Free Pattern: Crochet Bow and Ribbon Baby Hat

I have a confession to make: close on the tails of my yarn addiction is my ribbon addiction.  It’s mostly fueled by a discovery several years ago of a RIBBON FACTORY in Hagerstown, MD from where I used to live in Virginia.  The possibilities of ribbon decor are endless, but not the price – $5 for 10 yards at your local big box hobby store?  No thank you.  But, BUT… the Berwick ribbon factory gives their castoffs, remnants, and extras a very honorable resting place in the attached outlet store, where you can find 100 yards of 1″ grosgrain for – wait for it – $2.  I know, right??

Anyway, I love ribbon, I love it as decoration, but when it comes to hats, it can be difficult, because hats are stretchy, ribbon is not, ergo, wrapping ribbon around/through a hat = nonstretchy hat.  Kind of defeats the purpose.

Enter simple solution: crocheted ‘ribbon’ and bow right on the hat!  Huzzah!

This pattern is a very basic baby hat.  The only special stitch in it is the reverse sc on the border, which I learned just to make this hat.  It’s that easy.  I have a quick tutorial here.  (See how the pictures in the tutorial are from this actual hat?  Right.)

A brief pontification on hats in general:

• Once you master the art of making a basic double crochet hat, you can do a zillion things with them – my favorite way to get creative is to add appliques (flowers, butterflies, hearts, etc.)  I used to experiment with different crochet stitches: fan, shell, lace, etc., and those are marvelous as well, but at the end of the day, I found that an unfussy, clean, simply decorated hat presented a nicer silhouette of the type of product I wanted to create.
• I almost always end my hats with a few rows of sc.  It makes the band more snug fitting around the crown of the head.  I’ve had many customers comment how this feature makes their hats super comfy/fit right, or actually stay on their babies’ heads when other hats fall off.
• This particular pattern only includes instructions for one size, but the premise behind all crocheted hats are the same: two st in one = an increase in size.  You basically make a flat increasing circle until you get the diameter you want, then just one st around until the hat is the length you want.  Your gauge will be different depending on your hook and yarn weight, so the only way to know for sure how big your hats will be is to experiment.  Feel free to jigger this pattern as you please and I’d love to see the results!
• I took the liberty of writing out several different recommended baby hat sizes in my free striped earflap hat pattern, so feel free to download that and use it as a template for this hat if you want a different size.

MATERIALS

I used Vanna’s Choice yarn in two colors (hereafter referred to as “red” and “white” – I’m not big on labeling with letters when you can clearly see the red and white in photos) and an I hook for this hat.

*second pontification: Vanna’s Choice is actually quite thick for a worsted weight – most worsted weight yarns recommend an H or I hook, while Vanna’s Choice recommends a J.  Honestly it should be an aran weight yarn, but whatever.  I’ve made hats with G, H, and I hooks and get over an inch difference in each size, so feel free to play around.  My I hook resulted in a pretty decent sized baby hat, about 6-12 months.  A thinner yarn (such as Caron Simply Soft) and an H hook would result in a newborn size.  However you do it, you should end up with a hat sized to fit some baby at some point or another.

PATTERN

Row 1: Using red and I hook, ch4, sl st to form loop. Ch2, 12 dc into loop. Sl st to first ch2 (12 st).

Row 2: Ch2, dc in same st, 2 dc in each ch around, sl st to last st (24 st).

Row 3: Ch2, dc in same st, *1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st* repeat from * around. Sl st to last st (36 st).

Row 4: Ch2, dc in same st, *1 dc in next 2 st, 2 dc in next st* repeat from * around. Sl st to last st (48 st).

Row 5-7: Ch2, dc in same st, 1 dc in each st all the way around. Sl st to last st.

Row 8-9: Switch to white. Repeat row 5 (1 dc in each st all the way around). Sl st to last st.

Row 10: Switch back to red (carry it up from the white, no need to cut your yarn). Repeat row 5.

Row 11-12: Ch1, sc in same st, 1 sc in each st all the way around, sl st to last st.

Row 13: Ch1, reverse sc all the way around.  (Click here for tutorial.) Fasten off and weave in ends.

CROCHET BOW

Using white and I hook, ch 33.  (Leave a 6-8″ tail to sew up the bottom.)  Skip first st, sc into each st.  You could also use chainless foundation, but I find it a little finicky with sc.  Plus, nobody can tell the difference for this project.

Sl st into the top loops of the first sc, being careful not to twist your stitches.  You’ll now have a loop and will be basically sc a very wide, flat cylinder.

Ch1, sc in first st, 1 sc in each st all the way around.  Sl st to the first st at the end of each row.

Repeat until you have 6 total rows of sc.  Do not cut or fasten off.  Use the bottom tail to sew up the bottom of the bow. Take your yarn and wind it several times tightly around the center of the cylinder to create your bow – this will determine how much you need before you cut off the final length.  Wind it until you like how it looks, and add a few feet to sew the bow onto the hat.  NOW, cut off yarn and fasten off.

Tada!  Finished crochet bow.

Using a tapestry needle, sew the end through the back a few times to secure it, then sew the bow onto the hat.  I like the sew all my appliques directly over the seam of the hat – that way if the wearer wants to put it on the right or left side, the seam isn’t running down the middle of the forehead.

Happy crocheting and as always, if you have any questions or comments, you can email me at classycrochet@gmail.com.

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Thanks for stopping by!