The Knit Guru

Teaching Drama often leads to a lot of costume and set construction… and occasionally this crosses over into knitted projects. Here is a pattern for a chainmail coif or head covering that I have designed for “Robin Hood”.

You will need:
– 3 x 50gm Balls of grey yarn (150gm)
– 8mm knitting needles (Circular)
– Darning needle

Cast on 132 stitches in the round.
Place stitch markers at the start of the row and at 66 stitches (half way mark)
You need to create a garter stitch look – which in the round requires alternating rows of knit and purl.
Garter stitch 6 rows.
Continue the same garter pattern…. but every fourth knit row, knit 2 together before and after each stitch marker. (Decreasing 4 stitches per decrease row). Do this 10 times (decreasing 40 stitches in total). You will now have 92 stitches on the needles.

Knit 17 stitches. Cast off 12. Knit 17 stitches. Remove the stitch markers, and knit to the end of the knitting (not the row. There will be an extra 17 stitches after the stitch marker. You now have 80 stitches which will be knitting flat until the end.

Knit 40 rows – By knitting until the last 3 stitches, moving the yarn forward, and slipping the last 3 stitches on the end of each row. This will create a rolled icord style edge around the face. Continue this slipping of the last 3 stitches over the following section also.

Top of the head shaping.
Place a stitch marker at the half way point – 40 stitches.
Knit 2 together before and after each stitch marker – decreasing 2 every second row over the next 10 rows. (This is 5 decreasing rows on the “right side” of the coif, and 5 regular rows on the “wrong” side). On this last row after the decreasing, purl the last 3 stitches rather than slipping them.

Kitchener stitch the top shut. (Alternatively you can cast off and seam the top of the coif)