Free Pattern: Crochet Elf Pixie Hat (v.2)

9/11/2013 UPDATE:

Y’all.  Thanks so much for your comments and feedback – I had no idea you would all find this little rectangle hat as cute as I did.  🙂  Due to overwhelming popularity and feedback, I am now offering a PDF download of the pattern in THREE additional sizes (3-6 mo, 6-12 mo, 1-3 yrs).  If you simply don’t feel like doing your own adjustments, I’ve done them for you! I’ve also included a few additional photo instructions for clarity.  ALL this for a fabulous discounted price, since I’m leaving the free pattern up below.  You can find it on Ravelry, Etsy, or Craftsy today.  Hooray!

Thanks again and happy fall crocheting everyone!

Love, Jen

*Back to original post*

Happy September!  I’m writing this from my hometown in upstate New York, where September automatically meant the beginning of a new school year.  I mean… it always kind of mentally means the beginning of a school year for me still, even after 5 years+ after I attended my last class ever, but it’s much more prevalent when I drive by my high school every day and see all the same ads for the same back to school sales at the same malls where I shopped when I was twelve.

September in upstate New York also always immediately means cooler weather.  For example, today, on the first day of school, it is currently 57 F outside.  That means one thing – time to start making more fall hats!!

Anyway, here’s another free hat pattern.  When I was trying to name it, I realized I gave a previous hat the exact same name.  Who knew two co-hats could be so wildly different?  Oh well, since they are apparently named the exact same thing, I’m not going to reinvent the wheel.  Here’s another pixie elf hat for you, version 2, AKA “Pixie Hat: The Autumn Woodland Version.”

If you do a quick Internet search for “crochet elf pixie hat”, you do usually get the stripey long tail version more, but this one has it’s own charm.  The first time I saw this design was back whenever the first time I saw the movie Willow.  You know… little man saves little baby princess from evil Maleficent-esque woman trying to take over the universe?  Willow’s kids wore hats with little peaks.  I can’t for the life of me remember now the name they gave the little children, but it was a cute one.  (Excuse me while I take a moment to mentally run through memorable Willow quotes in my head… “I dwell in darkness without you and it WENT AWAY?”)

This hat is really easy. I know I say that about all my hats, but seriously.  If you’ve never made a hat and the extent of your crocheting skills is a dishcloth, then this is the hat for you! It’s a dishcloth folded in half and sewed down the back.  The end.  The natural curve of the baby head creates the adorable little peak at the back.  See?  It’s just a rectangle folded into a square.  Easy peasy.

I use a fpdc/bpdc ribbed edge, the same one in my *other* elf pixie hat, but if you’re a beginner and don’t want to deal with fussy new stitches, just skip the fpdc/bpdc row and leave the dc row as is.  You’ll have a cute border with the fluffy yarn anyway.

I wrote this pattern up in a 0-3 month size, but you can easily adapt it by increasing the width of your hat.  I’m in the process of writing up more detailed sizing to publish at a discounted price in the very near future – stay tuned!

STITCHES USED 

(note: all the linked stitches are optional if you’re a novice.  They’re more like bonus point stitches for more advanced crocheters.  Your hat will still be awesome no matter what.)

• front post double crochet (fpdc)
• back post double crochet (bpdc)
• chainless foundation (optional)
• double crochet (dc)
• half double crochte (hdc)
• slip stitch (sl st)

MATERIALS

I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease (Seaspray) for this pattern.  I like Wool-Ease as a worsted weight yarn, especially for knitting, because, like the Thick n Quick, it’s a great blend of washable acrylic and wool to give it that nice vintage feel, plus it has the greatest ‘natural’ palette.  I think woodland elf hats should be made of earthy colors.

The furry trim gives this hat the knuckle-biting cuteness factor.  Obviously it’s optional (the hat looks just as woodlandly authentic without it) but c’mon.  Fur.  I’ve used Bernat Baby’s Pipsqueak, although I might even recommend Red Heart Buttercup, since it’s a bit fluffier.  I’ve usually only found blinding white, but recently discovered Pipsqueak in “vanilla”, which I think matches better with browns.  Anyway, use whatever you can find.

I used an H hook for the hat, J for the fur trim.

PATTERN

Row 1: ch 43, skip first 2 st, 1 dc into each ch. (41 st)  You could also do chainless foundation if you wanted, but I actually find that the tighter tension of the ch foundation gives the edge a better curve around the baby face.

Row 2: (you can skip this row if you don’t want to deal with fpdc/bpdc) ch2, alternate fpdc and bpdc into each dc, creating the ribbed edge.

Row 3-13: ch1, hdc into each st.  When you reach the end of each row, ch1, turn, hdc into the same st, hdc into each st, etc.  Your gauge might be different than mine and you might need more or less rows.  Basically you want a rectangle that folds in half into an exact square.  I test by folding in half, then folding the square(s) into a triangle to see if the edges line up.  It’s left over from my origami days.

FINISHING

When you reach your desired length, fold the hat in half.  Insert your hook into the last st on the folded side, wrap yarn over, and draw yarn through all loops (sl st).

Insert hook through first st on opposite side to begin sewing.

Matching up remaining stitches, insert hook into front st, then back st.  Wrap yarn around, and pull through all loops (sl st).  Repeat for remaining stitches.

You’ll have a row of sl st along the inside edge.  You might have a stitch left over at the end where the fold is – thankfully crochet is forgiving and you can just sew around it.  Fasten off yarn and weave in ends.  Turn hat right side out.

Fur: using J (or larger) hook and fluffy yarn, sc into the ribbed edge.  When I first did it, I sc into each st and the brim of the hat flared out a little.  Since I am picky, I went with a larger hook and skipped every other sc for the hat in these photos.  You can do whatever you want to get the nice fluffy look of your dreams.

More options: To create a nice finished look, I like to sc around the bottom border of the hat.  It’s completely unnecessary but it’s pretty.  If you do, make sure to only sc one st into every row, otherwise the bottom kind of flares out and doesn’t wrap around the head as snugly.

Chin strap: You can do a chainless foundation of dc (about 15-18 st long), or I liked mine a bit more tightly woven, so I just ch18, 1 hdc in each st down one side, 5 hdc into the end, hdc down the other side, 4 hdc into the end and fastened off. Leave a tail at the beginning and the end so you can sew one end to the hat, and use the other tail to sew the button onto the strap.  Another marvelous aspect of crochet is that the stitches are large and loose, meaning you don’t have to stitch in a buttonhole, you can just button it up wherever the button fits through on the brim.  Automatically adjustable chin strap = win.

Sew button to strap, sew strap to hat, weave in all ends, place on baby head and admire adorable woodland elf cuteness.  Yay cuteness!

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