The other day I was hanging around my favorite yarn store, Windy Knitty, where it just so happens I teach crochet, and a guy named Kevin walked in looking for yarn with which to make Christmas hats for all his kids, nieces and nephews. Now, I've met a number of men who knit, but very few who crochet. So, I jumped up and showed him the store sample of my hat (the Beshert Chapeau, available on Ravelry), and he showed me the hats he was making. He said he'd learned to crochet from his grandmother, and that this was the basic beanie that she made for everyone. As he described the hat to me, I jotted down a few notes. Kevin said my notes looked exactly like the notes he'd inherited from his grandmother, and that it had taken him a few years to decipher them. As I've always maintained, needlework connects people through the generations. I felt honored to be connected to his grandmother in this way.
I love this design because it's both simple and versatile. You can play around with color and texture for variety, but the basic design remains the same.
Since I haven't blogged in a long time, I decided to write up this pattern. In addition to the basic instructions, I give two suggestions for changing up color (these are the suggestions handed down to Kevin from his grandmother), but really, you can do anything with it. I used front post crochet stitches for texture, but you can use puff stitches, shell stitches, or any other stitch your heart desires. You can make the hat longer or shorter, fold up the brim or leave it straight, make it slouchy or snug fitting, make it in fingering weight yarn for a baby or child... The variations are limited only by your imagination, and your stash.
And so without further ado, I present to you, Kevin's Grandmother's Basic Beanie Pattern.
KEVIN’S GRANDMOTHER’S BASIC BEANIE
MATERIALS: Approximately 150 to 200 yds. worsted weight yarn
5.5 (I) or 6 (J) mm crochet hook, darning needle scissors.
STITCHES
USED:
CH
|
Chain:
|
YO and pull
through loop on hook.
|
SL
ST
|
Slip Stitch:
|
Insert hook in
stitch indicated, YO and pull through stitch and all loop on hook.
|
SC
|
Single Crochet:
|
Insert hook in
stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on hook), YO
and pull through two loops.
|
DC
|
Double Crochet:
|
YO, insert hook in
stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 3 loops on hook), YO
and pull through two loops, YO and pull through remaining two loops.
|
INV.
JOIN
|
Invisible Join:
|
When completing a
round, SL ST into 1st DC of the round. CH 1.
Then DC into same stitch.
Counts as 1st DC of new round.
|
 |
| Michael N. models his new hat. |
INSTRUCTIONS:
CH 6, Join with SL ST in 6th
CH from hook to form a ring.
ROUND 1: CH
3 (counts as 1st DC); work 11 DC into ring. (12 DC);
ROUND 2: INV
JOIN (SL ST into 1st DC of the
round, CH 1. DC into same stitch. Counts
as 1st DC of new round), 1 DC into same DC as INV. JOIN, work 2
DC into each of the next 11 DC (24 DC);
ROUND 3: INV
JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into next stitch, 2 DC into next stitch,*
repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into last un-worked stitch (36 DC);
ROUND 4: INV
JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into each of the next 2 stitches, 2 DC into
next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last
2 un-worked stitches (48 DC);
ROUND 5: INV
JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into each of the next 3 stitches, 2 DC into
next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last
3 un-worked stitches (60 DC);
ROUND 6: INV
JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into each of the next 9 stitches, 2 DC into
next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last
9 un-worked stitches (66 DC);
ROUND 7: INV
JOIN, DC into NEXT stitch, and into each stitch all the way around (66 DC);
Repeat ROUND 7 until hat is desired
length. SL ST into first DC of final
round to join; CH 1, SC in same stitch and in each stitch all the way around,
SL ST to join, cut yarn and pull through.
Weave in ends.
VARIATIONS:
To add interest, you may choose to
change colors for certain rounds. For
the hat pictured on the first page, I worked the rows as follows:
ROUNDS 1 through 3: Dark Brown
ROUNDS 4 through 7: Camel
ROUND 8: SC
(instead
of DC) in Dark Brown
ROUND 9: SC
(instead
of DC) in Camel
ROUNDS 10 and 11: Chocolate
ROUND 12: SC (instead
of DC) in Camel
ROUND 13: SC (instead
of DC) in Dark Brown
ROUNDS 14 to end: Camel
Final SC ROUND: Dark Brown
I hope you enjoy this pattern, and have fun experimenting with colors and textures to make the hat uniquely your own. Please feel free to sell or give away any hats made using this pattern. If you print out the pattern to give away, I only ask that you include the information as to where you found it.
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