Poster Girl

I'm so excited! I've liked the creative side of crocheting, choosing yarn colors and such. But now I'm venturing into the far more creative side of it--designing! Since I've gotten the hang of the basic stitches, and the basic hat-making process, making a pattern was not too hard. I'm really happy with the result! I'll share some photos, and the pattern is below. (By the way, I'm planning to put one or both of these hats in my Etsy shop when I get it up and running.)





The white version I made is a little longer, providing a little more coverage on the ears/back of the head for colder days.





If you don't crochet, you can skip the rest of this post.... The pattern won't make any sense to you! But if you are a beginning crocheter and you know the basics (how to do a chain stitch, single crochet, double crochet, and slip stitch), you should be able to make this hat if you're willing to spend a bit of time to learn some new techniques. I've included links to sites that have tutorials, as well as photos of some of the techniques used in this hat.

I've called this hat "Poster Girl" because it uses a lot of front post double crochet and back post double crochet stitches...so many of them that I'm kind of tired of those stitches right now!

Poster Girl hat pattern

design by C. Beth

You may use this pattern to make hats to sell, as long as you're not mass-producing the hats. You may not sell the pattern itself or claim the design as your own. If you redistribute the pattern, please do so by referring people to this blog post or to the Ravelry.com link, or by distributing a printout with the pattern and a URL of this blog post. Thanks!

I used Caron Simply Soft (worsted weight) yarn and an I hook. Hat should fit most adult women.

Abbreviations:
rnd=round
ch=chain
sl=slip stitch
st=stitch
sc=single crochet
dc=double crochet
fpdc=front post double crochet
bpdc=back post double crochet
For assistance on fpdc and bpdc stitches, see this photo tutorial at Crochet Cabana.
Special Instructions:
I start my hats with a Magic Adjustable Ring. There's a great tutorial at Crochet Me.

I'm fairly new at crocheting, and it took me awhile to get the hang of where to do my slip stitches when joining at the end of a round. In case you're having trouble with this, here is a photo:



It's easy for the seam to be really obvious when you start doing fpdc and bpdc stitches, so when you get to that point of the hat, I've called for a different method of joining and of starting the next round. I think it makes the seam more subtle. Here's a brief tutorial:

Starting at round 6 (the last round before fpdc and bpdc stitches begin), don't join by slip stitching into the chain. Instead, slip stitch into the back of the first double crochet. (On most rounds this will actually be a fpdc or bpdc.) This photo is of the back side of your stitching. (I've yarned over here; but you really shouldn't be yarning over until after you insert the hook for your slip stitch.)



To start the next round, you'll slip stitch around the whole chain (not through the chain, around it.) Here's how:

If the round starts with a fpdc, you'll slip stitch around the chain from the front. This mimics the beginning of a fpdc stitch.



If the round starts with a bpdc, you'll slip stitch around the chain from the back. This mimics the beginning a bpdc stitch.



After this, you'll chain 3 and continue as normal.

This is the first pattern I've written, so if it's unclear, just comment here or email me at cbethblog@gmail.com, and I'll try to clarify!

Updated 9/30/10: Thanks to Diana for letting me know about a mistake on the pattern! I've changed it now. If you printed this pattern be sure to print a new, accurate copy.

Now, on to the pattern!

Rnd 1: Create a Magic Adjustable Ring. (See Special Instructions.) ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), 11 dc into ring, tighten ring, sl st into ch-3 to join. (See Special Instructions if you're not sure where to do the sl st.) (12 dc)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, 1 dc into same space as ch, 2 dc into each st around, sl st into ch-3 to join. (24 dc)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, 1 dc into same space as ch, 1 dc into next st *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into next st, repeat from * around, sl st into ch-3 to join. (36 dc)

Rnd 4: Ch 3, 1 dc into same space as ch, 1 dc into next 2 st, *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into next 2 st, repeat from * around, sl st into ch-3 to join. (48 dc)

Rnd 5: Ch 3, 1 dc into same space as ch, 1 dc into next 3 st, *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into next 3 st, repeat from * around, sl st into ch-3 to join. (60 dc)

Rnd 6: Ch 3, 1 dc into same space as ch, 1 dc into next 4 st, *2 dc into next st, 1 dc into next 4 st, repeat from * around, sl st into back of first dc to join. (See Special Instructions.) (72 dc)

Rnd 7: Sl st around Ch-3 from the front (see Special Instructions), Ch-3 (counts as fpdc), fpdc into next 3 st, bpdc into next 4 st, *fpdc into next 4 st, bpdc into next 4 st, repeat from * around, sl st into back of first dc to join. (72 dc)

Rnd 8: Repeat rnd 7. (72 dc)

Rnd 9: Sl st around Ch-3 from the back (see Special Instructions), Ch-3 (counts as bpdc), bpdc into next 3 st, fpdc into next 4 st, *bpdc into next 4 st, fpdc into next 4 st, repeat from * around, sl st into back of first dc to join. (72 dc)

Rnd 10: Repeat rnd 9 (72 dc)

Rnds 11-14: Repeat rnds 7-10 (72 dc each rnd)

Rnds 15-18: Repeat rnds 7-10 (72 dc each rnd). Rnds 17 & 18 are optional. In the photos above, the green hat excludes rnds 17 & 18. The white hat includes those rounds; it just offers fuller coverage of the ears and back of the head.

Rnd 19 (or rnd 17 if rnds 17 & 18 were excluded above): Ch 2 (counts as sc), sc in each st around, sl st into ch-2 to join (72 sc)

Rnd 20 (or rnd 18): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next st, ch 2, skip next 2 st, *dc in next 2 st, ch 2, skip next 2 st, repeat from * around, sl st into ch-3.

Rnd 21 (or rnd 19): ch 2 (counts as sc), sc in each st around, sl st into ch-2 to join. (72 st)

Fasten off and weave in ends.