Perfectly shaped to keep your head warm where you need it most, this form fitting balaclava tucks seamlessly into big woolly sweaters and oversized coats and shuts out everything winter tries to throw at you.  

NATURALLY SOFT, NOT CHEMICALLY SOFTENED

We created our LOLL yarn with a special blend of premium Merino and Baby Alpaca fibers to create soft-as-a-kitten warmth and squishiness. Sustainably grown and 100% naturally soft, (not chemically softened), LOLL is grown in the beautiful highlands of Argentina and Peru and spun in a Fair Trade Certified facility.

SKILL LEVEL : INTERMEDIATE 

Intermediate projects use more involved stitch combinations, color work, and shaping.  These patterns are best suited for knitters who are already comfortable following a knit pattern and have worked with circular needles before.  

TIME TO MAKE 

4-5 Hours

PATTERN SIZE

Fits Most : (20.5" - 23.5")

PROJECT MEASUREMENTS

Finished Height: 13.5"

Finished Width (measured flat, 1" below brim):  8"

GAUGE

Stockinette Stitch, 7mm Needle:
14 stitches in stockinette stitch  x 18.5 rows = 4" x 4" square

LOW TIDE BALACLAVA KIT CONTENTS

• 1 Ball of Project Weekend's LOLL. Each ball weighs 125 GR. (4.4oz) and 125m (137y). 
• 1 Pair of 7mm  Circular Knitting Needles 
• 1 Pair of 5mm Circular Knitting Needles 
• 1 Card With Links To The Online Pattern & our Knitting Video Tutorials Library
• 1 Stitch Marker
• 1 Knitters' Sewing Needle 
• 1 "PROJECT WEEKEND x ME." Woven Label

TECHNIQUE TUTORIAL VIDEOS & ILLUSTRATIONS

We've made learning easy! Easily reference our library of tutorial videos and step-by-step illustrations with just a click of your mouse. Look for tutorial links embedded throughout the pattern, and when in doubt, just click and learn!

PROJECT NOTES & TUTORIALS

Please take a moment to review some of the knitting techniques used to knit the Low Tide Balaclava.

This project is knit from the top down. You will begin by knitting the top crown piece in stockinette stitch.  Once complete, you will pick up stitches along the perimeter and knit the sides of the balaclava flat.  You will create shaping for the chin area, and then will join your work in-the-round to finish off with a 1x1  rib neckline.   Lastly, you will pick up stitches around the hood opening and knit a 1x1 rib trim. 

LOW TIDE BALACLAVA PATTERN

PATTERN ABBREVIATIONS

RS: Right-Side of work. (The outside fabric side of your balaclava)

WS: Wrong-Side of work. (The inside fabric side of your balaclava)

K: Knit stitch

P: Purl  stitch

SSK: Slip 1, Slip 1, Knit those two stitches through the back loop (a decrease of 1 stitch)

K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together (a decrease of 1 stitch)

KFB: Knit through the Front and the Back of a stitch.  (an increase of 1 stitch)

1. KNITTING THE CROWN PIECE

Using your 7MM needles, Cast-On 20 stitches using the LONG-TAIL CAST-ON METHOD. 

Row 1 (RS):  Knit
Row 2 (WS): Purl

Repeat knitting Rows 1 & 2 until your work measures 4.5" from your Cast-On edge.  Be sure to end with a Purl Row.

2. DECREASE SECTION

Decrease Row 1 (RS): SSK, Knit to the last 2 stitches, K2tog (18 stitches remaining)
Decrease Row 2 (WS): Purl

Repeat Decrease Rows 1 & 2 another 2 more times and you have a total 14 stitches remaining, then:

(RS): SSK, Knit to the last 2 stitches, K2tog (12 stitches remaining).

Leaving these stitches on your needle, cut a 10" yarn tail. 

3. PICKING UP STITCHES

With (RS) facing you, feed the circular needle through your held stitches so that the opposite needle is holding them. 

Starting at the RIGHT SIDE corner of the Cast-On edge, prepare to PICK UP STITCHES.

Pick up 20 stitches evenly along the right edge of the crown piece.  (20 stitches on needle)
Knit the 12 held stitches off the left needle. (32 stitches on needle)
Pick up 20 stitches evenly along the left edge of the crown piece (52 stitches on needle)

Picking up stitches along the right side edge.

20 stitches picked up along the side edge

Knitting the held stitches.

Right side and top stitches on needle.

Picked up the additional 20 stitches along the left side edge.

4. KNITTING THE SIDE PANELS

With the WS of your work facing you: 

Row 1 (WS): Purl
Row 2 (RS): Knit
R3-R6: repeat R1 & R2 until work measures 5.5" (14 cm) from the picked up stitch line.  

