METHODS TO FASHION A CROCHET BEANIE HAT

Crocheting a basic hat to make a crochet beanie hat saves money by using one’s own accessories and is also suitable as a custom made gift for a friend. A new hat can be made by using the art of crocheting coupled with a little bit of patience.

STEPS INVOLVED

Following are the steps required to construct a crochet beanie hat.

Any type of yarn can be used to make a beanie. The yarn should be elastic but not too fluffy or thick. It is prudent to use a four ply worsted yarn which is made up of wool or acrylic. Colour is not an issue though dark colours may make it difficult to count stitches. The crochet hook should be suitable for the size of yarn used. A H/8 aluminum hook is a good choice because it is suitable for yarns of multiple sizes. The hook is held in the manner of a knife or a pencil. The size of the hat to be made should be determined such as the circumference and the height.

The next step is the slipknot. A slipknot is made by draping the tail end of the yarn over the palm and wrapping it around the index finger and under the middle finger. The yarn is then wrapped back over the top of the index finger and behind the first loop. A loop is then pulled from the center of the yarn and tucked through the large loop around the fingers. The small loop is placed on the crochet hook and the tail of the yarn is pulled to tighten it.

Foundation chain is the first chain of stitches. It is five stitches long. The stitch is crocheted by holding the tail end of the slipknot and sliding the hook forward. The yarn is then wrapped around the end of the hook and then pulled backwards through the slipknot. In order to crochet a circle the foundation chain must be finished. The end of the hook is stuck through the center of the first stitch to do a second stitch. This creates a second row adjacent to the first in a spiral arrangement.

A double stitch is done by using a hook with a single loop. It is then slipped through the loop and into the adjacent chain in the spiral. Finally a normal stitch is done and the yarn is wrapped around the hook. Double stitch attaches the new rows of stitches to the spiral center.

After a round base is obtained every new row is started with a double stitch followed by a single stitch, double stitch, single stitch and so on until the row is completed. A double stitch equals two stitches. The rows should be counted such as five rows require one double stitch, one single stitch and one double stitch.

The hat is finished by adding rows of single stitches until the intended circumference of the hat is reached. The slipknot is then tied and the tail end of the yarn is weaved back into the hat.