Favorite thing to do

I first learned to knit when my oldest was just a baby. He is now 48 y/o. I love to knit. Love to feel the yarn, love to CREATE and love to see how it turns out. I learned to crochet when we moved to CT. in 1975. I have crocheted off and on many times during those years from '75 until now. I like the look of the knitted projects but enjoy crocheting the most because it is much faster than knitting and, as a friend of my sis-in-law said, "Crocheting is very forgiving". It is. A mistake can be made and rather than having to frog back to the error, sometimes you can cheat and make the error unnoticeable.

Two ladies in my church have undertaken service to the homeless. A couple of weeks ago, they ask for blankets, hats, whatever we could donate for the cold winter nights here for the homeless. I pulled out a pattern for crocheted stocking hats and set to work. From that Sun. to Wed. I had crocheted 12 hats. I am well on the way to that many once again. It is so much fun and almost instantly gratifing because they are finished so quickly.

I am including the first pattern that I crocheted for a stocking hat and then my revision for the way I am making them now. I hope the pattern is understandable for those that would like to try it. If there is some confusion in the pattern feel free to e-mail me and ask for an explaination.

Below is a great web site for crocheters. I just found it while looking up a crochet stitch (Shrimp Stitch).

http://www.crochetmemories.com/crochet4.php

This is the original pattern that I got from someplace on the web.

CHENILLE CHEMO SKULL CAP

ADULT: CHENILLE SENSATIONS YARN. J HOOK

RND 1: Ch 4. Join, work 12 dc into ring, join
RND 2: *2dc in ea st* around, join. (24 dc)
RND 3: *1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st* around, join (36dc)
RND 4: *1 dc in next 2st, 2dc in next st* around, join (48dc)
RND 5: *1 dc in next 3st, 2dc in next* around, join (60dc)
RND 6-14: dc in ea st around, join
RND 15: sc in ea st around, join.
Fasten off.
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Here is how I have been working the hats. You can change the size of a hat by changing types of yarn and/or the size of the hook (sports, 1 strand of sports and 1 strand of worsted, two strands of worsted). I have been using 2 strands of worsted to make adult hats.

I have been using a K hook, but use whatever you have but use a large one.

RND 1-4 same as the original pattern. At end of each row I slip st into the top of the beginning of last row to join then chain 2 or 3 if using 2 strands of worsted.
RND 5 and each following rows dc in each st.

until the hat is long enough to cover the ears:. I try on the hats occasionally to see if it will cover the ears or have George try it on to see how much more to cover the ears on a man.

Last row sc in each st around.

I enjoy using scrap yarn. When one of the balls of scrap yarn runs out I simply tie on another one, no matter what color. Often I use two different colors, one strand of one color and one strand of a different color. It is fun to see how they turn out.

When I made a child’s hat, I increased up to 2 dc then 1 increase before I started dc all around. Otherwise the hat gets too big. Also, if it is obviously a little girls hat, instead of a single crochet around at the last row, I do 2 dc in each stitch all around and makes a cute little brim.

Sometimes I use a half double crochet stitch for the last row.
Sometimes I us a Shrimp Stitch to finish.

I still, after all the hats I have made, sometimes have to frog it back a ways and do it a different way.