5. FRONT NECK SHAPING

Increase Row 1 (RS):  KFB, Knit until 1 stitch remains, KFB   (total 54 stitches)
Increase Row 2 (WS): Purl

Repeat Increase Rows 1 & 2 another 4 more times for a total of 62 stitches then:
(RS): KFB, Knit until 1 stitch remains, KFB  (total 64 stitches)

6. CREATING THE 1X1 RIB COLLAR

Transfer all of your stitches from your 7mm needle over to your 5mm needle.  You will only be using the 5mm needle from now on. 

With (RS) facing you,
Cast-On 6 stitches (total 70 stitches on your needle)

HOW TO CAST-ON STITCHES MID-WORK

End of a Stockinette (RS)  row.

Loop yarn so that the end attached closest to the ball lays on top of the end attached closest  to your work

Place tip of needle through the loop, and place looponto the needle.  
**Note yarn tail position under the needle.  

Pull on yarn tail to tighten up the new stitch.  *Mimic tension of other stitches on needle.  Repeat to create additional stitches. 

Place a STITCH MARKER on your left needle and join your work IN-THE-ROUND.  Depending on your comfort level with the stitches on the needle, you may need to knit in-the-round using the MAGIC LOOP METHOD.

Joining work In-The-Round after casting on stitches. 

Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1, repeat from * until you reach the end of the round creating a 1x1 rib stitch pattern. 

(RS): Repeat Row 1 until your work measures 3.5" from the Chin Cast-On Stitches.

7. BINDING OFF THE COLLAR STITCHES

The best option for binding off your stitches is to use the TUBULAR BIND-OFF METHOD. This method is ideal for maintaining the stretch of the 1x1 rib while also creating a very professional, completely borderless edge to your ribbing.  

1. Cut a yarn tail that is 4x's longer than the length of the circumference of your neck opening.  (It's a very long yarn tail!).   Weave your yarn onto your sewing needle. 

SETTING UP YOUR CIRCULAR ROUND TO BE BOUND OFF
(click on each image to expand)

1. KNIT

Weave the needle through the first stitch on your left needle, as if to knit.

Pull the yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

2. TRANSFER 

Transfer that stitch from the left needle onto your right needle. 

(Note: you now have a new first stitch on your left needle)

3. PURL 2ND

Weave the needle through the 2nd stitch on your left needle as if to purl. 

Pull yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

4.PURL 1ST

Next, weave your needle through the first stitch on your needle as if to purl.  

Pull yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

4.TRANSFER

Transfer that stitch from the left needle onto your right needle.

THE TUBULAR BIND-OFF
(click on each image to expand)

1. KNIT

Weave the needle through the first stitch on your left needle, as if to knit.

Pull the yarn through, snug up yarn tension.

2. SLIP

Slip that stitch off the needle and gently snug up the yarn tension. 

You just bound off 1 stitch.

(Note: you now have a new first stitch on your left needle)

3.PURL 2ND

Weave the needle through the 2nd stitch on your left needle as if to purl. 

Pull yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

4.PURL 1ST

Next, weave your needle through the first stitch on your needle as if to purl.  

Pull yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

5. SLIP

Slip that first stitch off the needle and gently snug up the yarn tension.

You just bound of another stitch. 

6. BACK TO FRONT

Next, weave the needle from the back of your work to the front by slipping  between the first full stitch and the 2nd stitch. (Make sure both stitch legs of that first stitch are on the right side of your needle) .  
Pull yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

7.KNIT 2ND

From the front of your work, weave the needle through the 2nd stitch on your needle as if to knit.  
Pull yarn through and snug up yarn tension.

8. REPEAT

Repeat Steps 1-7 until you no longer have any stitches left on your needle. 

Once all of the stitches have been bound off, cut the yarn tail down to approximately 10" in length and weave in the loose end on the (WS) of your work.  

8. ADDING 1X1 RIB TO THE FRONT OPENING

Beginning at the chin line,  and in the KNIT stitch where you joined in-the-round, pick up an EVEN number of stitches  all the way around the hood opening.   To make sure your ribbing piece lays flat, be sure to follow the PICKING UP STITCHES guidelines for CAST-ON, BIND-OFF AND SIDE EDGES.

REMINDER: Be sure to pick up an EVEN number of stitches.

Row 1: *K1, P1, repeat from * to the end of the round

Repeat Row 1 until work measures 1" from the stitch pick up edge.  

Image shows midway through picking up stitches around the front opening.

9. FINISHING

Bind-Off using the TUBULAR BIND-OFF METHOD and weave in all of loose ends.