my crocheted hat/beanie making formula

I wanted to make a beanie hat 5 years ago for my soon-to-be-born nephew, but I obviously didn’t have a head to try it on as I went, so I just winged it, and it was a total failure! Though it would have made a nice yarmulke.

Over the years I’ve figure out a way to make a hat that should fit ANYONE, new born and up. I’d like to say preemie as well, but I’m not sure about that. So far it doesn’t matter what weight yarn, or what size hook you use either.

Measure the head of the intended recipient (if its handy). Mine is 23 inches. Divide that number by 4. For me it is 5 and 3/4 inches. I round it UP to 6. Work the crown of your hat to measure your number across the diametre. Then stop increasing and work even for the length.

So for the average full term new born, with a head circumference of 35cm/13.77″ you’d have a crown of 3.44″ upsized to 4 inches. Using centimetres would probably give you nicer numbers to work with. 35/4=8.75.

I’m not saying its fool proof, as I haven’t made hundreds of hats to fit specific people. but as a general guide, its better than nothing!

easy granny style beret (lost pattern)

This is NOT my pattern, and was originally found here. You can find my variation here.

Easy Granny Style Beret

Janelle Schlossman

Materials:
*A few oz of worsted wt yarn
*Size J crochet hook

Stitches:

ch: chain

sl st: slip stitch

ch st: chain stitch

dc: double stitch

Size is approx. 21 1/2″

You can use different colors too. Just fasten off at the end of a row and join next color in any ch space. This hat works up pretty quick and it`s an easy way to use up odds and ends of yarn

Ch 5; join with sl st to form ring. Join at end of rows with sl st to beginning ch.

1: Ch 3; work 15 dc in center of ring. Join. (16 sts)

2:Ch 3; dc in next dc, ch 3; (dc in next 2 dc, ch 3) around. Join. (40sts) (Each dc and each ch st counts as a stitch)

3: Sl st into next st and into next ch space. Ch 3. In same sp work dc, ch 1 and 2 dc; ch 1. (2 dc-ch1-2dc in next sp; ch 1) around. Join. (49 sts)

4:Sl st into next st and into ch space. Ch 3; dc in same sp, ch 3. (2dc in next sp; ch 3) around. Join. (80sts)

5: Repeat row 3. (96sts)

6 :Sl st into next st and into next ch sp. Ch 3, dc in same sp; ch 1. (2dc in next sp; ch 1) around. Join. (96sts)

7-8-9: Repeat row 6. (96 sts)

10: Sl st into next st and into next ch sp. Ch 3, dc in same sp. (2dc in next sp) around. Join. (64 sts)

11: Ch 1: sc in next dc, sc decrease over next two stitches. (Sc in next two sts; dec over next two sts) around. Join. (48 sts)

12: Ch 1; sc in each st around. Join. (48 sts)

OR:
For a smaller size beret for about 19 1/2″:
ch 1; sc in next 9 sts; decrease over next two sts. (Sc in next 10 sts; dec) around. (44 sts)

13: Ch 1: sc in each st around. Join; fasten off and weave in loose ends.

Pattern is to be used for personal use only.

BACK

progress on the leggings

I think I still have another 15 or so rows left of the bum part, and then I think it is some short rowing to allow for the nappy and FINALLY ribbing. I think whats left is more labor intensive than the leg parts.

neck pillow

Like the other lady said, this isn’t my pattern, I’m just putting it here so its not lost. The dead dead link is here. A friend suggested that I get one of these for the trip to Darwin. I’m looking at a 6+ hour flight. I won’t have any spare money for a one off thing, but I have more than enough yarn and stuffing to make one. And fabric. Might end up making two

Neck Pillow Materials Worsted weight yarn (acrylic or cotton) For size small-3 oz.; for size medium-4 oz.; for size large-5 oz.; for size xlarge-6 oz.Crochet hook size H or size needed to achieve gauge Fiberfill Yarn needle Gauge: 5 sc = 1 ½”; 5 rows = 1 ½ “ Finished size: Size small fits infant-small toddler; size medium fits large toddler-small child; size large fits large child-small adult; size xlarge fits adult.

Large

Ch 49

Row 1: Sc in each of the first 7 ch’s, 2 sc in the next ch, (sc in each of the next 7 ch’s, 2 sc in the next ch) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (54 sc)

Rows 2-7: Work the same as rows 4-9 of small size.

Rows 8-9: Work the same as rows size 9-10 of the medium size

Row 10: Sc in each of the first 16 sc, 2 sc in the next sc, (sc in each of the next 16 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (108 sc)

Row 11: Sc in each of the first 17 sc, 2 sc in the next sc, (sc in each of the next 17 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (114 sc)

Rows 12-16: Sc in each sc across; ch 1, turn. (114 sc)

Row 17: Sc in each of the first 17 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 17 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (108 sts)

Row 18: Sc in each of the first 16 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 16 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (102 sts)

Rows 19:Sc in each of the first 15 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 15 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn.

Row 20: Sc in each of the first 14 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 14 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn.

