INFO

Techniques used in this pattern:

• Long-tail cast-on
• Stockinette stitch
• Picking up new stitches
• Loop cast-on
• I-cord

Measurements:
The pattern is written so that measurements can easily be adjusted according to your own preferences. My balaclava is 35 cm measured from top to bottom, 25 in width lying flat.

Gauge / Stitch tension:
To calculate the gauge/stitch tension, you need to knit a swatch. Even though the correct yarn and size of needles are used, it can vary because we all knit differently – tightly or loosely.
This is easily corrected by changing the size of the needles.
Following the correct gauge is crucial for your project to have the correct size and fit.
The gauge is 10 stitches in width and 17 rows in height in stockinette = 10x10 cm.

We will start by knitting the top part of the balaclava in stockinette stitch, 16 stitches x 24 rows.

Here it is important to feel it out – if you want a larger or smaller balaclava than what is shown in the picture, decrease the number of stitches (width) or the number of rows (depth). Changing the pattern will not affect the remaining parts of the pattern.

Do as follows:

1. Measure a long enough thread – the length depends on the number of stitches we are going to cast on, the yarn thickness, and the needle size. In this pattern, about 50 cm is enough.
   Make a loop where you want to start.
2. Thread the loop onto the needle and pull both yarn ends to tighten it. Now we are ready to start casting on stitches.
3. Wrap the loose thread around your left thumb, the end should be on the outside of the thumb.
   Wind the yarn from the ball over your left index finger, from inside to outside.
   Hold both yarn ends in your palm with the pinky and ring fingers.
4. Insert the right needle from underneath through the loop on the thumb.
5. Use the needle to catch the yarn from the index finger and pull it back through the loop, so a new stitch is formed.
6. Let the loop slide off the thumb and tighten the new stitch on the right needle.
   Wrap the thread around the thumb again and repeat the steps until we have cast on the desired number of stitches.

Repeat until we reach 16 stitches.

How to knit Stockinette stitch:

Stockinette stitch means we knit back and forth, one knit side and one purl side alternately.
After a few rows, we will clearly see how the right side has a more flat appearance while the other side is “bumpy.”

We will begin by knitting one row of knit stitches, then one row of purl stitches.
This we will repeat until we have knitted a total of 24 rows – 12 rows knit and 12 rows purl.

How to knit a knit stitch:

- Hold the needles Hold the needle with stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right hand.
The yarn should come from the first stitch on the left needle.‍

- Insert the right needle: Insert the right needle through the first stitch on the left needle. Insert it diagonally through the stitch from the left side.

- Pick up the yarn: Hold the working yarn with your left hand, pick up the yarn with the right needle.

- Pull through the stitch: Pull the right needle the same way as we inserted it, so a new stitch is formed on the right needle.

Now we have knitted a knit stitch!

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Repeat the following throughout the entire row.

How to knit a purl stitch:

- Hold the needles: Hold the left needle with stitches in your left hand and the right needle in your right hand.

- Place the yarn in front of the work: Place the working yarn over the left needle (instead of behind as with knit), the yarn should lie just in front of the first stitch on top of the needle.

- Insert the right needle: Insert the right needle from the front under the working yarn and through the first stitch (from the right side).

- Pick up the yarn: Pick up the yarn with the right needle by “twisting” it around the needle to catch it.

- Pull through the stitch: Pull the right needle through the stitch the same way as we inserted it, so a new stitch is formed.

- Drop the old stitch: Drop the old stitch from the left needle so it is now on the right needle.

Now we have knitted a purl stitch!

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Repeat to the end of the row.

Picking up stitches

Now we will pick up stitches on both sides of the rectangle we created.
Place the side with the needles facing you.
We will begin picking up stitches on the left side. Cut the yarn 20–30 cm down and tie a loose knot so as not to risk losing the stitches.

Hold the left side in front of you, with the right side facing you. Pull out a bit of the needle next to the left side so that you can use it to pick up new stitches.

Do as follows:

1. Along the left edge, we see an “uneven braid,” just next to it is our first row of stitches.
   That’s where we will pick up our stitches. If we gently pull the knitting apart, we see that each stitch in the stitch row has its own “column.” Each “column” should get a new stitch.
2. Hold the yarn in your left hand behind the work and the needle in your right.
3. Insert the needle into the first “column,” pick up the yarn, and pull through.

