The M@ssy Bun Cable Hat by Bella from Haken en zoo is my ultra favorite pattern. I just finish it as a full hat. Here is the video [and another explanatory video if needed].
The pattern is worked with a multiples of 10, starting with a ribbed brim of 9 chains, for 60 rows in the back loop only. To make a full hat, it’s just a question of decreasing until it get smaller and sew closed. Add a faux fur pompom to finish off.
I used Scheepjes Stone Washed XL [50 gr] – color code: 853 Amazonite and a 6-mm hook. The finished product with fur pompom weights 125 gr.
Scheepjes Stone Washed XL: yarn weight: aran | texture: cotton yarn with a tough name and a soft, woolly feel | yardage/meters: yards (75 meters) | skein weight: 50 grams ( ounces) | gauge: 14 stitches, 19 rows to 10 cm on 5 mm needles | recommended hook size: 5 mm | content: 70% Cotton x 30% Acrylic | care: 40 C, cold water.
There are many many hats or half hats patterns out there. Since my crochet era started, I have struggled with many patterns that were either bad or not what I was looking for. Until, finally, I stumbled on the Facebook page ‘Crochet M@ssy Buns & Beanies – Free Patterns Only‘, all about hats and, more specifically: bun hats. Bun hats are not my favorite so I just finish them to a ‘normal’ hat…
Here is a collection of my ultra favorite patterns.
M@ssy Bun Cable Hat by Bella from Haken en zoo [my ultra favorite that I finish as a full hat – see pictures below]. Here is the pdf and here is the video and another explanatory video if needed.
BoHo Messy Bun Beanie by Yvonne Metz – pdf and video
Chunky Messy Bun Hat By Jennifer Dickerson – pdf and video
For some reasons, many newborns see the light earlier than expected and it is hard to find clothing that fit their so tiny body. Preemie hats and blankets are easy and quick to make. With your yarn leftovers, why not create something for them … trust me the Newborn Intensive Care Units of your local hospital will welcome your gifts.
When Alyska was a very young little girl she had this wonderful multicolored cloche hat that she was wearing all the time. And she attracted all kind of comments … and photographers. We remember those Asian tourists in Amsterdam asked her to pose with her hat. One day, the hat was no longer her favorite – probably because of the pink – but I kept this photogenic hat like a little treasure.
I found this beautiful vintage pattern on Honey! Crochet Patterns by Olivia with the idea to base myself on her patter to re-create Alyska’s photogenic hat. Perhaps, this one is the closest pattern…
Following this newborn elf hat pattern from B. Hooked Crochet, I made one for my third-grand-son-soon-to-be-born: Lucas Georges.
I made the newborn version in a single color: ‘oatmeal #400’ from Lion Brand, using a 5.5 mm hook. It was quickly done … the technique is well explained on the video tutorial and it’s just a question of alternating DC and SC for 43 rows, starting from the bottom to the pompom. As I was doing mine with a leftover of yarn, I reached 24 rows.
A long title for a long ordeal. You cannot imagine how much I struggled with my 4th row! I frogged it an incredible amount of times. Unbelievable. But I finally managed it. Here is a recap to make the perfect beanie – in my opinion.
Row #1 – start with my favorite way: chain 3 then work your next stitches into the third chain from the hook. Slip stitch to close that first round. For this example, we will do 12 stitches, the chain stitch is counting as first stitch. You may want to use a marker to indicate the top of your chain.
Row #2 – chain 3. For this round, you will need to double up the first row. Each stitch of the previous row will receive 2 DC stitches [so you will work in groups of 2]. Your very first stitch will be placed into the base of the chain 3 [because it counts as a stitch]. Slip stitch to join at the end of the round. Total: 24 [12 groups of 2 stitches}
Row # 3 – chain 3 [counts as your first double crochet]. In this round, you will work by group of 3 stitches. Not in the base of the chain, but in the next stitch: 2 DC. Repeat 1 DC, 1DC [this is your group of 3] all around, finishing the row with …. Slip stitch to join. Total: 36 [12 groups of 3 stitches].
Row #4 – chain 3. This is a row with groups of 4: 1 DC [= the chain to start with], 1 DC, 2 DC then repeat 1DC, 1DC, 2DC to reach 48 [12 groups of 4]. Slip stitch to join.
