While I may vary this from time to time, most of the caps I make follow this basic pattern. My preferred yarn is Caron Simply Soft, with an H hook.
This is a modified version of the crochet cap found on the Craft Yarn Council‘s site, which also has a basic knitted cap pattern.
Row 1: Using a Magic Loop, chain 3 and work 11 dc in 4th ch from hook; join with a sl st to top of beg ch: counts as 12 dc.
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc, now and throughout), dc in joining ch; 2 dc in each dc around, join: 24 dc.
Row 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in next dc; *dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc; rep from * around, join: 36 dc.
Row 4: Ch 3, 2 dc in next dc; *dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc; rep from * around, join: 48 dc.
Rows 5 through 11: Ch 3, dc in each dc; join.
Row 12: Work the edging of choice (see my post on Edgings — I usually use the “2×3 loop”), end off, and weave in any remaining ends.
Variations:
- To make a larger cap, add more increase rows after Row 4. Each row should have one more dc between the increases (3 for row 5, 4 for row 6, etc.). For each additional increase row worked, add 2 rows working straight.
- If a turned-up brim is desired, work 3 (or more for larger caps) more rows straight before adding the edging.
- Further variations can be made by changing colors to make stripes, working the edging and/or brim in a different color, or working some rows in clusters or some other pattern. Some of these variations will be posted separately.
- When I was making preemie caps, I’d skip the row 4 increases and work 10 rows before the edging (8 rows + 2 for a brim).
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