Now we have picked up a new stitch.

Repeat the above along the entire side and place a stitch marker (corner) before we knit the following stitches knitwise to knit across to the right side of the work.

1. Pull out the needle a bit to make it easier to pick up the upcoming stitches.
2. Place a stitch marker to mark our second corner.

From here we pick up stitches on the right side the same way we did on the left side until we reach the edge.

Now the needles with the picked-up stitches should form a “U” around our work.
Now it’s time to knit the body!

The body

The body is knitted in stockinette stitch just like we did the top.
In Row 2, we will make two decreases – one at each stitch marker.
After that, we will only knit knit and purl rows until we have reached the desired length.

Row 1: Begin by knitting the first row purl.

Row 2:

1. Knit stitches until one stitch before the first stitch marker, remove the stitch marker to knit the next two stitches together through the back loop.
   You do this by knitting these stitches together, but instead of knitting in the front loop, we will knit a knit stitch through the back loop.
2. Knit until one stitch before the stitch marker. Slip the stitch marker and knit the next two stitches together knitwise, just like a regular knit stitch.
3. Knit the rest of the row.

Now we have made two decreases.
Now we are to alternate knitting knit and purl rows until we have reached the desired length.

Cast on stitches

To create the “chin,” we will cast on new stitches and knit together our two sides to create a circle.
We will then be able to knit in the round on circular needles, which means we only knit knit stitches in the round.

Loop cast-on is done as follows:

1. Put the left needle aside. The yarn comes from the back of the right needle.
2. Create a loop from the yarn so that the yarn from the ball lies on top/in front of the loop that was created.
   Slip the loop onto the right needle. The yarn now comes from the front of the right needle.
3. Repeat a total of 10 times. Be sure to tighten properly to avoid large gaps at the edges.
   Then continue knitting knit stitches.

We continue knitting knit stitches around on the circular needles until we are happy with the length of our balaclava.
Try it on to make sure it's as desired before starting the i-cord.

I-CORD

We will bind off by creating an i-cord edge.
We begin at the stitch markers. The first one differs from the rest – see below.

We make an i-cord as follows:

First:

1. Knit 3 knit stitches.
2. Slip these 3 stitches back to the left needle. The yarn now comes from the third stitch on the needle.
3. Knit 2 knit stitches.
4. Slip 2 stitches twisted to the right needle without knitting them. Twist by slipping the stitch from the left side.
5. Slip the two twisted stitches back.
6. Knit these 2 stitches together through the back loop.
7. Slip 3 stitches to the left needle. The yarn now comes from the third stitch on the needle.

The rest:
Repeat until 3 stitches remain.
The last three stitches can be bound off in several ways – a simple method is to knit the first two stitches together through the back loop, then repeat the same with the last two.
Cut a piece of yarn and pull it through the last stitch.
Sew the beginning and end together discreetly with a wool needle, try to follow the pattern of the stitches.

1. Knit 2 knit stitches
2. Slip 2 stitches twisted to the right needle without knitting them. Twist by slipping the stitch from the left side.
3. Slip the two twisted stitches back.
4. Knit these 2 stitches together through the back loop.
5. Slip 3 stitches to the left needle. The yarn now comes from the third stitch on the needle.

Now we are to make a similar edge around the face opening. But before we can begin our i-cord, we need to pick up stitches.
This is done the same way we did in Step 3. Begin just before the lower corner.
When we pick up the stitches for the top and bottom of the face frame, we will pick up one stitch in each “V.”
Since we cast on 10 stitches at the chin, there will be 10 “V”s to pick up new stitches in. The same applies to the top.

When we have picked up stitches all the way around, we begin the i-cord. Go back to Step 6 and follow the instructions.

Weave in all ends nicely on the inside.
Try to weave the thread in the same direction as the stitches are knitted, for a neat result.

BLOCK!
Tip: Inflate a balloon and use as a “drying stand” to get a nice shape!

You’re done! Hope you are happy with your balaclava :)

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