Wicked Woollens

Dwarven Battle Bonnet

A fun, warm variation on a balaclava, this hat can be embellished in many ways to make your Dwarven Battle Bonnet a unique work of art. Two variations on the pattern are offered, plus suggestions on modifications.

Finished Measurements:
To fit an average adult head, start the helmet with a few stitches less for a child size.
Materials: Aran/Worsted or 10ply weight yarn. I used New Lanark Aran in Pebble for the helmet and New Lanark Donegal Tweed for the hair. Any similar weight yarn should work though. The ideal is to very lightly full your battle bonnet after knitting to help firm up the structure, so if you wish to use a yarn that wont felt, you may want to go down a tiny bit on the needle size. I used approximately half a 100g skein of the helmet shade, leaving enough for accessories like wristlets, and most of a 100g skein of the hair shade. Your exact yardage will vary depending on the yarn you choose, but you should need no more than 100g of each Even if you choose a yarn that wont full, a good wash and block will be important to help you shape the helmet and beard nicely. 1 set 5 mm double-pointed needles or a circular needle Tapestry needle for weaving in ends Gauge: Pretty flexible as the fulling will alter the final sizing to suit your requirements, if the yarn knits nicely on 5mm needles this hat should work! If you know you knit loose, go down a needle size, if you knit tight, you may not need to full. Knit the bonnet, try it on, see how you go. Pattern Notes: K2tog= knit two together K3tog= knit three together Seed st (k1, p1, next round start p1,k1. Some people know this as moss stitch). Ssk= slip slip knit or your preferred decrease Incr= Knit into front and back of stitch, also written as kfb in the pattern Cast off= bind off YO= yarn over Note: The pattern lends itself to variations and as such the instructions are written in a relatively informal way to allow you to add or modify to suit your tastes as you go.
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Helmet Directions:
In the shade you chose for the helmet. Cast on 101 (97 for smaller head) stitches divided over 4 needles and join without twisting. I suggest a backwards loop cast on as being easiest to handle later on. Rounds 1-16 seed st (work to row 13 if making the smaller size or if you desire a shorter helmet). This makes the base of the helmet. (Possible modification, if you would like rivets in your helmet, add bobbles at intervals in round 9) Now we start making the crown of the helmet, aiming for an effect that suggests panels. Directions are for each needle, if you are using circs, put a stitch marker every 25(24) stitches and treat each section as one needle. Round 17: Seed st 8, knit plain rest of needle. Last two stitches of round, k2tog (100/96st) Round 18: Seed st 8, knit plain rest of needle. Repeat to end of round Round 19: Seed st 8, K2tog, knit to last two st on needle, SSK (Picture taken after after 3 repeats) Repeat rounds 18 and 19. When you reach 13 st per needle decrease in the same way as before, but every second round so the hat decreases faster. (Effectively repeat rows 18 &19) When you reach just seed stitch segments, decrease using either K2tog or P2tog as suggested by the pattern of the seed stitch. When you are down to 3 stitches per needle, K2tog, P1 around (if doing the smaller size you will arrive straight at 2 stitches per needle) then either cut the yarn with a tail of a few inches and, using a needle, draw up the stitches to make a smooth top, or, K2tog to give 4 stitches remaining and work i-cord for a couple of rounds to make a small spike on top of the helmet. Secure ends (Picture shows helmet with i-cord finish worked to shorter length.) This completes the crown of the helmet, now we need to add the nasal bar. (Nasal bar is optional for version two and can be worked later) Decide where the front of your helmet should be and pick up the 8 stitches that line up with the panels of seed stitch above. Working back and forth on two needles, seed stitch for approximately 12 rows (adjust a little more or less depending on the final wearer a child will need a smaller section here than an adult) K2tog at the start of the next row, work to last 2 stitches, SSK. Cast off. This completes the helmet part of the battle bonnet.
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Two versions of the hair part of the battle bonnet are offered. The first is the fastest & simplest. Hair version one:
Using the yarn chosen for hair and working on two needles cast on 25 stitches .You may add a few more stitches if you want longer hair, but this works for most people. Knit garter stitch until the piece measures approximately the same as the helmet between the two side stripes of seed stitch. Cast off 7 (5 for child) stitches, knit to last two st, incr1, K1 Knit to last two stitches K2tog knit to last two st, incr1, K1 Repeat these two rows seven times ending on a K2tog row K2tog, knit to last two st, incr1, K1 K1, incr1, knit to last two stitches, K2tog Repeat three times Knit plain for 10 rows K1, incr1, knit to last two st, K2tog, K2tog, knit to last two stitches, incr1, K1 Repeat three times K1, incr1, knit to end K2tog, Knit to end Repeat these two rows seven times ending on a K2tog row Check that the piece you have will wrap smoothly round the bonnet without needing to be overly stretched or compressed. If you find you need a little more length, cast on 5 stitches and knit another row or two. Cast off and seam the ends of the strip together as smoothly as possible. This completes the main beard and hair section of the battle bonnet. Sew the hair to the helmet section, your bonnet should now look like the picture to the right.

