Freebie Friday - The Basic Guy Hat

Once you know how to make the Built For Speed Beanie fit every time, the whole wide world of hats opens up. 

You can decorate it, embellish it, use shapes and colors and make them the droids you're looking for... or vary up the stitches used, add some simple stripes or texture.  

The Basic Guy Hat is the one my friends and family request at Christmas.  You can find it here on Ravelry, or you can download a .pdf here.

Instructions for three types of hats are included, a basic stripe in single crochet, a textured post stitch in double crochet, and for the fan who is a real fanatic, the Un-Basic Hat - earflaps, mohawks, color, the works. Try it in their favorite team colors and thank me later.  ;o)

I'd like to take a moment to go through the first few rows of the Post Ridge Hat in more detail because I get questions on a regular basis about how to keep the ridges straight. 

The first few rounds are so close together it can be difficult to see where those post stitches should be placed.

All rounds begin with a chain 3, and end with a slip stitch to join.

Round 1: Using main color, 12dc in a ring.  (Use Magic Loop or chain 3 and 11 dc in first chain)

Round 2: Ch 3, front post double crochet (fpdc) around post directly below chain 3.

Repeat *dc in next stitch, fpdc around post below the same st* around.

24 dc

Round 3: Ch 3, fpdc around post directly below ch 3.

Repeat *dc in next st, dc in next stitch and fpdc around post below* around.

 End round with a dc in the top of your slip stitch join. 

This keeps the post stitch ridges in line with each other, your beginning chain 3's right up next to one of the ridges helps camouflage it as you go along.

Round 3 has 36 dc

Continue working rounds in this way, increasing the number of stitches between post ridges as you go.

I like to add one round of an alternate color.  The post stitch ridge gives it a little jog that makes it look more complicated than it actually is to crochet.  If you aren't sure how to change colors in the round, check this week's tutorial.

A few rows of alternate front and back post stitches for ribbing, and you've just made someone's new favorite hat!

Pair it up with some Basic Fingerless Mitts, and you've just made someone's holiday!  Til next time...

Tutorial - Color Changes

Changing yarn colors doesn't have to be complicated! 

In fact, it can be very straight forward if you remember to always change colors in the very last yarn over (yo) of your stitch.

You heard right, no matter what stitch you're using, change in the last YO.

Here's how I changed yarns to add a stripe of contrasting color to a hat in double crochet ribbing (post stitches). 

You can see that I've worked my stitch to the very last yarn over (yo) - the one that removes my last pair of loops and finishes the stitch.

I hook my new yarn and pull it through.

The loop on my hook becomes the "teardrop" shape at the top of my next stitch, so I'll have one complete stitch in the old color, and one complete stitch in the new color.

Here's how that looks like on the wrong side (WS) - where you can see I tied my strands together to keep the new color from slipping.

After a row in my second color, I switched back to my main color by grabbing it for that last YO.

Here's how a few of those stitches look together.

This hat was worked in the round. 

You do the same thing when changing colors at the end of rows worked flat and turned rather than joined.  Use your new color for the last YO of the last stitch in your row before turning.

But wait!  There is an exception to every rule. 

Now that you are all set to make all your projects stripey... for joined rows, especially joined rows that begin with a chain of any length, it makes sense to change colors when you join instead.

In this case, I've finished my double crochet in my first color and inserted my hook for the join.

I will pull that loop of my new color all the way through.

And work my chain in the new color.  This allows the two rows to be completely distinct from one another.








Here, let me show you:

If you were hoping for more information on "color work", never fear.  We'll go into more detail about the different techniques like intarsia, tapestry and stranded/fair isle in future tutorials.  Hope that helps you keep it colorful!  Til next time...

Tutorial - Magic Knot (aka Invisible Knot)

Tired of weaving in a bazillion ends every time you have to add new yarn?  Give Magic Knot, aka Invisible Knot a try.

It works.  Seriously. Try it.  Go on, we'll wait.