Tutorial: How to make dreadlocks on a ski cap or even a sweater:>

The latest hat made with Noro 102...one of my favorite colorways of Kureyon...its not grey like alot of the Noro colorways are and theres no black in it either. This hat was knitted as the yarn came out of the skein and used about a skein and half.



A quick tutorial on how to make a dreadlock.

Step 1:

Knit the next stitch but do not place it on the right needle. Keep both stitches on the LEFT needle.

Step 2:

Pull the new stitch out thru the old stitch which was left on the needle. Keep pulling till you have a length of yarn twice as long as you want the dreadlock to be.

HINT: I pulled mine down to edge of the ribbing and then doubled it to keep them even.





Step 3:

Put the length of yarn over your finger and twist it till tight.

Step 4:

Double the yarn up placing the loop from your finger back onto the left needle.


Step 5:

Knit the dreadlock and the original stitch left on the left needle off to the right needle.




Step 6 :

The finished dreadlock knitted off to the right hand needle.


FINI:
Voila you have a row of dreadlocks.

This is how the dreadlocks look after you have knitted four rows...its now time to start another row of dreadlocks.


Part deux...GENERAL DIRECTIONS: HOW to add them to any hat pattern.

Free kids hat patterns are here and here. I based my kids hats on this one knitting the smallest size using whatever worsted weight yarn that I had leftover from other projects.

Pick a ribbed hat pattern that fits the person who will wear the hat.

Start adding dreadlocks about 2-3 inches after you have been knitting.

To make a row of dreadlocks:
Add dreadlocks every two stitches for small hats and every three stitches for larger hats.

Increase the length of the dreadlock as you get closer to the top. The top dreadlocks are almost double the length of the first row.

Rows of dreadlocks are added every inch of knitting gradually growing longer as you knit toward the top of the hat.

Needle size...whatever the pattern you are using calls for. The small hats were knitted on 8s and the larger ones on 10s which is why they go so fast!!

I would do the same thing for a sweater ...knitting rows every inch or so apart as you work toward the neck...or short ones around a cuff? or a waistband!!! that could be great fun:>

TWO more finished hats!!

Hats for the twins made from Lambs Pride yarn..well mostly....I think i have at least two more hats in me...one with the leftovers from all of these...and hmmm one more for mom to match the twins....that will make NINE hats...what am i thinking?? Did i say i knitted two of these yesterday?? Could have knitted a couple of sweaters by now:> but these are more fun....