*NEW! A lot of people are asking me for the modifiations with cables, bobbles, ‘spectacle helm’ and a ribbed beard. This has now been written up as a new version ‘Dwarven Battle Bonnet 2’ which is also top down construction and desn’t necessarily need fulling. Do check that out too before you buy the pattern, see which one you prefer! Sally April 2012*

By popular request, here are instructions for the Dwarven Battle Bonnet. This is a fun variation on a balaclava, and instructions are given for both the variations shown in the top picture. This hat lends itself well to yarn that can be lightly fulled, but if you wish to knit it using yarn that will not felt at all, you may wish to go down a needle size. Suggestions for additional embellishments are given and the pattern is extensively supported with photographs of the hats in progress.

Gauge is pretty approximate, this is a very forgiving pattern to knit, but the pattern as given does assume you will be fulling the hat to shrink it. If you are using yarn that won’t full, start with a few less stitches!

Everyone needs a silly hat in their life!

Update 31 Jan 2009: After several very useful suggestions for improving the red beard, I have recrunched the numbers and there is a new version out. Existing buyers should have had an email notification linking to the new version. Any new buyers will get the new version automatically. If you find anything doesnt add up in the new version please say, I’ve test knit the new version twice and am as sure as I can be that its better, but I’m a one person wossname and its always possible that weeks of knitting silly hats has addled me slightly ;)

The ‘Winter King’ version uses the beard from this added to a basic pointy hat and embellished with holly leaves, just an idea of another way to use the basic pattern idea.

’Rivets’ are a very popular addition to the basic instructions, all you do for these is work a basic bobble, for a small rivet work over 1 stitch, for a larger one work the bobble over 2 stitches.

For the ‘Spectacle helm’ version, add a strip in the helmet colour under the eyes before you attach the beard.

Have a look through the projects, there are some wonderful additional modifications that people have come up with using this pattern as a starting point.