It's the middle of winter here in the UK & like so many people I feel the cold!
There were 2 babies born last year in our extended family & I can't help thinking, "If I'm feeling the cold, what about them?
This led to me creating a simple baby hat pattern (The simple one) & making one for each of them.
The pattern for this hat is available as a printable PDF in my Ravelry, Etsy or Ribblr stores for a small fee & comes in size's preemie through to 36 months & is written for both UK & US crochet terms.
However, as hats for Preemie babies can be hard to get hold of in shops, I thought that I would include the instructions for the Preemie size here where it will be forever free.
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Maybe you have a new baby due in your family that you could make one for (or maybe two or three)!
Or perhaps you want to make some preemie hats to donate to your local hospital or maternity unit (it's where my sample versions are heading).
What will you need to make the preemie version of this cute crochet baby hat?
Yarn – Yarnfair, Tootsy baby DK in the colours of your choice. It comes in 10 gorgeous shades & is incredibly soft (I used Denim, Silver & Fuchsia). You will be able to make several preemie size hats with 1 50g ball.
4mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
What else do you need to know before starting this crochet project?
Your gauge for this project should be 16 stitches X 12 rows = approx 10cm/4” square.
If you are unable to find the exact yarn in your local yarn shop, you can substitute it for any DK baby yarn, as long as the correct gauge can be met.
As your tension may not match mine, I would always recommend making a test swatch before starting any new project to ensure that the finished item will come out correctly sized - you can always unravel it afterwards & re-use the yarn.
This free version of the pattern is written in UK terms, if you are used to US terms the PDF version of this crochet baby hat does include them.
Abbreviations used:
st(s) – stitch(es)
ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch
tr – Treble crochet
beg – beginning.
You can find a video tutorial showing how to work these stitches on my Youtube channel.
Start crocheting here
Working the Crown
Start by making a magic loop.
Round 1 – Work 3 ch st’s into the magic loop, followed by 9tr also into the magic loop. Join the last st to the top of beginning ch3 to close the round. 10tr
Round 2 – ch3 (counts as first st here & for the first st of each round)), 1tr into the same st. 2tr in each st around. sl st last st to top of beginning ch3 to close round. 20tr
Round 3 – ch3. *2tr into next st, 1tr into next st. Rep from * around. sl st last st to top of beginning ch3 to close round. 30tr
Working the body of the hat
Round 4 – Ch3, 1tr into each st around. sl st last st to top of beg ch3 to close round. 30tr.
You will see the hat shape starting to form as in the picture below:
Round 5 - Repeat row 4. 30tr.
Now the hat shape really starts to appear as in the picture below:
Round 6-9 - Continue to repeat row 4. 30tr.
Edging
Option 1, Slip stitch edging: This is the simplest finishing edge, simply sl st into the top of each stitch all the way round - be sure to keep your slip stitches loose otherwise you'll end up with a hat that won't stretch!. After your final sl st, cut yarn, pull through the loop on your hook to secure. Weave in ends.
Option 2, Scalloped edging: This is still a simple finish but gives a more delicate finish to the hat. Ch1, *skip next 2st’s, 5tr into next st, skip 2st’s, ch1. Rep from * around. Finish by cutting yarn, then pulling through the loop on your hook to secure. Weave in ends.
You can find a video tutorial showing how each of these edge details are worked on my Youtube channel.
All Done!
I told you it was easy! I hope you enjoyed making this free crochet preemie ha & would love to see your versions. You can comment below to let me know how you found it.
Please share this post with anyone who might also appreciate it & don't forget to tag me if you upload a picture of your finished hat on social media.
😊
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