Time for another variation on my free Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern! My youngest son just loves to wear these earflap hats – so much that anytime I start a project, he is always there at my side saying, “Is this for me?” Here’s how to make his current favorite, the snowman.

Start by downloading the instructions for the Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern (if you haven’t already), and follow the instructions below to customize the hat into a snowman. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Yarn for this hat in Cranberry (color A), Dusty Blue (color B), White (color C) and Terracotta (for the carrot nose).

0-3 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 6 in color A
• Switch to color B for round 7
• Switch color C for rounds 8 through 11, both earflaps and both edgings (to better define the snowman’s hat, work round 8 in back loops only)

3-6 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 7 in color A
• Switch to color B for round 8
• Switch color C for rounds 9 through 12, both earflaps and both edgings (to better define the snowman’s hat, work round 9 in back loops only)

6-12 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 7 in color A
• Switch to color B for round 8
• Switch color C for rounds 9 through 13, both earflaps and both edgings (to better define the snowman’s hat, work round 9 in back loops only)

Toddler

• Work rounds 1 through 8 in color A
• Switch to color B for round 9 & 10
• Switch color C for rounds 11 through 15, both earflaps and both edgings (to better define the snowman’s hat, work round 11 in back loops only)

Child

• Work rounds 1 through 10 in color A
• Switch to color B for round 11 & 12
• Switch color C for rounds 13 through 18, both earflaps and both edgings (to better define the snowman’s hat, work round 13 in back loops only)

Teen/Adult

• Work rounds 1 through 11 in color A
• Switch to color B for round 12 & 13
• Switch color C for rounds 14 through 20, both earflaps and both edgings (to better define the snowman’s hat, work round 14 in back loops only)

Finish all sizes by adding a carrot nose and any combination of buttons or felt shapes to make the eyes and mouth. For the child size hat pictured I used 1″ buttons for the eyes and 1/2″ buttons for the mouth. I also topped my snowman hat off with a pom pom made in color B and braids on the earflaps in colors A, B and C.

Carrot Nose

0-3 Months, 3-6 Months & 6-12 Months

• With orange yarn and a H (5.0mm) hook, ch 6. Sl st in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, 2 hdc in last ch. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing the nose to the hat.

Toddler, Child & Teen/Adult

• With orange yarn and a H (5.0mm) hook, ch 8. Sl st in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, hdc in next 2 ch, dc in next ch, 2 dc in last ch. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing the nose to the hat.

It’s beginning to look like Christmas around here and, of course, that means time for some fun new crocheted hats. Using my free Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern, I made Santa hats for my boys to celebrate the season. This hat is very much like my Lucky Leprechaun Hat, with the addition of some fuzzy trim. To make one of your own, simply download the Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern here and follow the instructions for changing colors below.

0-3 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 7 in red
• Switch to black for rounds 8 through 10
• Switch back to red for round 11, both earflaps and first edging

3-6 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 8 in red
• Switch to black for rounds 9 through 11
• Switch back to red for round 12, both earflaps and first edging

6-12 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 9 in red
• Switch to black for rounds 10 through 12
• Switch back to red for round 13, both earflaps and first edging

Toddler

• Work rounds 1 through 10 in red
• Switch to black for rounds 11 through 14
• Switch back to red for round 15, both earflaps and first edging

Child

• Work rounds 1 through 13 in red
• Switch to black for rounds 14 through 17
• Switch back to red for round 18, both earflaps and first edging

Teen/Adult

• Work rounds 1 through 15 in red
• Switch to black for rounds 16 through 19
• Switch back to red for round 20, both earflaps and first edging

Finish all sizes by completing the 2nd edging in a bulky, fluffy white yarn. I used Bernat Pipsqueak in Whitey White for my hats. Finally, make a belt buckle for your hat.

Belt Buckle

0-3 Months, 3-6 Months & 6-12 Months

• With yellow or gold yarn and an I (5.5mm) hook, ch 19. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 3 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in last 3 ch. Sew the beginning and end of the buckle together and sew it to the hat.

Toddler, Child & Teen/Adult

• With yellow or gold yarn and an I (5.5mm) hook, ch 23. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 5 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 5 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in last 4 ch. Sew the beginning and end of the buckle together and sew it to the hat.

Wishing you cheerful holidays and happy new yarn!

Temperatures are starting to drop here in Pennsylvania and I can’t wait to bust out the hats! Here is another fun free pattern to keep your autumn festive. Follow the directions in my Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern available for download here to make this pumpkin hat.

Start by crocheting the entire hat and both edgings in your favorite shade of orange. The instructions for the stem, leaf and vine are listed below. The leaf is a little tricky, but take your time following the directions and you can do it!

