Thread Crochet Monday

I've wanted to duplicate this gorgeous little treasure my grandmother made more than 60 years ago for a long time now. I just found out the mother of one of my bosses has breast cancer, recently had surgery, and is now going through chemo. I think a pink version of this hat will accompany the pink snowflakes I send her this week.

My grandmother crafted the original hat before her eyesight began failing her. She used a much smaller thread (looks to be size 30) and a much smaller hook (perhaps a size 12), and she tea-stained her thread. I don't know if she used a pattern. She created many of her patterns as she crocheted, which is how I got into designing. She typically stiffened her work with sugar water, but this one did not deteriorate, yellow or get eaten by pests and creepy crawlies, so I suspect she did not use sugar water on this. It's been in a mini cedar chest I inherited from my grandmother back in the 70s all this time. It took me a couple of tries to get my pattern, which is slightly different from hers, just right. (So my hats don't match.) I felt a little bit close to my grandmother as I worked on my version of her hat.

You may do whatever you'd like with hats you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: 3 inches across
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, satin ribbon remnants

Grandmother's Hat Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: NOTE: You may use either the 3-dc shell on this Round or a 3-dc cluster. I used the 3-dc shell on the prototype but used the 3-dc cluster on the following attempts. I think I like the cluster best.
Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in ring, [ch 3, 3 dc in ring] 5 times; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. Don't pull magic circle too tight.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc) 1 dc, 1 hdc and 1 sc over post of dc directly below, [in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc) (shell made)] 5 times; in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc), sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 4 (counts as 1 tall dc and ch 1), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, [ch 2, in middle dc of next shell work (1 dc, ch 1, * 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc)] 6 times, ending * on last repeat; sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 4.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 fpdc around next dc, [ch 3, 1 fpdc around each of next 3 dc] 6 times, omitting last 2 fpdc of final rpeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 5: [In next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc) (shell made)] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 6: Sl st into next hdc, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1, [[1 dc in next st, ch 1]] 4 times, [sk next sc, 1 tr in gap between next 2 sc, ch 1, sk next sc, [[1 dc in next st, ch 1]] 5 times] 5 times; sk next sc, 1 tr in gap between next 2 sc, ch 1; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 7: Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 1), [[1 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1]] 17 times for a total of 18 ch 1 sp; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 8: Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp (starting dc dec made), [ch 3, [[yo and draw up loop through next ch 1 sp, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook]] 2 times, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook (dc dec made)] 17 times; ch 3, sl st into top of starting dc dec for a total of 18 ch 3 sp.

Round 9: [In next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc)] 18 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Saturate hat with school glue and massage it in, leaving no drips or bubbles. Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin hat to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap, stretching out as you go to properly shape it. I put a ball of thread the size of the crown in a sandwich bag, then placed the hat over the wrapped ball of thread and pinned. I think a ball of crinkled-up plastic wrap would work, too. A tiny water balloon blown up to the proper size probably would work as well. Any kind of stuffing that won't adhere to the glue should work.

Allow hat to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel hat from wax paper or plastic wrap. Add ribbon around hat and tie a bow. Use a dab of glue on the center of the bow, if desired, to prevent it from coming undone over the years.

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