Hat stack!

Yup, it's been a weekend of non-stop crochet action. We're just unbearably cool like that.

These aren't all just for us, you know... *mysterious face*

Fuzzy Grey Combo

We're going all Autumnal here at the Welsh Institute for Makie Sciences today. Whilst I'm indulging in a bit of nesting (soup, home made bread, gentle housework pootling, cups of tea and making up fresh beds), Plink decided it's time to show off her fuzzy grey combo set.

Light's not bad at this time of year. 

Melchett's not a bad photographer, I have to say.

O hai!

Oh, now that's just cheesy.

Don't fall off, Plink!

Tutorial: Making the Fuzzy Grey Hat

Well, I've published one crochet pattern on the blog, so I might as well cement my descent into middle-age-ness by publishing this one too...

A dodgy photo requiring changing to B+W? NEVAH! 

To make your very own Fuzzy Grey Hat, you will need:

• 4.0mm crochet hook
• Fuzzy Grey Yarn! I used a skein of Debbie Bliss Alpaca that Bagpuss the cat had decided to have a party with some time ago. He's not yet been forgiven. It took well under 1/2 a skein to make this hat. 
• Scissors.
• To know how to do a magic loop cast-on, single and double crochet.

Once again, I'm not going to be teaching you how to crochet. There are some excellent books out there on the subject (see Bear Hat post for details) or loads of videos on You Tube for you to peruse. I find crochet much easier to knitting and it was really, really fast to pick up. 

Here we go then... arm yourselves. Have a read through all of the instructions before you start... 

Create 6 single crochet stitches into a magic loop. Pull the loop tight. 

Increase [Inc] all six stitches using single crochet; this means you work two single stitches into every stitch, giving you a total of 12 stitches.
Single crochet 1 into the first stitch, then Increase 1 into the next stitch around the 12 stitches [Sc1, Inc 1]  

For the next round, you're first going to chain 3 stitches. Then work in double crochet in the increasing pattern of  [Dc 2, Inc 1]. Your first double crochet stitch will be into the 4th loop from the hook (i.e don't work into the chain you've just created). For the increases, simply work two double crochet stitches into the same loop of the stitch on the row below.

Next round, back to single crochet: [Sc 3, Inc 1]

Next round we're doubling! Remember to chain 3 to start, then [Dc 4, Inc 1] 

Next round! Singles again. [Sc 5, Inc 1]
Increasing done, phew! Chain 3 stitches and work a round of all double crochet, then a row of all singles to finish. Tie off and weave in ends.

You may find you want less height on the hat than this; if you do, leave out the last doubles and just work another single round.
For a more snug fit, you can take a decrease at a couple of points in the last two rounds. I did this in the double row at 2 opposite points.

Now have fun embellishing your hat. I think a cluster of beads would look great... or how about covering the whole darned lot in sequins? Rock and roll! 

Fuzzy Grey Hat

It was clear that I wasn't going to get away with failing to provide the Plink a hat, given Melchett was posessed of a leet mad bear one.

The verdict was that something 'snuggly but classy' was required, and the fuzzy grey hat was born.

Plink practices her Boden catalogue pose

Plink's elected to wear it for the moment with her crystal hair pins (originally designed to stick in floral buttonholes and scavenged from a wedding earlier this year) clustered for decoration, but she's eyeing up my bead collection. I don't think it'll be long before interchangeable embellishments are demanded!

I'm working on a matching scarf at the moment. Hopefully a snuggly ensemble perfect for A/W2012 will be complete by the weekend.

Tutorial: Making the Bear Hat

No sooner was the Bear Hat posted on the Makie Forum than a pattern was demanded!

Rawr!

I'm not going to go into how you crochet here; bigger brains than mine have produced some really good books on the subject. The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller is how I taught myself, and Creepy Cute Crochet is a really good introduction to simple amigurumi techniques, which is how the Bear Hat was created.

You will need:

• 4.0mm crochet hook
• Aran weight yarn (I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, which is all fuzzy)
• Scissors
• Felt Scraps, co-ordinating thread to stitch them on with. 
• Teddy bear eyes, these are 8mm ones
•  Patience and the ability not to crochet yourself to your work. 

Pattern as follows: 

To make the hat:

Create 6 single crochet stitches into a magic loop. Pull the loop tight. 

Increase [Inc] all six stitches; this means you work two single stitches into every stitch = 12 st. 

Single crochet 1 into the first stitch, then Increase 1 into the next stitch around the 12 stitches [Sc1, Inc 1] 

For the next round [Sc 2, Inc 1] 

Next round [Sc 3, Inc 1]

Next round [Sc 4, Inc 1] 

Next round! [Sc 5, Inc 1]

Work around the brim 3 or so times until your hat is the depth you want.  Tie off and weave in ends. 

For the ears:

Decide where you want the ears to be placed, then working in the holes between the stitches of the hat, pick up 4 single crochet stitches for the base of each ear.

Work backwards and forwards as follows:

First row: Chain 1 [Sc 1, Inc 1, Inc 1, Sc 1] = 6 stitches

Next row: Chain 1, Sc all stitches. 

Next row: Chain 1 [decrease 1, Sc 2, decrease 1] = 4 stitches, tie off and weave in ends.

If you're not happy picking up stitches, then you could always work the ears separately off of a chain of 4 stitches, then sew 'em on afterwards. 

I can bear-ly believe it!

Once the ears are on, all you need to do is cut your nose shape and stitch it on, then push the eyes through the holes between the stitches. Have fun adding whiskers, changing ear shapes and experimenting with different colours!

It would be pretty easy to make ear flaps for these hats! You just pick up stitches along the brim, work back and forth for a few rows, then decrease at the edges to a point. Finish off by adding a doubled strand of contrasting colour wool and braid to a pretty pleat. 

Wet Sunday

Take one thoroughly soggy Sunday afternoon, mix in a cup of tea, a flapjack, some wool scraps, a crochet hook and about 6 episodes of Spaced on Netflix...

The knitting needles are misleading. We didn't use them, precious.

And get yourself a thoroughly funky two-tone infinity scarf...

Snuggly jumpers are going to be the way forwards, I can tell. 

And a highly sophisticated BEAR HAT.

Oh yes. Rawr. 

Wet Sundays are my favourite.