Men’s Bike Chain Hat and Scarf

 

I developed a stitch recently that I have been using in designing a car coat.  I am sure that this stitch is not original but I have decided to call it the “bike chain pattern”.  My car coat is about half finished but it will take me some time yet to get it just right.  In the meantime, I thought I’d make up a scarf and hat for Paul.  This pattern is very rugged looking and is perfect for any male accessories.  The texture traps air and makes for a particularly warm garment.  I used Paton’s Classic Wool in dark grey because I happened to have a few skeins hanging around and it went well with the bike chain theme.  In addition, this is a very easy pattern to do.  It only took me four evenings to make both the hat and the scarf.  Alternately, this set would work well for the ladies too.  A bright color yarn will really make those textured stitches stand out!

 

Bike Chain Hat

This hat looks flat in the photo but it actually comes down to cover the ears.

Measurements: Will fit head circimference 22″ to 26″  Materials: About 223 yards of worsted weight yarn.  I used  one skein of Paton’s Classic Wool in dark grey, Crochet hook size I, yarn needle.  Gauge: In pattern, 14 sts and 15 rows equal 4″.

Crown

Chain 5.  Join into a ring with a sl st in first ch.  Ch 2, ch2 counts as a st throughout pattern.work 15 dc into ring.  Join with a sl st into 2nd ch of beginning ch2. Ch1, turn.

Round 2:     Sc into same st as joining. *Front post single crochet ( fpsc) around post of next dc, sc into top of next dc* and work from * to * around until 16 sts have been worked. Join with a sl st to first sc. Ch 2, turn. Mark this side as the right side.

Round 3:     2 dc  in 1st sc and into ea sc around. Join with a sl st to 1st dc. Ch 1, turn. (32 dc)

Round 4:     Sc into first dc, *fpsc into next dc, sc into top of next dc* and work from * to * around until 32 sc have been worked , join with a sl st, ch2, turn.

Round 5:      Dc in 1st sc, * 2 dc into next sc, dc into next sc*, around until 48 dc have been worked.  Join, ch 1, turn.

Round 6:     Sc into 1st dc, *fpsc into next dc, sc into next dc*, work from * to * around. Join, ch 2, turn.

Round 7:     Dc in first 2 sc, *2 dc in next sc,  dc in next 2 sc* around until you have worked 64 dc. Join, ch 1, turn.

Round 8:     Work round 6.

Round 9:     Work a double crochet round by placing 2 dc into each 4th st. Join, ch 1, turn. (80 dc)

Round 10 through round 25: Work even on 80 stitches by alternating the (sc, fpsc,sc, etc) round and the dc round,  End with the dc row.

Hat Band

Round 1:     Sc into back loops only of ea dc around. Join, ch 2, turn.

Round 2:     Dc into both loops of ea st around, join, ch 1. Do not turn.

Round 3:     Work  round 6 from crown.

Work 5 more rounds, alternating dc and sc rounds. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

 

Bike Chain Scarf

Measurements: 54″ x 7″

Materials:  About 340 yards of worsted weight yarn.  I used 1.5 skeins of  Paton’s Classic Wool in dark grey. Crochet hook size I, yarn needle. Gauge: In pattern, 14 sts and 15 rows equal 4″

The ch 2 at the beginning of ea row counts as a stitch throughout pattern.

Ch 193. Dc into 2nd ch from hook and into ea ch across.  Ch 1, turn. (191 dc)

Row 2:     Sc into1st dc, *front post sc ( fpsc) around post of next dc, sc into top of next dc* across row to last 2 dc. Fpsc around next dc, sc into top of tc. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3:     Dc into ea st across.  Ch 1, turn.

Rows 4- 21 ( or until scarf measures about 7″) repeat rows 2 and 3 ending with row 2. Fasten off.

Attach yarn on wrong side of first dc row of scarf. Work row 2 across. Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Because the nature of this pattern causes the fabric to slant slightly, I blocked it by pinning it to shape and misting it lightly with water.  Dry overnight.

Copyright Carol Wolf, September 2010

 

Lois’s Version of the Mens Collage Cardigan

Lois tried my Mens Collage Cardigan  pattern.  She used Red Heart worsted yarn in grey.  She also decided not to do the back-loop-only stitch and worked the sweater in regular half-double crochet. This was a good decision on her part.  The cardigan I made with Collage has stretched very badly.  This yarn is very soft and combined with the back-loop-only method, has resulted in a cardigan that grew and grew.  If I were making this sweater again, I would also use a more sturdy yarn.  Here is Lois’s version of the Mens Collage Cardigan.  Didn’t it turn out beautifully?

 

Mens Collage Cardigan

 

Comment 12/7/10:  I’d like to make all of you who are making this pattern aware of the problems I had with Red Heart Collage.  The yarn stretched terribly and pilled so badly that the sweater was beyond repair a few months after I made it.  I would recommend instead that you use a nice sturdy worsted weight yarn.  Several crochet friends have had very good results with this.  Also, to avoid the stretching problem, you might want to try crocheting through both loops of each stitch instead of just one.

I designed this mens cardigan after trying to use  His and Her Outdoor Sweaters and to modify that pattern into a V-Neck Cardigan.  Because the pattern called for Red Heart Collage, which is a self-striping yarn, I decided to go with that, forgetting that self-striping yarn is not ideal for patterns with multiple pieces because the stripes never match across the front.

In my Mens Collage Cardigan, the back and fronts are worked side-to-side so that matching the stripes is not an issue.  The sleeves are still worked from the bottom up.  The V-neck  is formed by crocheting successively shorter rows.  This pattern is actually quite simple but it does require a knowledge of post stitches.  You can make the cardigan larger or smaller by simply crocheting fewer rows on the backs and fronts.

