[Nfb-krafters-korner] crocheted winter cap pattern

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Hi all --
Happy holidays!!!
You can all consider this my Christmas gift to the list.  I will relate the 
instructions on making a large, comfortable, nice looking winter cap.
This is a pattern I adapted from one I read in an article somewhere. I use 
the half loop chrochet stitch instead of the whole loop stitch which is the 
standard. I also altered the number of stitches to reshape it a little, and 
the result was so good I made a whole slew of them a number of years ago. I 
still have one; the rest I gave as gifts.

Laura's Crocheted Winter Cap

1 4oz skein of whatever color you like.
Use a medium-to-large hook.  (I don't know the gauge of the hook I use.  The 
stitches shouldn't be too tight, but you don't want your hat to be loose and 
loopy either.  You also want it to be able to stretch a little.)
make a base chain of 52 stitches.

For the rest of the instructions, a half-loop stitch (HL stitch) is one as 
described below:
if O is the stitch on the previous row that you are to crochet through, do 
not insert the hook under both sides of O's loop.  Instead, insert the hook 
through the middle and out behind, only picking up the half of O's loop that 
is farthest from you.  There should be only 1 strand of yarn picked up by 
the hook.  Proceed from there as if you are doing a standard single stitch.

Now the pattern:
Using HL stitches -- here and for all the rest of the hat -- chrochet 52 
single, HL stitches  back to the start of the base chain.  Reverse and 
crochet 40 HL stitches , then turn again and chrochet 40 HL stitches back. 
Now looking at your work, you should have a long 52-stitch bar with a 40 
stitch bar on one end.  This is right.  Now, turn and single chrochet 49 HL 
stitches, then turn and do the same going back.  Note that after 40 stitches 
you hit the top end of that 40 stitch bar. Ignore it.  Just keep going on 
the longer bar until you are 9 stitches in.
Now you should have a 52-stitch bar, topped with a 40 stitch bar, on top of 
which is a 49 stitch bar that grabs 9 stitches from the 52 stitch bar.
After you have finished the second row of 49 stitches, turn and do 40 HL 
stitches again, and as before, turn and crochet 40 HL stitches back.
Going from the bottom of the hat, then, you have 4 bars of varying lengths, 
2 of which are 40 stitches.  Now you will do a full length row -- make 52 HL 
stitches -- from the bottom end of the hat to the top, taking care to pick 
up the 9 stitches past the 40 stitch bar, and also to pick up the 3 stitches 
at the top end of the original base bar.  Then turn and crochet 52 HL 
stitches back.
Notice how the height of the crocheting decreases as you move from the 
bottom of the hat to the top.  It is just a fancy way to decrease the 
circumference of the hat.

Ok, you probably know what to do from here:
40 stitches back and forth;
49 stitches back and forth;
40 stitches back and forth;
52 stitches back and forth.

Keep doing this until you have a total of 9 mid-length bars (49 stitch 
bars).
Then crochet the last 40 stitch bar.  Note how the hat takes shape. It is 
also very similar on the front and back.
Now you need to crochet the seam that will close the circle.  This seam will 
not be a full bar in the hat.  It will probably be folded inside.  you have 
just finished crocheting the second row of the 40 stitch bar. Turn the hat 
around as if you are going to do another row.  Take the opposite edge of the 
hat and find the loops of the base chain, and pick up the half loop as if to 
do another HL stitch -- but this time, also pick up the loop on the other 
edge of the hat.  Crochet them together.  Repeat this for all 52 stitches.
Then decide how you are going to close the hole at the top of the hat.

As for the top of the hat, I have had best results making a giant size 
pompom.  I've made these hats with plain and with varigated yarn.  It always 
turns out to be a winner.
Varigated yarn gives a nice effect, actually -- it's kind of like a shot of 
a windows screen saver.

Anyway, enjoy, Merry Christmas, or any other holidays you celebrate.
Happy krafting.
--le