Row 21: Sc in each of the first 13 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 13 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (84 sts)

Row 22: Sc in each of the first 12 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 12 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (78 sts)

Row 23: Sc in each of the first 11 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 11 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (72 sts)

Row 24: Sc in each of the first 10 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 10 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (66 sts)

Row 25: Sc in each of the first 9 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 9 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (60 sts)

Row 26: Sc in each of the first 8 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 8 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (54 sts)

Row 27: Sc in each of the first 7 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc, (sc in each of the next 7 sc, sc dec over the next 2 sc) 5 times; ch 1, turn. (48 sts)

Fasten off after row 27

http://web.archive.org/web/20070128114519/http://members.aol.com/cillcrochets/neckpill.html

decrease methods

Like this person, I also decided to do a decrease swatch, to match the increase one I did a few days ago.

 

 

Some are nice than others. Starting from the bottom:-

The dark pink pin is your normal old k2tog (img 54). The transition is almost flawless.

 

The pale pink, is k2tog tbl (img 56). Same thing, just done through the back of the stitches. Its fiddlier to do and doesn’t look as neat.

 

Purple is SKP (slip, knit, pass), also known as sl1, k1, psso (img 58)

 

The apricot pin is something called a ’stitch over’. Messy and fiddly. I won’t be using this any time soon.

 

Finally, the green pin is SSK (slip, slip, knit). It is similar to k2tog.

 

I’m not sure if the messiness of the stitches is because I did them in stocking stitch or not. I guess if I want to find out I can always do two more swatches in garter to have a look see.

Duck Reach Power Station

increase methods

 

Starting from the bottom, the pale pink pin, is KFB. Makes a nice increase when knit flat. However, when knitted in the round it doesn’t look quite as nice.

 

Purple pin, is the bar increase, or M1

White pin, is a yo. Worked under, then over (clockwise). Also known as yarn forward.

 

The green, is also a yo but done the other way, over then under (anti clockwise) which eliminates the hole. I can’t find a link. :s

 

The apricot pin, is the ‘invisible increase‘ I found.

 

Finally, for the fun of it, the red pin is where I cast on a new stitch. Its messy, but it worked.

bikini and leg errors

So, you might remember this post a while back where a fella had asked if I could make a bikini? Well, it took a while to find cotton to do it with, and then I like..forgot :s The fella got back to me yesterday and asked how it was going. Oopsie. So then I made it. Thankfully I remembered how I’d done the sample and it went on fine from that, however, when I took photos of the completed bikini, I saw that the bra parts were different sizes! I’m like..’what?’ Have no idea how that happened. So this morning I made a matching one.  Here are the pics I took yesterday.

The difference is noticeable to me. This is not a bikini for public bathing by any means.

 

And the leggings? Man..I was all happy about not needing the lifeline on the 2nd leg, thinking that I’d ‘gotten it’. Finished it all off and went to line it up with the 1st leg and start on the bum…only to find that the 2nd leg was like an inch too short! It took a LOT of peering and counting and moving life lines to ascertain where I’d stuffed up. Nope, wasn’t all those increase parts. It was the ankle. Yep…some 60 odd rows back. Some how, here …“20th row: k17, k2tog, knit to end (30sts)
Ankle Area *
Knit 8 rows without shaping
Leg
1st-4th row: knit across without shaping…” I skipped the ankle part altogether. And it wasn’t in a place where I could fudge a few rows to make it right either. I think I will be forever grateful to the life line site I found the other day that shows how to put one in existing work :s So now I have to make the right leg again.

 

I also spent some time the other day playing with different increase methods. Will make another post for that.

 

Well, now I’m about to go make another bikini, in orange. It seems they sell well. Pattern. There’s a few bikini patterns in CPC. I like mine

 

a third of a pair of leggings, and a fake Croc

 

I don’t like the way the increases left holes. It got worse when you increased every other row, so I changed the increase method to the reverse yo method, and it looks much MUCH better. Ok, so that’s called a yarn forward increase (if you’re English).

crochet hat on Taggart and more

The other night on Taggart, I saw a crocheted tam that I liked. Unfortunately there were precious few moments when I could see it, and the few times I could see it WELL, I didn’t have the phone handy to take a picture of it. From what I could see it was done in sc and dc. Maybe three rounds of sc, one of “dc, ch1″, then three of sc etc. I’ve searched for pictures of the lady who was wearing it, but there aren’t any I guess I’ll have to figure it out for myself.

I made one of these yesterday. I’m not actually sure if they’d stay on babies feet, but they are still cute. I don’t think I’ll be making a second one though. No babies around to make things for.

That said I am making these leggings, in addition to the bodysuit. The leggings were a bit tricky, coz it doesn’t specify to knit in the round until you get to comments. I also have been having a time keep of track of rows, so I’ve been using a ‘life line‘ to count from. I used it at the ‘ankle’ part to count up, then at the ‘leg’ part when it started increasing. Its now moved up to the ‘inc every other row.’ Another, much better explanation, link. I also have to use 5 DPNs coz three doesn’t do it for me. I’m not sure they will end up long enough for a 12-18 month old, the size I think will fit the jacket I make from the same yarn though :s Still, it’s a fun learning experience. To lengthen them I think I’d just need to add a row or two between the ‘inc every other row,’ but without a kidlet to try them on…why bother?