Pattern

Size: Finished chest 48″

Materials: 6 skeins Red Heart Collage Yarn in Blue Wave; 3.5 oz, 218 yds, 200 m, 6  1″ buttons, Size J and size H crochet hook, tapestry needle, stitch markers 

Stitches used:  Single Crochet (SC),Half-double crochet (HDC), Front loop half-double crochet (FLHDC), Front post double crochet (FPDC), Back post double crochet (BPDC)

Gauge: 13 stitches = 4″ and 9 rows = 4″

Overview:  The back and fronts of this sweater are worked from side-to-side.  The sleeves are worked from the bottom up.  The back is one large rectangle.  The fronts are rectangles with decreases to make the V neck.  The sleeves have increases on each side from wrist to shoulder.

Back

With J, chain 73.  HDC in 3rd ch from hook and into every ch across.  Ch 2, turn. (71 stitches) Mark as right side.

Row 1: Front loop half-double crochet in the front loop of the second stitch (FLHDC) and in ea st across to last st. Hdc in last st.  Ch 2, turn.

Rows 2-54: Repeat row 1 until you have completed 54 rows or the back measures 24 inches across.  Fasten off.

Left Front

Chain 73.  Work as for back until piece measures about 7″ in width. Do not ch 2. Turn.Mark 1st row as right side.

Shape Neck

Row 1: Slip stitch across first three stitches. Work in pattern to end of row. Ch 2, turn.

Row 2: Work in pattern to last 3 sts.  Leave last 3 sts unworked, do not chain, turn.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have worked 11 rows or piece measures 12″.  Your last row should have 38 stitches.  Fasten off.

Right Front

Work as for left front, reversing neck shaping.

Sleeve ( make 2)

For cuff Ch 34. HDC into 3rd ch from hook and into ea ch across. (31 stitches) Ch 2, turn. Mark as right side.

Row 2: FPDC into second st, *BPDC into next st, FPDC into next st*.  Work from * to * across to last st. HDC into last st. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: BPDC into second st. *FPDC into next st, BPDC into next st*. Work from * to * across to last st. HDC into last st. Ch 2. Turn.

Rows 4-6: Repeat rows 2 and 3 alternately. Ch 1 instead of ch 2 at end of row 6. Cuff made.

Body of sleeve

Row 1: FLHDC into ea st across. Ch 2, turn. (31 sts)

Row 2: (increase row) 2 FLHDC in first st, FLHDC into ea st across to last st. 2 FLHDC in last st. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: Work even in pattern.

Repeat rows 1-2 five more times.

Row 14: Repeat row 3.

Row 15: Repeat row 2.

Row 16 -17: Repeat row 3.

Continue to work in pattern, increasing at both sides every 3rd row until piece measures 20″ from start of body of sleeve.  Fasten off.

Joining: Weave in all yarn ends with tapestry needle.  With right sides facing each other, pin fronts to back at shoulders, taking up about 7″ on back and making sure that the stitch pattern is running vertically on back.  Whip stitch shoulder seams together.  On top of each sleeve, mark the center point with a stitch marker.  with right sides facing each other , pin the marked center point of the sleeve on the shoulder seam of the front and back.  Make sure that about 11.5″ of sleeve lie on either side of the seam.  Also, make sure that the corner of the top of the sleeve reaches the same point on the front, as well as the back.  When everything looks even, pin the sleeve in place and whipstitch the seam.  Repeat with the other sleeve.  Fold the sweater in half along the center line of the sleeves, right sides facing each other and pin the side seams.  Whipstitch the side seams bing sure that the underarm corners match.

Bottom Ribbing: With the H hook, and the left front facing you, attach yarn at the bottom left front corner.  Work 39 HDC along bottom row edges of left front, 84 HDC along row edges of back, and 39 HDC along bottom edge of right front, ch2, turn. Continue to work rib pattern as directed for sleeve cuff for 6 rows around the bottom of the sweater. Fasten off.

Neckline Trim: With H, on right side, attach yarn at corner of right front neck edge. Ch1, sc in same space. Sc 37 sts on front neck, 32 across back neck, and 38 down left front neckline.  Ch1, turn. (107 sts)

Row 2: Sk 1st sc. sc in ea st across to last st. Sk last sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 3: Repeat row 2

Rows 4 and 5: Work as row 2 and in addition, dec 1 st at ea shoulder seam. (95 sts) Fasten off.

Front Bands: Right Front:

Row 1: Attach yarn to bottom corner st of right front.  Work 50 sc along right front edge. Ch1, turn.

Rows 2-5: Repeat row 1. Do not ch 1 at end of row 5. Fastern off

Left Front: Attach yarn at top corner of left front.  Work as row 1 of right front.

Row 2: Work as row 2 of right front.

Row 3: Sc in 1st 2 sts. Ch2, sk 2 sts, sc in next 7 sts. *ch 2, sk 2 sts, sc in next 7 sts*. Work from * to * to last st. Sc in last st. Ch 1, turn.

Row 4: Sc in ea st. When you get to the ch2, sc around 2 chs. Continue to end of row, ch 1, turn.

Row 5: Work as row 2. Fasten off.

Blocking: Because of the way the neckline was fashioned, it might be necessary to do some light blocking around the neck.  Be careful not to over-steam the fiber.  Simply straighten the neck and gently pat the steam into the fabric.

Sew buttons under the buttonholes on the right front band.

Copyright: Carol A. Wolf, October 1990