My First Pattern Design!

2008-01-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

I'm so much better at working from other people's patterns but, yesterday, I was having trouble finding what I wanted.

I was in the market for a free pattern for a crocheted "Jester Hat" which I wanted to make for Rachel, a very special little girl from my church (http://www.the360church.com/). As I went on my search, I found a few patterns but the only crochet pattern I saw called for 4 squares sewn together with tassels. This was not at all what was "in my head," so I decided to try my hand at creating my own pattern.

OK, so I had my pad, pen, yarn, hook and all my ideas. I knew I wanted a ribbed band on my hat, and I knew that I would probably use a hdc in the "body" of it since I just love hdc. I like the "meatiness" of it for some reason.

After ripping out the first few bands (too wide, too thin), I finally decided on a starting point. It took me most of the afternoon and evening (I obsess!), but I finished it and, I must say, it's just what I envisioned.

I'll try it on Rachel in a few days and, of course, will get a photo. In the meantime, here's the pattern. If you have any suggestions on how I can explain this better, please let me know. Oh! And send me a photo of your finished hat so I can post them here.

Your Basic Disclaimer: Since this is my very first design, I guess you could say I’m a bit protective. Please respect that and use this for your own personal use. If you post pictures online, please link to this page. Thanks!

What You’ll Need:
Worsted Weight Yarn (I used Red Heart)
Size K (6.5 mm) Crochet Hook
5 inch cardboard square
Scissors
Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:
ch = Chain
sc = Single Crochet
hcd = Half Double Crochet
sl st = Slip Stitch
BLO = Back Loop Only

Notes:
This hat will fit a 5 year old child. Of course, if you’d like it larger or smaller, choose the appropriate size hook. You can also lengthen the cuff to fit the head size of your choice and pick up stitches accordingly. Gosh, I hope that made sense!

Instructions:

Cuff:

Ch 9
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. Ch1, turn.
Row 2 – 48: Sc (BLO) in each st across. Ch1, turn.

Fold piece in half, right sides together and sl st to create the cuff.

Body of Hat:

Turning cuff inside out, work 50 scs through both loops along edge of cuff. Sl st to close. Ch 2. Do no turn.

Row 1: Hdc in each of the 50 sts, ending with a sl st in first hdc. Ch 2.

Repeat row 1 until piece measures 8 inches, from the bottom of the cuff to the top of the hat.

Turn hat inside out and sl st opening closed (through all 4 loops). Finish off and weave in ends. Turn rightside out.

Tassels: Make 2

Wrap yarn around cardboard square to desired size. I wrapped 20 complete turns. Slide a piece of yarn through top and tie securely. Cut bottom of tassel with scissors and slide off cardboard. Use another piece of yarn to tie the yarn about an inch or so below top, wrapping the yarn around a few times to make it secure. Trim ends to size and attach to each corner of hat with tapestry needle.

Life as I Know it...

My First Pattern Design!