Sally Pointer (Wicked Woollens) 2010. All rights reserved. Email enquiries@sallypointer.com for pattern support.

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Make the moustache:

Cut approximately 21 lengths of yarn around 20-22 inches long (a wrap right round your arm elbow to thumb is about right). Tie the centre securely and leave a longish tail you will use this to sew the moustache to the nasal bar. Divide each side of the moustache into three bunches of 7 and leaving a gap about three fingers wide, plait/braid the yarn to the end. Tie off and trim the ends. Sew the moustache to the nasal bar, arrange the plaits down the side of the beard and sew down securely. The correct placement of the moustache is important. Take your time with this and if possible make the final placement with the hat on a person so you can adjust to fit the face.

Make the braids by each ear:

Cut lengths as before (twice, one bundle for each side) I find about 9 lengths per braid is about right, but this time use a needle to thread them through the seam between the helmet and the beard. Make these braids as fancy as you like, a 5 or 6 way braid looks great if you are confident, if not a normal 3 way plait is fine. Sew down to the bonnet. Make sure the seam on one side is properly covered by the braid and stitch down any flyaway braids.

Check your bonnet for fit, if you need to tighten up the nasal bar a yarn run
through the back of the loops from the helmet to tip of nose and back up can be used to pull this part tighter. Add any other embellishments. Very lightly full to shrink and tighten the hat, then block to shape.
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Hair version two, a ripple pattern to give a more textured effect:

