Basic Knit: Doll Hat Pattern (Beanie, Toque)
Sized for Blythe and Pullip dolls
Tools & Materials
1 set double-pointed knitting needles, size US#5 or size to get gauge
1 set double-pointed knitting needles, size US#4 or one size smaller than size to get gauge
tapestry needle
About yards of worsted weight yarn (beanie in photo knit with Cascade 200, color “Citron”)
This beanie is knit from the top down on double-pointed needles. A variation done flat is also given in the PDF.
For inc 1 (increase one stitch), I prefer to knit one into the row below. Use what you prefer – make 1 and yarn forward are good choices. The pattern of increases will result in a straight spoke pattern.
As of July 2010, available as a free PDF download from Ravelry!
download now
August 2007: Heather of Heather Knits modified the pattern to make a doll wig! She used the Locked Loop Rerooting Tutorial from Puchi Collective, but using the hat instead of a rubber scalp. You could also use the Simple Crochet Beanie doll hat pattern too, and even use a lighter weight yarn (like fingering) by using the same rate of increasing but working until the circle is large enough for the doll’s head, then working even to the length you want. Isn’t this a great modification? Imagine the yarn/felt dreadlock possibilities!
While in Portland, I went walking down a dusty roadside lined with Queen Anne’s Lace, and was reminded that I’ve been wanting to crochet a scarf and matching headband with the traditional crochet lace pattern of the same name. I did a couple of swatches, and now I’m getting an odd sense of deja vu. Like I’ve seen this scarf before. I’m thinking of making this pattern available as a free download (good way for me to practice making a crochet symbolcraft chart), but I don’t want to inadvertently step on any toes in the process. Have you seen a scarf in a book or magazine lately that looks like this? Dana found it! The Ruffle Cravat from Leigh Radford’s book One Skein has a crocheted scarf made up of half-circle motifs. Similar, definitely not the same. I’ve also been reminded that as long as the specific pattern is my own, I wouldn’t be in violation of copyright, but I still like to make sure that a needlecrafter is not going to come along and say hey, that’s a rip-off of That Pattern from That Designer!
Currently available for $3.50 as a PDF download through Ravelry.
This pattern has been knit by pattern testers as well as illustrated and formatted by Cindy Moore, so hopefully there are no errors. If you find one, please let me know. Enjoy!
Tools and Materials:
1 pair US#5/3.75 mm knitting needles (straight or circular as you prefer)
tapestry needle
coilless safety pin or other removable stitch marker
tape measure or ruler
Tissue Box/Baby Wipe Cozy:
tissue box or baby wipe box for use as a fitting model
Stuffing (such as scrap yarn, cotton batting, polyfill) for topping(s)
Optional: reinforcement for sides (plastic needlepoint canvas, empty and clean juice carton, etc.)
Stuffed Pillow/Toy:
Stuffing (such as scrap yarn, cotton batting, polyfill) for base and topping(s) or foam padding, cut to appropriate size
Yarn
My test knitters and I used Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton for the samples in the photos. Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton is a worsted weight 100% cotton yarn that will shrink a little after washing. You may substitute any smooth worsted weight yarn of your choice; be sure to check your gauge if a close fit is important to you. Because it is knit at a tight gauge (to keep the stuffing from leaking), some test knitters reported finding it uncomfortable to knit with the cotton; you may want to substitute a worsted weight yarn with some bounce to it, like Cascade 220, Ella Rae Classic, Plymouth Encore, Lion Brand Wool-Ease or Red Heart worsted.
Maguro (Tuna):
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, tomato (619 red), 100% cotton, 150 yds/100g, 1 skein
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, tulip (615 white), 100% cotton, 150 yds/100g, 2 skeins
Sake (Salmon):
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, shrimp (609 med. pink), 100% cotton, 150 yds/100g, 1 skein
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, shell (606 pale pink), 100% cotton, 150 yds/100g, 1 skein
Rice:
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, tulip (615 white), 100% cotton, 150 yds/100g, 2 skeins
Finished Dimensions
hard box: 4.75″ wide x 8″ long x 4.25″ deep
soft pack: 5″ wide x 9″ long x 3″ deep
please note that box size varies from brand to brand
On one of the message boards I read, there is a discussion of knitted “food”: specifically, why. Some think it’s a waste of yarn, others think it could be called art and therefore be excused from function (don’t get me started on this – one of the reasons I didn’t do a BFA or pursue an MFA is the art vs. craft debate). Some of us think it’s fun. Me, I don’t just knit the stuff, I design it! So of course I had to chime in.
I don’t know why, but my sushi-themed patterns have been popular (just published a nigiri sushi baby wipe cozy pattern). I’m responding to demand with this pattern, and if it does well, there will probably be more. The Knitty Gritty patterns I worked up were at the request of the producers, who saw the original sushi tp cozy pattern I did for Crochet me. That pattern also led to me writing up the all-knit version and being asked to work up the sushi pillow for the Get Hooked book (and yes, I am considering working on a knit version). The crocheted bacon and eggs handbag I did was based on a knit pattern from the 70′s, and my post with the pattern has been getting numerous hits on a regular basis. I’ve also been working on using whimsical patterns as a way to learn and practice techniques – the Knitty Gritty patterns, for example, use short rows for the tp cozy and a slip stitch pattern for the tank runner which produces vertical stripes without having to use bobbins. Because there is something silly about the pattern, it can take some of the pressure off. Forgot to knit a wrap on one of the short rows? It’s just a tp cozy! No big deal! Currently, I’m playing with ideas on how to introduce some of the techniques used for sock knitting that don’t involve actually knitting socks (if it doesn’t have to fit an actual foot and is silly to boot, it could be more fun than stress).
My background is in the fine arts, so I know high material value/functionally useless. I like to have at least a veneer of practicality in my work. I have, for example, numerous ceramic vessels which are currently holding everything from eating utensils to paperclips. Sure, knitted bacon could be seen as a “waste of yarn” but that could be said just as easily of an afghan knitted from luxury yarns which is only used as a decorative drape over the back of a couch rather than as an afghan because it’s “too nice to use” – surely not every luxury yarn afghan is reduced to this, but it does happen. Even items which are ostensibly useful are only truly useful if they get used. By this measure, knitting a beautiful Norwegian sweater for myself could be a waste of yarn and my time, as the chances of my wearing it would be very, very low, although I might learn a lot from knitting one (which could be practical). Fancy stitch markers instead of loops of scrap yarn could be considered wasteful, or they could be considered a pleasure to look at and use, a small indulgence that makes one smile.
What is practical and useful is largely a matter of perception. If it brings someone joy to knit a hamburger, bringing a little more light and laughter into the world, I find something practical in that. If it brings more delight into the world without causing harm, it is one small step to peace. If you can’t bear the thought of doing something you would find wasteful, well, you don’t have to.
One of the soldiers I knit fingerless mittens for has recently returned home, and thanked me again for the mittens. They were practical – I made sure that the colors were dark (black is a favorite), and that the mittens were easy to shove into a pocket and didn’t take up much space (used sock yarn at a fine gauge, done entirely in ribbing to make them stretchy). Even with the guidelines posted for those making items for the armed forces, there have been times when the items wind up going unworn by a soldier, perhaps donated to a civilian instead, because the item is too bulky, the colors are too garish, or it has a pom-pon on top of it. Does this make it a waste of yarn and time? If it tells someone far from home in a stressful situation that people at home are thinking of them and want to keep them warm, I don’t think so. The moment in which the recipient knows they are loved and appreciated is plenty practical.
Besides, if you want to talk about waste, how about cut flowers that will just up and die in a week?
