Funky Baby Hat

I finally branched out and made a project with wool!  Wool, in my mind, is what the hardcore yarn crafters use. My reasons for avoiding wool are:

1.  It's itchy.  I don't care if the label says "super soft." I will concede that some yarns are scratchier than others, but all wool has an itch factor.

2.  It's pricey. This 50 g ball that he needed to make this hat cost about seven dollars. For an adult hat that would be about $14 for hat materials.  To make a sweater or something larger you're looking at $56 before tax just for the materials! And that's not including button or other notions. (Okay, end pennypinching rant here.)

3.  It's harder to find. That means I can't mix-and-match it with stuff I already have in my stash at home. And what to do with the scraps? I don't have anything to use them with in my stash.

4.  It's harder to care for. Especially when it comes to baby stuff, I love telling people they can wash and dry my creations in their laundry machines.  None of this "hand wash and hang to dry" fussiness. (Edit: Whoops!  This particular wool I used is machine washable and dryer safe!)

However, one day just before Christmas will picking up a few last minute items at Len's Mill to finish a few last-minute gifts, I happened across this Schachenmeyer Merino extra fine color 120 wool. And I thought, it's about time Orrie gets a funky homemade hat. After all, he has a crocheting mother! And I'm pretty sure the last time I made him was a turkey just in time for Thanksgiving. (No seriously… Just in time. I'm pretty sure I was finishing it at Thanksgiving dinner!)

Orson has a really cute apple hat that one of his grandma's friends made for him. People are always asking: "Did you make that hat?" and I always have to say, "No… but I could have!?" So it was high time I got my hook out and made a project for my cutie.

What do you think, Orson?  You like it?

Yep, has the potential for a great hat.

I didn't follow a pattern. I just started with something that would roughly fit his head. Orson doesn't mind wearing the apple hat because it's loose fitting, so that was my goal here, too.  I think I pulled out my stitches about four times, but I'm so happy with the end result. Of course I finished it after he went to bed last night, so I had to wait until this morning to try it on him. So great! I used the entire ball of yarn, because I just kept making stitches until it was all done (thereby avoiding Issue #3 above).  It ended up working out better than I could have imagined, so I am going to record the pattern here, just in case I ever decide to do something similar again!

The verdict on the yarn?  It's super cute. I love the variegated patterns.  And I like the weight.  So I would use it again.  But I'm returning to acrylic for my next project.

Enough with the rambles.  On to the facts. ;)

Materials:

-one 50g ball of Schachenmayer original "Merino Extrafine Color 120"

-G crochet hook

-Yarn needle and scissors for working in ends

Started: Saturday, January 17, 2014

Finished: Same day

Stitches required: ch, sc dc, hdc and seed stitch

Pattern:

Start with a loooong tail (to make the loopy top later).
Round 1: 10sc in magic ring - join with sl stitch in first stitch
Round 2: ch 1, 2sc in each sc around - join with sl stitch in first stitch
Round 3: ch 3, 1dc in each stitch around. - join with sl stitch in the top of the ch3
Round 4: ch 1, 2sc in each stitch around - join with sl stitch in first stitch
Round 5: ch 3, 1dc in each stitch around. - join with sl stitch in the top of the ch3
Round 6: ch 3, *2dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next stitch - repeat from * around the circle - join with sl stitch in the top of the ch3
Round 7: ch 3, *2dc in first stitch, 1 dc in each of the next 2 stitches - repeat from * around the circle - join with sl stitch in the top of the ch3
Round 8: ch 3, *2dc in first stitch, 1 dc in each of the next 7 stitches - repeat from * around the circle - join with sl stitch in the top of the ch3
Round 9: ch 2, 1 hdc in each stitch around - join with sl stitch in the top of the ch 2

For the next section, there are no clearly defined rounds/rows.  (That's how you get the bell shape)
Seed Stitch Section: ch 1, *sc in the next space, ch 1, skip next space.  Repeat from * approximately 11 times around the circle.

hdc stitch Section: (Back to joined rounds again!) End the seed stitch section on a sc.  Ch 2.  Hdc in the next space and in each remaining stitch around.  Join with a sl stitch in the top of the ch 2.

Continue with rounds of hdc until you run out of yarn.  I was just a little short to finish my final round of hdc, so I "cheated" with some sc and it totally didn't matter! The brim rolls.  You can't see it.

Finishing:
Use the long tail at the start to create a chain. Fasten the chain tail to the hat to make a cute little loop where a pom-pom might traditionally go. ;)

Fasten off tails and work in ends.