Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Week is here and what better way to bring awareness than to knit a hat with a heartbeat on it? This is a perfect hat for a colorwork newbie (like myself)!
I modeled the heartbeat colorwork chart after my daughter’s heartbeat! She was born with a rare form of CHD – Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with Pulmonary Atresia and MAPCAS! 1 in 100 babies are born with some form of CHD every year – 1 in 4 babies born with CHD have a critical form that requires surgeries usually within their first year of life. If you want to read more about CHD – you can visit here.
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Materials:
- Bulky Yarn in two colors: I used Knit Picks Bare Super Bulky as my color A and Lion Brand Thick and Quick in color Burgundy as my color B
- Size 15 circular knitting needles. I love my Chiagoo Interchangeable set!
- Scissors
- Tapestry Needle
- Stitch Marker
- Pom Pom (Optional) This one is from my Etsy shop!
Step 1:
Using whatever method you like to, cast on 42 stitches in your color A or a multiple of 6 if you want to knit a different size. Place a stitch marker and join in the round being careful not to twist the stitches.
Step 2: Ribbing
Knit 5 rounds of ribbing. I chose to do a twisted rib, but you can do any kind of ribbing you want. For the twisted rib, the pattern is: Knit 1 through the back loop and Purl 1. Repeat this for all 5 rounds of the ribbing.
Step 3:
Knit the next 2 rounds in color A before starting the colorwork chart/instructions.
Step 4: Colorwork
Round 1:
Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B, *Knit 5 A, Knit 1 B*, repeat stitches between the * to the last 4 stitches, Knit 4 color A.
Round 2:
Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B, *Knit 5 A, Knit 1 B*, repeat stitches between the * to the last 4 stitches, Knit 4 color A.
Round 3:
*Knit 3 color B, Knit 3 color A*. Repeat stitches between the * to end of round.
Round 4:
*Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B*. Repeat stitches between the * to the end of the round.
Round 5:
Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B *Knit 2 color A, knit 1 color B*. Repeat stitches between the * to the last stitch. Knit 1 color A.
Round 6:
Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B *knit 5 color A, Knit 1 color B* repeat stitches between the * to the last stitch. Knit 4 color A.
Round 7:
Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B *Knit 5 color A, Knit 1 color B* repeat stitches between the * to the last 4 stitches. Knit 4 color A.
Round 8:
Knit 1 color A, Knit 1 color B *Knit 5 color A, Knit 1 color B* repeat stitches between the * to the last 4 stitches. Knit 4 color A.
Break color B.
Step 5:
Round 9-13:
Knit with Color A.
Step 6: Decreases
Knit 3, Knit 2 together (K2tog) all the way around until you’re at the beginning again, knit last 2 stitches. (34 stitches remain)
Knit the next round.
Knit 2, Knit 2 together (K2tog) on the next round, knit last 2 stitches. (26 stitches remain)
Knit the next round
Knit 2 together (K2tog) all the way around. (13 stitches remain)
Step 7:
Leaving a 12″ tail, cut your yarn. Using your tapestry needle, thread the tail through the needle. Move the yarn from the cable to your tapestry needle until all of the stitches are off the cable.
Turn the hat inside out, pull the stitches tight to close the top of the hat and tie a knot. Cut off the excess.
Weave in any ends you have from color A or color B.
Turn it right side out and wear your new hat to bring awareness to CHD! 1 in 100 babies are born with CHD!
Step 8: Optional
Add a fun pom pom to finish off the design! I used this black faux fur fox pom pom from my Etsy shop! If you need a tutorial for how to add the pom pom, you can use this one!
