2D2 Beanie by Lorraine Prior.

Now, on to my project notes…

Choosing the Pattern:
My choice of R2D2 Beanie by Lorraine Prior was by chance. Mostly, I used the chart and did the rest of the hat on my own. Another contender was a beanie hat that resembles the top of R2D2′s head. If you are a knitter who is seriously into Star Wars, check out the chart resources here. Another option with words is here.

Choosing the Yarn:
Since this is for a baby, I opted for navy and white acrylic and pewter gray bamboo yarns so they are completely machine washable and will dry quickly. The yarns I used were ones I already had in my stash since 2011 is the year I aim to draw upon what I already have instead of buying yet more yarn.

Knitting Notes:

• Long tail cast on 102 stitches after knitting a swatch (19 stitches per four-inch width) on March 5th. I then promptly went to the cinema to see Simon Pegg’s new film, ‘Paul’. It seemed a fitting place to knit the ribbed edge. Eight to ten rows of ribbing then switched to knitting in stockinette.
• Increased by Kf & Kb every fifth stitch. Then after three rows of stockinette knitting, started the R2D2 pattern. Four R2D2s around the hat with about six stitches between them.
• I have made mistakes and had to go back a row. I made two mistakes and didn’t notice until two rows later so they are staying put.
• The hat is done on March 12th. Blocking it mostly because I felt as a baby hat it should be washed before I give it as a gift. Turned out wonderfully and I was surprised how little time it took me.

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