Snails in the Garden Beanie by Joan Rowe

Snails in the Garden Beanie

Knitting
December 2022
Sport (12 wpi) ?
22 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
in unblocked stockinette
US 6 - 4.0 mm
90 - 130 yards (82 - 119 m)
head sizes 18” (46 cm), 21” (53 cm), and 23” (58 cm)
English
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The beanie is knitted in the round in 2 colors, although it can be knitted in 1 color if preferred. The RS of the beanie is reverse stockinette, but rather than purl the entire beanie it will be knitted and then turned inside-out at the end. The 2 leafy stems are knitted in as an intarsia cable, and the leaves and snails added later. There are a lot of ends to sew in from the leaves, but the end result is worth the effort.
An intermediate level knitter should be fine with this pattern.

Instructions are given for head sizes 18” (46 cm), 21” (53 cm), and 23” (58 cm). These correspond to child, small adult and medium-large adult sizes.

The beanie is knitted with sport weight yarn. You may use any sport weight yarn, but the yarns used in the hats pictured are Knit Picks Galileo / Knit Picks Journey Tweed and Ice Yarns Hand Dyed Sock Merino (held double) / Feederbrook Farms Entropy DK.
The stems and leaves are knitted with sport weight yarn. A yarn with at least 70% wool will block into shape more easily.
The snails are knitted with fingering weight yarn and are more easily blocked with at least 70% wool.

MC: Main Color – used for the beanie (55, 63, 69) yds / (50, 58, 63) m
CC: Contrasting Color – used for the beanie (38, 42, 52) yds / (35, 38, 48) m
LC: Leaf Color – used for the stem and leaves. The stems take 5 yds (4.6 m) and the leaves, about 22 yds (20 m).
Snails: 15 yds (14 m) / shell, 5 yds (4.6 m) / body.

Gauge:
For the beanie: 22 sts and 28 rows/4” (10 cm) in unblocked stockinette.
For the snails: gauge is not important except that it be a fairly tight weave.