I accept that sometimes mistakes give me a new direction. This beanie is a well-proven example for that. 

I was planning to gift an elegant textured hat to my friend. She mentioned that she’s looking for a light off cream coloured beanie but she was not able to find one. So, after a lot of permutation and combination, I ended up with a pattern. From I believed, this was the perfect pattern for the yarn I bought.

I have shared the pattern with you below.  You must be thinking that pattern size is for “AN ADULT FEMALE”, while the heading says “CHILD BEANIE“. 

True.

This is where I had made the mistake. I had assumed the counts will be okay and that 72 count is ideal for a female beanie and it was until the brim part.  It was still working great until the first two rows of the body were done. But I continued crocheting, without measuring even the next 2-3 rounds.

And that I finally measured the beanie only after I finished the body. I moved up to the base and had started decreasing the count around the base. This is when I realised that the size of beanie had changed and it was no more of the fit of an adult. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for a teen too! I had confidently assumed since the count is correct so will be the stitches. However, without much disappointed, I finally completed this as a child beanie and again started thinking of other design for an adult female beanie.

Process:

The procedure involves Half Double Crochet (HDC) and Slip Stitch (SL ST) stitches alternatively. For the brim, Single Crochet (SC) stitch is used. The hat is made using bottom-top approach.

Brim:-

R1: Starting with Ch 11, turn. From 2nd loop on the chain SC on every stitch and turn. Total 10 SC.

R2: Ch 1, SC in back loop only (SCBLO); Continue SCBLO in every stitch and turn. Total 10 SCBLO.

Repeat R2 till you get the brim of 14″-15″. 

Note: Depending on the elasticity of the yarn and your stitch style, the brim length can increase or decrease. Check Caution Section for detailed information.

I did 72 rows as this is a 4-ply yarn. As you complete the rows, join the BLO on SC and Chains using SL ST. The brim is ready. Try and test again before moving forward. 

CH 1 to continue making the body.

Body:-

R1: SC on the edge of every SC; join to 1st SC with SL ST. Total SC count should be equal to the number of rows (excluding the initial chain).

Note: turn the work as the design will be shown inside the beanie/hat. OR else you can continue and later try to convert inside out during final stitch.

R2: Ch 2; HDC in 1st SC, SL ST in next SC; repeat – till the end of the round; Join to 1st HDC with SL ST. Total 72 counts= 36 HDC + 36 SL ST.

R3: Ch 1, SL ST on HDC, HDC on SL ST; repeat – till the end of the round; Join to 1st HDC with SL ST. Total 72 counts= 36 SLST + 36 HDC.

R4: Ch 2; HDC on SL ST, SL ST in next HDC; repeat – till the end of the round; Join to 1st HDC with SL ST. Total 72 counts= 36 HDC + 36 SL ST.

R3: Ch 1, SL ST on HDC, HDC on SL ST; repeat – till the end of the round; Join to 1st HDC with SL ST. Total 72 counts= 36 SLST + 36 HDC.

Repeat 4-5 respectively till you get the height of the hat. Sew the top of the hat to close it. 

Here, I have tried to decrease the base part of the hat which turned out imperfect. You can try it out too. 

Decreasing the base count:-

After completing 4″-5″ for the body (excluding the height of the brim), you can start decreasing the count. Since the total count of my hat is 72, I tried decreasing every 2nd row by 12. 

Rn: Ch 2, The last row followed R5. Thus, at every 12th stitch, skip SL ST. Continue HDC on SC, SL ST in next SC for the rest of the stitches. Total  60 count = 36 HDC, 30 SL ST.

Rn+1: Ch 1, at every 11th stitch, skip HDC. Continue SLST  on SC, SL ST in next SC for the rest of the stitches. Total  60 count = 30 HDC, 30 SL ST.

Repeat the above 2 rows till your count is decreased to 12. 6 HDC and 6 SLST. Tie a knot. Sew and join the top.

Caution Section:-

1. Depending on the elasticity of the yarn and your stitching style, the brim length can increase or decrease. To get the optimal size, join the edges roughly using SL ST and check the circumference after stretching. 
2. Usually, the circumference of the crown is bigger than the brim by .5″ and the count stitch for child beanies range from 50-64 for medium ply yarns. Thus you can adjust the row count for the brim.
3. The decreasing was tricky for me, so I will suggest that you put a proper count for the last 5-6 rows.  
4. If you feel the hat is getting tighter than expected then you can try to loosen your stitching style as SL ST tends to decrease the size lot more than HDC.

Product Specifications:

Defining Dimensions:-

Circumference: 18″-19″

Height: 8.5″

Optional Alterations:- 

• You can increase the base diameter to give a more slouchy feel. Also, increase the height of the beanie.
• You can add pom-pom matching the colour with the edging or the base colour. There are different ways to create pom-pom.
• You can attach flowers, beads or a bow made of crochet, plastic, suede leather etc to give cuteness to the hat.
• You can put fur edging or tassels to give a different touch.

Remember: do not over accessorise it. This takes away the beauty of the pattern itself. Believe in elegant simplicity!!

In case, you are stuck at any stage or have any queries, kindly contact me.

Buff Textured Child Beanie

Style Aisle:

• Select the yarn colour matching with your winter wear. Try out the Hat-Scarf combo, Hat-Gloves combo of the same pattern.
• Choose the contrast colours matching with your jacket.
• This beanie will pop with Blue, Beige, Light Grey Shades of jackets or trench coats.
• For a child, you can pick all bright shades of red, blue, green sweaters or jackets.
• Choose the wool colour based on the palette in the wardrobe. Experiment and enjoy the beautiful colours.

Materials:

1. Yarn:
   1. Oswal Yarn – Off white – 2 Balls.
2. Crochet Hook: 5 mm
3. Needle
4. Scissors
5. Measuring Tape
6. Stitch Markers: My stitch markers are the mini safety pins we get from clothing tags. 

• Note: you can play around with different branded yarns as far as they give the synchronous flow of the pattern using a constant crochet hook.
• You can either go for the yarns with the same recommended crochet hook OR decide the yarn and change the crochet hooks along with the tightness on the crochet stitches as you proceed with the pattern.
• You can change the pattern to get a continuous flow.

Happy Crocheting!!!

APPENDIX

Care Instructions:

Quality Promise: If washed with care, then the elegant stitch guarantees perfection up to multiple washes. The wool quality might stretch upon multiple uses.

Purchase Here:

The crocheted, handmade and made to order item is already sold. In case you are looking forward to purchasing the same item or in any customised form, please check out the following the further options. The colour combinations, the designs, the dimensions can alter easily based on your preference and usage.

1. KMD – Etsy Shopping Gallery
2. Etsy – Knot My Designs
3. Drop an email – knotmydesigns@gmail.com
4. Connect through the Contact Page.

Disclaimer:

All the contents including photos, designs, and patterns are copyright Knot My Designs unless otherwise stated. Kindly do not republish them as claiming your own.

The patterns are free to learn and adapt, for personal consumption; however, kindly provide due credit to Knot My Designs every time you use or share them.

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