Knitting Your Flag

• 1). Using the straight knitting needles and your red yarn, cast on 72 stitches by making a backwards loop in your yarn for each stitch and placing it on your needle. To aid in seaming your flag later, create a neat edge by slipping the first stitch of each row.
  
  
• 2). Knit four rows in stockinette stitch (knitting on the right side, or the side that faces out; purling on the wrong side, or the side that faces in).
  
  
• 3). Switch to your white yarn and knit four rows in stockinette stitch.
  
  
• 4). Alternate knitting four rows each of red and white four more times, ending with a row of white.
  
  
• 5). You will create the blue rectangle on your flag using a colorwork technique called intarsia. On the next row, knit 39 stitches with your red yarn, then switch to blue and knit 33 stitches. Take care to twist the blue and red yarns together on the wrong side of the work (the side that faces in) to avoid holes. Repeat for four rows total.
  
  
• 6). On the next row, knit 39 stitches with your white yarn, then switch to blue and knit 33 stitches. Repeat for four rows total. Alternate red and white stripes, continuing to work the blue intarsia rectangle at the end of each row, until you have knit a total of 13 red and white stripes. The blue rectangle should be seven stripes tall.
  
  
• 7). Bind off all stitches by knitting two stitches, then passing the first stitch over the second and dropping it off the needle. Before cutting the yarn, measure out a length about four times the length of the knitted rectangle for use in seaming. Cut the yarn, and set your flag aside.
  
  
• 8). Add stars to your flag inside the blur rectangle. Thread your tapestry needle with a length of white yarn. Place your star by bringing the point of a needle threaded with yarn up through the point of the V in the first stitch you want to stitch over. Pull the yarn through. Repeat as desired. The blue area may not be large enough to accommodate all 50 stars.
  
  

Knitting the Back of Your Flag

• 1). Using your straight needles and red yarn, cast on 72 stitches.
  
  
• 2). Knit back and forth in stockinette stitch for 52 rows, slipping the first stitch of each row.
  
  
• 3). Bind off all stitches, and cut yarn.
  
  

Assembling Your Flag

• 1). Block your knit pieces if necessary by wetting them and gently pressing to remove excess water. Allow them to try while pinned into shape using straight pins.
  
  
• 2). Thread your tapestry needle using the length of cut yarn you measured at the end of the knit flag. Holding the two pieces of knitting together, run the tapestry needle back and forth between them at the corner several times to secure them.
  
  
• 3). Sew the two pieces together using mattress stitch. Stretch your knitting slightly to reveal the "bar" of yarn created between each row of stitches. Insert your needle under this bar from bottom to top and pull the yarn through. Looking to the other piece, find the corresponding bar, insert your needle under it from bottom to top and pull the yarn through.
  
  
• 4). Work your way around the rectangle, seaming the two pieces together. Leave a large enough open space to stuff the beanie.
  
  
• 5). Using beans, plastic pellets, polyester fiberfill or a combination, fill the beanie as desired through the hole in the seamed pieces. Do not fill the beanie completely in order to retain the floppy quality intrinsic to beanie toys. Sew the hole closed securely. Weave in all the loose yarn ends, and trim them.