Not satisfied with writing one book this year, I decided to do another...
And not just any old crochet book, either.
EXTREME crochet.
But what on earth can you do with EXTREME crochet*, I bet you're wondering...?
My answer, dear reader is this: Imagine the biggest hooks, the chunkiest yarns and some stuff that's not even yarn at all and you're on the right track. Choose chunky, high-loft woollen yarns, or fabric and T-shirt yarns, string, rope, washing line or even make your own. If it's long and cord-like, then you can probably crochet with it. So what can you do with extreme crochet? Anything you like! It's perfect for maxing out the classics; want a cushion? Super-size it with big yarn. A blanket? Whip up one in a day with mega wool. A necklace? Walk on the wild side with funky T-shirt yarn. Extreme crochet doesn't have to mean that everything you make is massive, just that everything you make is awesome.
*apologies to some of my friends who had hoped that Extreme crochet meant crocheting whilst abseiling down a cliff, or strapped to the roof of a tank. That will be another book, I promise.
And so my book is a collection of 8 simple patterns, from homewares to accessories and is available (to date) from here.
Perfect for beginners, this hat uses chunky yarn, a big-ish hook and UK treble crochet (US doubles) to create a hat in about half an hour. And as it only uses one ball (plus some extra yarn from your stash to create a pompom) it's a bargain to boot.
I bought some Drops Andes a looooong time ago to make a thing. The thing never happened and so I had some yarn which needed a new thing, so I decided on a hat.
Not just any old hat; a bobble hat.
You know- the one with the pompom.
And not just any old pompom. A BIG pompom.
You can probably tell from the photo that this yarn is mega-lush. Slightly fluffy, being 65% wool and 35% alpaca, this stuff comes in a nice range of colours and is the perfect ingredient for winter woolies (and at the time of posting, I've found it online for less than 3 quid a ball... so a very reasonable price for a super-warm hat).
'Enough of the waffle,' I hear you say. 'Give us the pattern!'
Here it is. The pattern fits an adult. Adjustments to make it fit smaller people are given, too.
Now if you're not a written-pattern kind-of person, then don't worry- I've got a YouTube video to guide you through, step by step. You'll find it below.
Enjoy, you lovely lot and have a wonderful Christmas!
Bobble Hat pattern (In UK terms. For US, substitute treble crochet (tr) for double crochet (dc)
Abbreviations:
Chain = ch
Stitches = sts
Slip stitch = sl st
Treble crochet = tr
You will need:
1 X 100g ball Drops Andes in colour of your choice (or any other yarn which requires a 9mm hook)
9mm hook.
85 mm pompom maker (optional)
Worked in joined rounds.
Note: I used a chain of 2, rather than 3 at the beginning of each round- I found a ch3 just too tall. It still counts as a stitch in the pattern.
Rnd 1: Ch2 (counts as tr here and throughout), 11 tr in magic ring or ch2, make ch2 and 11tr into 2nd ch from hook. Join with sl st to top of ch2. (12sts)
Rnd 2: Ch2, 1tr in same st, then 2tr in each st around. Join with sl st to top of ch2. (24)
Rnd 3. Ch2, 2tr in next st, then *tr 1 in next st, 2tr in following st* repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to top of ch2. (36)
Rnd 4: Ch2, tr 1 in each of next 7 sts, 2tr in next st, *tr 8, 2tr in next st* repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to top of ch2. (39)
Rnds 5-11: Ch2, 1tr in each st around. Join with sl st to top of ch2.
Brim
Rnd 12: Ch2, TURN, 1tr in each st around. Join with sl st to top of ch2.
Rnds 13-14: Ch2, 1tr in each st around. Join with sl st to top of ch2.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Make pompom and stitch to top of hat! Job done.
To make this hat fit smaller heads, then simply leave out round 4 and even round 3. Then continue making just one treble stitch in each stitch around. Simply adjust the number of rounds to fit the size head you need.
