Dare to Give Handmade Link Up and Double Pom Pom Hat Pattern

Welcome to my favorite week of Dare to DIY: Dare to Give Handmade! Today’s link up is right here at Maybe Matilda, so don’t forget to add YOUR handmade project. Make sure also to visit my cohosts, Newly Woodwards, Décor and the Dog, and Shift Ctrl Art, to see their lovely work. I wouldn’t complain about receiving a single one of their awesome gifts this Christmas.

For my handmade gift, I crocheted a darling little double pom pom hat for Darcy. Because if 1 pom pom is adorable, 2 pom poms are so cute it could kill you.

Are you dead?

I’ve been particularly loving big, chunky, thick hats for my kids this year, and I wanted to come up with something kind of silly and fun for Darcy to wear. You could, of course, use a bulky weight yarn to crochet this hat. I almost never have bulky yarn just lying around, but I always have quite a supply of worsted weight, so I crocheted this hat with 2 strands Red Heart super saver variegated yarn. The label was lost long ago, but I believe the name was Wildflower. I don’t use variegated yarns often, but that may change, considering how much I love how this hat turned out. I think this style is darling on babies and kids of any age, and would even be fun for an adult . . . with a sense of humor :-)

As with many of my crochet tutorials that I post here, this is more of a ‘guide’ than a strict pattern. It can be adapted to any size and is wildly forgiving, and I’m not including specific stitch counts because it is so easy to change to whatever size you decide to make it.

All you’ll need to know in order to size it properly for the person you’re gifting to is their head size. And since you may not have all your friends’ head measurements memorized, I’d recommend you visit THIS LINK for a hat size chart based on age.

Also, please don’t be afraid of the foundation single crochet that I use to start this hat. It isn’t difficult, and it offers SO much more stretch than the traditional starting chain, which is perfect for a project like this where we start with the brim and work our way up. Stretchy brims are definitely a good thing.

Double Pom Pom Hat

Materials:
- bulky weight yarn or 2 strands of worsted weight yarn (I can’t give much detail on how much yarn you’ll need—it will depend on the hat size you make—but for the pictured hat made for a 1-year old baby, I used almost 1 full skein of Red Heart Super Saver.)
- K hook (10 mm)
- blunt large-eye needle for sewing tails in
- optional: pom pom maker (I love this Clover set—worth every penny)

Abbreviations:
fsc = foundation single crochet
dc = double crochet
sl st = slip stitch
fpdc = front post double crochet
bpdc = back post double crochet
ch = chain

Notes:
Hat is worked from brim up. Do not turn your work at the end of each row. The finished hat will be roughly square shaped, with 2 pointed corners at the top, where you will place your pom poms. Leave a long yarn tail at the end of your work to sew the top of the hat closed.

1) Start with a row of fsc long enough to reach easily around the head of the person you’re crocheting for. Visit THIS page for average head sizes. So if you are making this hat for, say, a 9-month old baby, work fsc until your piece measures about 18 inches in length.

Sl st to join your work in a loop (make sure the loop is flat and has not twisted!).

2) Ch 2,  dc in each stitch around. Join with sl st to top of starting ch.

3) Ch 2, *fpdc in next stitch, bpdc in next stitch. Repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top of starting ch.

4) Repeat row 3, working fpdc in each fpdc of previous row and bpdc in each bpdc of previous row.

5) Ch 2, dc around in back loop only of each stitch. Join with sl st to top of starting ch.

6) Ch 2, dc around. Join with sl st to top of starting ch.

7-?) Repeat row 6 until desired hat ‘height’ is reached. Visit THIS page for hat height suggestions based on age. Add roughly 2 inches to suggested hat heights, since this style is meant to sit high on the head and fit loosely. Fasten off when desired height is reached, leaving long yarn tail.

Use ending yarn tail to stitch the top of the hat closed. Simply lay the hat flat with the seam centered in the back, and sew back and forth with the ending yarn tail to create a long, flat seam. The hat will look square. Sew in all yarn tails.

Using a pom pom maker, make 2 large pom poms. Sew pom poms to top corners of hat.

As with all patterns/tutorials from my site, feel free to make some, give some, sell some! Just please include a link back to my site as your pattern source if you decide to sell online :-)

Check out my cohosts’ awesome handmade gifts:

Pom Pom Hat by Maybe Matilda // Homemade Candy with Ombre Dyed gift bags by Shift Ctrl Art // Crochet Tote by Newly Woodwards // Stovetop Potpourri by Décor and the Dog

I can’t wait to see YOUR handmade gifts! What have you created to give as gifts this Christmas? Link your projects below! Please remember to link back to one of the Dare to DIY cohosts—Décor and the Dog, Newly Woodwards, me, and Shift Ctrl Art :-)