Since my first crochet scarf, there has been a lull in my crocheting. Summer and fall are so full and busy with gardening, harvesting, canning, and so forth that I just didn’t get back to it. As the weather turned cold and I began to hibernate I started pondering my next crochet project. I decided to go with a double crochet beanie that I found on ravelry to match my new scarf.

My First Crochet Beanie

My goal has been with each new crochet project to learn something new. With the scarf it was the double crochet stitch and with this beanie it would be the round. So, I chose a very simple pattern where the only new concept was the round. Before I had even started the beanie Sarah had already asked me if I would make her one when I finished mine.

I started in early December and looked up several tutorials on rounds on youtube. For me, there was something so intimidating about going from a basic square/rectangle to a round. Initially the round gave me a fit. The starting point of this round is 4 chain stitches joined by a slip stitch to make a circle. That wasn’t hard. However, it was trying to work the double crochets into the circle that took me sometime. The piece was so small and I wanted to keep everything tight so there wasn’t a big hole in the center. Trying to keep this tight and having very little to hold onto made it a bit difficult for me to start. I had to redo this several times before I got it, but finally I had my circle!

Then I simply proceeded to each expanding round. I thought ok, I got this now. As I increased with each round I found that the piece was beginning to ruffle or flower rather than lay flat. I didn’t know why. I double checked the pattern, decided I was following the pattern correctly, and just continued on.

Even with this ruffling I thought I had a good handle on it. But then I got busy and didn’t pick it back up until our road trip during Christmas. I continued on to the sides where there are no more increases, but it just wasn’t looking right. It was starting to cup a little, but the ruffling was making it just weird. So, as much as I hated to I decided to undo it all until I got the piece back to laying flat without any ruffling. As I removed each round I just kept getting more irritated until I was back at my very first round! How depressing! Somewhere early on I had miscounted and undoubtedly added too many stitches in that second round which just kept getting worse and worse as I increased with each additional round. I was determined to get it right this time and to get back to the point I was before we arrived at the in-laws for Christmas. With each round I kept checking that it laid perfectly flat as I went. By the time we arrived at our destination I had a good start on the rounds for the sides and the beanie was starting to cup or look like a bowl. Finally, I really got this!

Nice Consistent Stitches

The next day when we started our long 9 hour journey back home, I excitedly started back with the beanie. The trip was flying by as I was becoming pleased with my work and really starting to enjoy myself. I was happy with how it turned out.

As I showed off my beanie to everyone in the car I asked now what am I going to do for the next 5 hours? Jon and I both said we could stop at Walmart and get some more yarn so I could crochet one for Sarah. No sooner than we said those words, there was a sign for Walmart! As we are turning in, Jon says I cannot believe I am going into Walmart on a Sunday before Christmas when we have 5 more hours of driving to do. But I knew he really just wanted to get out of the car for a bit. We darted back to the craft section and Sarah picked out a Red Heart Super Saver multi-color grape fizz yarn for her beanie. Then Jon spots a skein of Red Heart Super Saver camo yarn and says he wants me to make him a camo one. I said I’ll make you one even though I know you’ll never where it (I have never seen him wear a winter cap).

I worked on Sarah’s the rest of the ride home until it was too dark for me too see. She tried mine on and I decided to make hers the same size as the pattern which says fits most adults. This time was a breeze and we were all impressed with how it was turning out. I finished her beanie on Christmas Eve so I could give it to her on Christmas (even though she knew I was working on it). She loves it. She wore it to Mama’s for Christmas and has worn it almost every day since and proudly tells everyone that I made it for her.

The following Saturday after Christmas while Jon was at work I started on his camo beanie hoping to surprise him. However, I didn’t get it finished before he got home.  That worked out ok because I needed him to try it on anyway. I decided to add one more increasing round for his and added several more rounds for the sides than mine and Sarah’s (I didn’t think his head was that big LOL). We were both happy with how it turned out. I was not sure if the camo would just turn out as stripes or what, but I think it has that nice splotchy camo look. He has worn it every morning since when opening up the chicken coop and heading to work and said it really made a difference (Remember I’ve never seen him wear a winter hat before).

If I had started these sooner, I could have given beanies for Christmas presents! Now that I have the hang of it, maybe next year.  I’m thinking that now I need a bag to carry my crochet projects in! Off to ravelry.com I go!

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