Leaf

• Round 1: Work in continuous rounds – do not join unless stated. Using green yarn and an H hook, 8 hdc  in a magic circle. (8)
• Round 2: 2 Hdc in ea st around. (16) Skip next st and sl st in the next st.
• Round 3: * (Sc, hdc, dc) in next st, dc in next st, ch 1, sl st in ch, ch 3, sl st in same st * repeat one more time; (sc,hdc) in next st, (2 htr, tr) in next st, ch 1, sl st in ch, (tr, 2 htr) in next st, (hdc, sc) in next st; * sl st in next st, ch 4, sl st in 1st ch from hook, dc in same st, (dc, hdc, sc) in next st * repeat one more time; sl st in next 2 sts, ch 8, sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 6 chains, sl st in next st; fasten off and weave in ends.

Vine

• With another shade of green and a H hook, ch 15. 3 Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (42) Fasten off and use the loose ends to attach the vine to the top of the hat.

Stem

• Row 1: Using brown yarn and an H hook, ch 8 leaving a long tail for sewing. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across; ch 1 and turn. (7)
• Row 2-9: Sc in BLO (back loop only) of each st across; ch 1 and turn. (7)
• Row 10: Line up row 1 and row 9 forming a tube. Work sc through both row 1 and 9 across. (7) Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
• Use the first tail to sew the top of the stem closed. Weave in that end. Next, stretch out the base of the stem and sew it to top of the hat using the other yarn end. As you are sewing the stem in place, make sure to sew it over the vine and leaf stem to hold those in place. When you stretch and sew the stem on, the ribs on the stem have a tendency to swirl, giving it a more authentic look. Finish your hat with braids on the earflaps or whatever you like.

I hope you love this pattern as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at email hidden; JavaScript is required. Looking for other free and fun fall patterns? Check out my Candy Corn Colorblock Hat, Apple Hat, Football Hat and Football Applique Hat.

Whoooo’s ready for back-to-school?

We are! This summer has been fun but it is quickly drawing to a close as school will be starting here in Pennsylvania later this month. My boys are super excited so we made a wise owl hat to get ready.
[Read more…]

Fun holiday-inspired hats made with my free Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern are  some of my favorite crochet projects. With a bit of yarn and a little time, you can make something that will spread holiday cheer and get tons of compliments. This week I’m sharing this cute Lucky Leprechaun Hat. To make one of your own, simply download the Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern here and follow the instructions for changing colors below.

0-3 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 7 in green
• Switch to black for rounds 8 through 10
• Switch back to green for round 11, both earflaps and both edgings

3-6 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 8 in green
• Switch to black for rounds 9 through 11
• Switch back to green for round 12, both earflaps and both edgings

6-12 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 9 in green
• Switch to black for rounds 10 through 12
• Switch back to green for round 13, both earflaps and both edgings

Toddler

• Work rounds 1 through 10 in green
• Switch to black for rounds 11 through 14
• Switch back to green for round 15, both earflaps and both edgings

Child

• Work rounds 1 through 13 in green
• Switch to black for rounds 14 through 17
• Switch back to green for round 18, both earflaps and both edgings

Teen/Adult

• Work rounds 1 through 15 in green
• Switch to black for rounds 16 through 19
• Switch back to green for round 20, both earflaps and both edgings

Belt Buckle

0-3 Months, 3-6 Months & 6-12 Months

• With yellow or gold, ch 19. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 3 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in last 3 ch. Sew the beginning and end of the buckle together and sew it to the hat.

Toddler, Child & Teen/Adult

• With yellow or gold, ch 23. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 5 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in next 5 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch, sc in last 4 ch. Sew the beginning and end of the buckle together and sew it to the hat.

If you like this hat and want to try more St. Patrick’s day variations, check out my Rainbow Hat, Shamrock Hat and Irish Colorblock Hat. Thanks for stopping by and have fun crocheting!

Does this look familiar to you?

If you’re like me, you just can’t part with your yarn. You finish a project, and even though you only have a small amount of yarn left, you wrap it up into a little ball and save it. But what will you do with it?

How about this….

At this time of the year when everyone is focused on cleaning out and organizing, I figured I would put my basket of leftover yarn and my free Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern to work to make something extra cute and fun to wear (plus with all the colors it will go with so many things). I love that I could make this hat from what otherwise could have been thrown in the garbage. The only bad thing about it – lots of ends to weave in!

So if you have a basket of yarn leftovers that you are looking to use, grab my Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern here and get to work. As I was making the hat pictured above, I took rough measurements of the yardage required for each round and I made a handy dandy chart for you. You can download the chart I made by clicking here.

