By Amy O’Neill Houck
When I start a colorwork hat, I don’t always have a motif in mind – sometimes I just start changing colors and build small geometric shapes. In this case, however, the hearts chose themselves, and I love the way the blue pops on the dark pink background. If you want, you can substitute any small motif.
Materials
MC: 1 Skein Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand-Dyes, 50% Alpaca, 50% Merino Wool, 100 g, 91m, Color #2026, Petunia
CC: 1 Skein Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand-Dyes, 50% Alpaca, 50% Merino Wool, 100 g, 91m, Color #2025, Lagoon
5.5 mm (US9/I) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
Yarn needle
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Download the Pattern PDF Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs. |
Gauge: 12 sts/4 in (sc-blo in the round)
Dimensions: Finished hat measures 22″ around.
A note about sizing hats in crochet: This hat is crocheted from the top, so you can change the size to fit your head by making fewer or more rounds of increases. If you change the final number of stitches (66) you’ll have to adjust your colorwork rounds a little by adding or removing stitches between the hearts as needed. Keep in mind that a hat always grows a bit after you stop increasing, so crochet a few rounds of the sides of the hat before trying it on, then go back and adjust the size if necessary.
Color-work Technique: This hat is worked in the round, in back-loop single crochet (sc-blo). The heart is worked by holding the unused yarn in the back of the work while crocheting with the working yarn (stranded crochet). Here’s a little video I made describing how to change colors when working stranded crochet.
Tip: On colorwork rounds where the floats between colors are long, twist the yarns half-way along to secure the floats.
Edging Technique: The edging for this hat is worked in reverse single crochet (rsc). To create this braided edging, you will single crochet backwards around the hat. Insert the hook into the stitch to the right of the one you’ve just made, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all loops. Continue to work from left to right to achieve the braided edging.
Here’s a YouTube video by CrochetGeek showing how to make a reverse single crochet (sometimes called “crab stitch” or “backwards single crochet”).
Pattern
With MC, ch 4, join ends of chain to form a ring.
Round 1: Work 6 sc into the center of the ring.
Round 2: Work 2 sc-blo into each sc of the previous round; place a marker in every other stitch (12 sts).
Round 3: *Sc-blo to marked stitch, 2 sc-blo in marked stitch. Move marker to 2nd st just made; repeat from * around (18 sts).
Rounds 4-11: Work as for Round 3 (66 sts).
Drop CC. Continuing in MC, work 3 rounds even in sc-blo.
Pick up CC, and work the Heart Chart in sc-blo. There will be 6 repeats of the chart around the circumference of the hat.
Work 4 rounds even in sc-blo in MC.
Switch to CC and work one round even.
Continuing in CC, work one round rsc.
Fasten off; weave in ends.
About the Author:
Amy O’Neill Houck lives in Juneau, AK where she’s happily able to wear wool year-round. She crochets, knits and blogs at The Hook and I.
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