Description
Uva Balaclava is a stylish, chunky knit balaclava/hood and neck warmer in one. The balaclava is knitted from the bottom up in two pieces, which are later joined by knitting a few stitches together on each side.

The center stitches of both pieces, which are not bound off, form the neck opening. After a few short rows to make the front neck slightly deeper, followed by a few rounds of ribbing, the center stitches of the front piece are placed on a circular needle or stitch holder. The ribbing is then worked back and forth until the crown of the hood is shaped.

Once the crown is constructed, stitches are picked up along the sides of the hood, and a ribbed edge is knitted around the entire face opening with a slightly smaller needle before binding off with an Italian bind-off or your preferred method.

You can also finish your balaclava before shaping the hood and instead knit straight up in rib, creating a neck warmer with a turtleneck rather than a full balaclava. Finish with an Italian bind-off or your preferred method.

Size
One size.

Finished Measurements
Fits head circumference approximately 54–60 cm.

Materials
200 g of Ballerina Chunky Mohair (135 m/50 g) from Sandnes Yarn or Fluffy Mohair (200 m/100 g) from Cowgirl Blues, or Fat Mohair from brands like Sysleriget or Siesto Fibres. You will need to knit with 2 strands.

Alternatively, you can use leftover silk mohair in a similar weight (approx. 212 m/25 g) and knit with 6-8 strands, depending on how chunky you want your balaclava to be. You will need 150-200 g, depending on the number of strands.
Another option is to use 1 strand of chunky mohair and 3-4 strands of silk mohair leftovers.

The model in the photo is knitted with 2 strands of hand-dyed Chunky Knit Mohair from Uldstedet, which is unfortunately discontinued.

Feel free to use a different yarn if you match the required gauge.

Recommended Needle Sizes
The balaclava is knitted in rib (k1, p1) on a 5 mm (US 8) circular needle (80 cm) with 2 strands of Ballerina Chunky Mohair. Use 2 circular needles of the same size for this project. The ribbed edge around the face is knitted with a 4.5 mm (US 7) circular needle (80 cm). I recommend using the Magic Loop method.

If you don’t use Magic Loop, you’ll need: 1 circular needle (5 mm, 40–60 cm) and 1 circular needle (4.5 mm, 40–60 cm).

If you are knitting with 6 strands of thin silk mohair or a combination of 1 strand of chunky mohair and 3 strands of thin silk mohair: Knit the balaclava on 6 mm (US 10) needles and The ribbed edge around the face on 5 mm (US 8) needles.

Gauge
Approximately 15 stitches x 20 rows = 10 x 10 cm on 5 mm needles, knitted flat and in the round in rib (k1, p1).