Just measure the small lengths of yarn you have on hand to see if they are long enough for the hat you want to make. Be sure when you are measuring that you don’t stretch the yarn or else your length of yarn will actually be too short. For the earflaps and edgings, I used about 26 yards of orange for the child size hat. You may need a little more for the adult size hat, but that will be more than enough for the smaller sizes.

Additionally if you don’t like the look of every round being a different color, you can use the chart to see if you have enough yardage to add just a stripe or two to a solid color hat. I like this idea so much that I set up a station so that if I have leftover yarn from a project I can label it for a future project.

Oh, the possibilities! I can’t wait to fill it up and get creating.

I hope you have enjoyed this Free Pattern Friday and that you can put your scrap basket to good use too! Thanks for stopping by!!

Need a quick and easy handmade gift idea? This free crochet pattern will show you how to make these cute little cozies for the small travel bottles of hand sanitizer (2 fl. oz. size).

They look great on their own…

…or you can embellish them any way you want!

These monsters reside on my boys’ school bags to help kill germs and keep them healthy. All the embellishments were cut from felt and sewn on. I’m not going to lie – that took at long time, a lot longer than crocheting the cozy – but I think they turned out adorable and my boys love them.

The cozies in these pictures are going to make great little gifts this holiday season, and they were super easy. The embellishments are just fabric stickers intended for scrapbooking. I actually got mine as a daily deal at PickYourPlum so I can’t give you a link to these exact stickers, but I think any fabric embellishments that have a very sticky back will work well.

So go ahead and download the pattern by clicking the download button above and with a little bit of time and a little bit of yarn, you can make this for someone on your list (or yourself) too. I hope you will love it!

I just loved the Irish Flag Colorblock Hats I made for my boys for St. Patrick’s Day so I decided to make one for Halloween too – the Candy Corn Colorblock Hat. I used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn in white, orange and yellow. It will be the perfect hat to wear to our town’s Halloween Parade this week!

Wanna make one? You can download the Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern here, and then take note of where to change colors for the size you are making below.

0-3 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 7 in white
• Switch to orange for rounds 8 through 10
• Switch to yellow for round 11, earflaps and both edgings

3-6 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 8 in white
• Switch to orange for rounds 9 through 11
• Switch to yellow for round 12, earflaps and both edgings

6-12 Months

• Work rounds 1 through 8 in white
• Switch to orange for rounds 9 through 12
• Switch to yellow for round 13, earflaps and both edgings

Toddler

• Work rounds 1 through 9 in white
• Switch to orange for rounds 10 through 13
• Switch to yellow for rounds 14 & 15, earflaps and both edgings

Child

• Work rounds 1 through 11 in white
• Switch to orange for rounds 12 through 16
• Switch to yellow for rounds 17 & 18, earflaps and both edgings

Teen/Adult

• Work rounds 1 through 12 in white
• Switch to orange for rounds 13 through 18
• Switch to yellow for rounds 19 & 20, earflaps and both edgings

Earlier this year I made Crochet Football Applique Hats for my two boys for Superbowl Sunday. The hats looked so cute and it was a fun way to show team spirit. Of course, when my nephew saw them, he wanted one of his own. His mom had the great idea of adding his favorite player’s number to the hat.

Now that football season is here again, I thought I would share the idea with you. Find all the information you need to make the Football Applique Hat here. Then simply cut the number you would like to use out of felt and sew it to the hat with a running stitch.

This idea isn’t just for professional teams either. It would be great to use for your own football players in their team colors too – a special hat made just for them!

Nothing puts me in the mood to crochet more than cooler temperatures. Fall is my favorite season and I’m so excited it is finally here! One of the best parts of fall is that it is apple season. To celebrate fall (and a friend’s new baby) I had to make an apple hat from my Versatile Earflap Hat Pattern, of course.

To make an apple hat of your own, simply follow the instructions in my pattern available here, making the entire hat in red. Then follow the instructions below to make a stem and a leaf. Sew the stem and leaf to the top of the hat and add braids to the earflaps. Now you have a sweet apple hat too!

Stem

Ch 12. Dc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, sc in next 2 ch, sl st in next 6 ch. Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew the stem to the hat.

Leaf

Ch 10. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, htr (see below) in next 3 ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch from hook. Working along the other side of the chain, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, htr in next 3 ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew the leaf to the hat.

Htr (half treble crochet): Yarn over 2 times, insert hook in stitch and draw up a loop (4 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (3 loops on hook), yarn over and draw through 3 loops (1 loop left on hook).