This looks like a lot of instructions, but the actual pattern detail is all in one row followed by three rows of either purl or all plain knitting, its only the shaping changing where the pattern repeat starts that leads to the long list of instructions below, I promise its easy and that you will probably be able to read where you are in the pattern just by looking at the knitting after a couple of rows! Pick up 58 st centring on the back of the helmet. The backwards loop cast on should make these stitches easy to pick up. Row 1: P, incr 1 stitch approximately halfway round to give a total of 59 stitches Row 2: K2, *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1; rep from* to last st, K1 Row 3: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 4 & 5: K (59 stitches) The above four rows are the basic pattern for this section, we are really only adding a little to each end now for the next few rows. Each pattern repeat below is presented separately to make it easier to track. Row 6: K2, *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1; rep from *to last st, K1 Row 7: kfb x2 p to last 2 st kfb x2 Row 8 & 9; kfb x2 K to last 2 st kfb x2 (71 stitches in total) Row10: K2, kfb, K4, YO, K1, * YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1 . Follow until you are down to last 3st (you wont finish the last repeat), kfb, K2 Row 11: kfb x2, P to last 2 st, kfb x2 Row12 & 13: kfb x2, K to last 2 st kfb x2 (87 stitches in total) Row 14: k1, kfb, *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1, rep from * to last 2 st, kfb,K1 Row 15: kfb x2, P to last 2 st, kfb x2 Row 16 & 17: kfb x2, K to last 2 st, kfb x2 (101 stitches) Row18: K1 kfb, K6, YO, K1,* YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* to last 8st, YO, K6, kfb, K1 Row 19: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 20 & 21: K (105 st total) Row 22: CO (cast off)7, K2, YO, K1 *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* to last 10st, YO,K3 co7 Break yarn with enough to sew the two sides of the moustache together later and secure loop. Re-attach yarn for next row. Row 23; K1, P to last st, K1 Row 24 & 25: K (92 st total) Row 26: K4, YO, K1,*YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* Cast on additional stitches to give a total of112 Row 27: Now work in the round, picking up the end of the row as your next st and K right around (you may wish to mark the start of the round) Row 28: K Row 29: P Row 30: K5 YO K1 *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* Row 31 & 32: K Row 33: P (112 st)
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Row 34: K6, YO, k1* YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1; rep from * (you will end making a K3tog that takes in the first st of the next row, remark the row start from after this K3tog) Row 35: K (112 st) Row 36: K28 (you should be at the point where the K3tog line up above this stitch), cast off 42 (again, finish below an alignment of K3tog), Knit to start of cast off section, there should now be 70 stitches on your needle. You will now be working back and forth) Row 37: K Row 38: K7, YO, K1, *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* repeat to last st, K1 Row 39: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 40: K Row 41: Cast off 7, K to end of row (65 stitches) Row 42: Cast off 7, *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* Row 43: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 44 & 45: K (59 stitches) Row 46: K2tog, K1 *YO, K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1* Row 47: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 48 & 49: K (58 stitches) Row 50: K2tog * K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1, YO,* to last st K1 Row 51: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 52 & 53: K (55 stitches) Row 54: * K5, K3tog, K5, YO, K1, YO,* Row 55: K1, P to last st, K1 Row 56 & 57: K (53 stitches) Continue in established pattern until beard is desired length. Pay careful attention from this point to the number of stitches before the first K3tog as this will decrease by 1 per repeat for the next few segments. You could consider decreasing in stages for a stepped point to the beard see how you like the effect at this point and make a decision then. This beard lends itself to a bit of imagination! Cast off. Add moustache and ear braids just as for the other bonnet, sewing down any braids that stick out in strategic places to give the look you want. With this model the nasal bar is optional, I suggest leaving that until last and seeing how you feel. If you find the mouth opening too large, run a length of yarn around it and draw in gently to modify the shape. I also added a simple plait/braid around the edge of the helmet to correct the slight ripple that the hair portion gives to the edge of the bonnet. Very lightly full, or wash and block if your yarn will not full. Youll find the ripples will settle in nicely after this step and can be tweaked into a good shape easily.

Sally Pointer (Wicked Woollens) 2010. All rights reserved. Email enquiries@sallypointer.com for pattern support.

Page 6

Suggested Modifications:
Try altering the length of the beard. The simple beard worked in fun fur gives a really bushy effect. Add more braids, maybe put beads on some of them or bind the ends with metallic yarn. Knit a strand of metallic thread in with the helmet yarn for a subtle glimmer. Swap the seed stitch upright panels in the helmet for an 8 stitch cable pattern for a more textured finish. Use sew on gems or add studs or knitted bobbles to add a three dimensional element to the helmet. If you have plenty of helmet yarn left why not make wristlets to complement the costume? Try a band of seed stitch long enough to go round the wrist, then a stockinette section, finally another band of seed stitch. Embroider runes or other suitable designs on the stockinette panels of the helmet. Create different characters by switching the helmet for a simple pointy hat or maybe a pirate hat. Add strips of seed stitch under the eyes to make a spectacle helmet variation. Add horns! Try a different stitch pattern for the beard, lots of the rib or broken rib patterns make excellent hair. Use a fuzzy funfur yarn for a really bushy beard (but be aware this wont full)

Above all have fun, this is a forgiving pattern and lends itself to many additions or alterations.

Variations shown below: Winter King made by switching helmet for a simple pointy cap and adding holly leaves. Spectacle Helm version with bobble rivets and a rib beard. Bluebeard the pirate version with a simple plain cap and side tie.

Everyone needs a silly hat in their life!

Sally Pointer (Wicked Woollens) 2010. All rights reserved. Email enquiries@sallypointer.com for pattern support. Page 7