Tradition Lives On

When I was two years old (the winter of 1930-31) my aunt knitted a little red cap for me.  What happened to it I don’t know.  Then after I learned to knit I knitted a red cap for most of the little two-year-old girls in this family and beyond.  I need to keep one here so I can know how to start when it’s time to knit another, but. . . . .

I knew the time was at hand to knit another cap and this summer I met Sara, who is almost two and we measured across her head — from below ear to below ear.  This told me how long the knitted piece had to be.  Then when I found a piece of red yarn in my stash of “stuff” I had to knit a sample piece to determine the gauge.  When this was settled I multiplied the number of stitches per inch by the measurement.  That way I knew how many stitches to cast on the needles.  See the picture.  I enjoy knitting on a circular needle (even though I’m not knitting in the round) — instead of using two needles.  I used a size 6 needle in this case and the stitch was garter stitch (knit every row).

Stitches cast on the circular needle

I just guess at how wide the piece needs to be — it needs to be the depth of the head plus some to turn back.  See the picture — with this done I bound off the needle, folded the knitted piece in half and sewed it together making the back seam.  Now using a crochet hook I crocheted a decorative (somewhat) border along the edge that would be turned back.  Also using the hook I crocheted a place at the bottom of the cap through which to run the chain that would hold the cap on.

Knitted piece ready to bind off the knitting needle

To dress it up a little I put a tassel at the back upper corner.  I wish I had made the turn back wider — this can be adjusted as the child gets older  to make the cap wearable a little longer — however, I was using scrap yarn and I was about to run out.

I’ve made two caps — one goes to Sara, my new friend, and one goes to our great great granddaughter,  Stella.  Unfortunately, we don’t get to see Stella much — her mother grew up in an adoptive home and we are now only distant relatives.  Never the less, we love her and the tradition lives on. This is how it is with our kind of country living.

Red Cap Finished