Row #5 – chain 3 and work in groups of 5 [12 groups of 5]: 1DC, 1DC, 1 DC, 2DC … Total 60. Slip stitch to join.
And keep going the following rounds … groups of 6, 7, 8 etc.
When the right size has been reached, work even. That means, 1 DC in each stitch [equalling the number of stitches of the last row that you increased], finish each row with a slip stitch and go up a row with a chain 3. Crochet until the desired length has been reached.
Here is a good website for support with detailed pictures for DC. For HDC, here is another website to check.
Crochet #6 – Yarn: I Love this Cotton! 100% cotton in dark denim #306
Started with a Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015 and ended up as a girlie beanie! That’s what Toni did shortly after she started her blanket. Following the official pattern, she removed the increases and adjusted on the go! Below is her picture! Stunning!
Being a perfectionist is not ideal. And this time, I ran out of time and came too late.
Eighteen months ago, my darling Christy, after a fall from a jet ski causing her to loose consciousness for a few seconds and the thought that she suffered a concussion from the fall, had been in fact diagnosed with a nasty Glioblastoma. The tumor spread in June and I was lucky to see my friend one last time at the end of July. It was a massive surprise to see her coming out of the car and I thought that everyone was making her situation look far worse than it was! At that moment I decided to make her a beanie to make sure she keeps her head with those tiny hair warm and cozy during the winter months. I promised her husband that I would drop something at their frontdoor …
It took me some serious time to decide about the pattern. Really? A beanie is a beanie, right? Then I had to pick a color … nothing better than blue to match her eyes. And I crochetted ferocely based on a just-discovered pattern that started from the base – with a rim – to the top. I hadn’t realized how the top was going to be finished. Once I did, it was not what I wanted. So I blocked, stopped, complained and blahblahblah. Thinking about finding another ending, many days went by. I even took the projet with me on the road trip with the idea to finalized it … It came back home untouched. And it was already November. And it was really time for me to give my present. Took me a few more days as I couldn’t get me in gear …
On Monday 11/16 evening, in my bed, I finally finished it [it was only a question of joining the top with yarn and a needle] and I was going to bring it to their frontdoor in the morning. It had turned really nicely. So why the wait? Afraid? Most likely. Something in my subconscience probably didn’t want to finish it … Because when I woke up that Tuesday morning, I knew that she will never wear it. She had crossed her finish line at 4 am on that same morning. I had no courage to bring it as planned but did so in the evening …
Here is my hat for you, Christy. I was made for you and nobody else. And I can hear your compliments.
This will tell you who I am… My project was going to be a beanie hat for a friend of mine with cancer I picked the color – turquoise – and since I had worked that pattern a few times, it was going to be a quick delivery. Hell no! First of all, I couldn’t find the instructions! Secondly, I struggled with the magic ring. So surfing online trying to put my hands on the pattern and a good magic ring video, I stumbled on this darling hat that I joked about on Facebook. Well, the joke was that I was too young of a crocheteuse to jump into such a complicated design. But this “cuello con capucha de osito a crochet” was sooo cute!
And here I am: frustrated with my initial project, I decided to take a detour of my idea and start this new hat. [my friend will get her hat, don’t worry!].
I love challenges but this one… The tutorial was in Spanish!! [I am French speaking so the crochet in English is plenty enough] But I so wanted to do this! You should see me going from the video, to a transaltion website trying to decode the stitches and get whatever this guapa was saying. I soon realized that it was too much time consuming and scrollling down her YouTube page for more details, I suddenly got all the written explanations and a subtitled video! Madre Mia!
Unfortunately that didn’t end my misery… Look at my picture and you will understand why!!! And this is the third time it happens to me. Si Señora!
Feel free to give me some advice otherwise I will have to learn Spanish for real! Hopefully Helena will read this…
When I saw this little jester, I immediately started one for Charlie. It ended up super cute with a happy choice of color for a little boy. I added a ‘Paint Splatter‘ to make it a little more original. Unfortunately mother-daughter described the splatter as a bullet hole … So I don’t think that Charlie will ever wear it. Still, I am very proud of the result and love it. What about you?
Details of this chef d’oeuvre
Hook H or 5 mm
Plymouth Yarn Encore Chunky 75% acrylic 25% wool – Color 0389 Grey
Mainly DC’. One row puff stitch (based on 3 HDC) – single crochet to finish
miecrochet 