Bodi Hat, Version 1.0

So I saw a post in a crochet group a few days ago, where a grandmother said that her toddler grandson loved the movie Rock Dog and she wanted to make a crochet hat for him like the one the main character, Bodi wears.

The hat is knit, and there is a pattern for it, but she only crochets. A few people jumped in on the search... No crochet pattern to be found... although there was a hat made up for sale... for $250!

I took on the challenge... printed out a couple of screen shots, and started work.

I did a lot of tearing out and reworking in the early rows...

And this is how it turned out: Sorry, I didn't have a toddler around to model. One of my penguins had to stand in.

I used a size H hook and worsted weight yarn. 

For the Dark Green, I used a dark sage (1.1 oz used)

For the Light Green, I used Key Lime (.7 oz used)

For the Yellow, I used Sunny Yellow (.2 ounces used)

For the White, I used Off-White (.3 ounces used)

Note: for increases, I did SC, ch 1, SC, in an attempt to duplicate the look of the knit increases.

In version 2.0, I think I will increase to a chain 2 to see if that looks better. Also, I start each row in the middle of the increase, hiding the seam that you often get when working in joined rows. 

Each row end with a slip stitch to the beginning sc, and each row begins with a ch 1. To save on repetition in the pattern, I haven't put that into each line! 

Round 1: with dark green, make 6 sc in a magic ring

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch 

Change to Yellow

Round 3: sc, *sc, inc*, repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc. 

Change to Light Green

Round 4: sc, *2 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc. 

Round 5: sc, *3 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Round 6: sc, *4 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Change to Dark Green

Round 7: sc, *5 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Round 8: sc, *6 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Round 9: sc, *7 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Round 10: sc, *8 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Change to Yellow

Round 11: sc, *9 sc, inc* repeat around, ending with sc and ch 1 in same stitch as beginning sc.

Change to Light Green

Count your stitches... you will need 72 stitches (multiple of 8) to work the chart evenly. If you need to add or decrease a few stitches, work them evenly around the hat during row 12

Rounds 12-13: work around in single crochet. 

Rounds 14-18: work according to chart below. Empty squares = light green, x = dark green

Rounds 19-20: work around in single crochet with light green

Round 21: work even in off white

Now the front part of the hat is worked back and forth in rows. Change to dark green

Row 1: SC 50, chain 1, turn

Row 2-5: sc 50, chain 1, turn

Rows 6-10: work according to chart below. Empty squares = white, x = dark green

Row 11: work all 50 stitches in white. Turn and work a row of SC down the side of the 11 rows. Finish off. 

Fasten white yarn to other side and work a row of sc down the other side of the 11 rows. 

Work a row of sc around the entire front part of the hat with dark green, putting a chain 2 at the two front corners where the tassels will go. 

Front tassels: 

Cut 2 strands white yarn and 2 strands dark green, about 6" long. Fold in half and pull through the chain 2 space at the corner, making a loop. Pull the ends of the yarn through the loop and pull tight to make the tassel. Repeat for other corner. 

Back Tassel: 

Cut 2 strands light yarn and 2 strands dark green, about 6" long. Fold in half and pull through a stitch at the center of the top of the hat, making a loop. Pull the ends of the yarn through the loop and pull tight to make the tassel.

Tuck in random yarn ends and you're done! 

Now, being my own harshest critic, I want to try a version 2.0, with a few changes: 

As said above, I want to try a chain 2 in the middle of the increases

The dark green diamonds don't look as crisp as I'd like. I might just do the stripes and make diamond appliques to sew on. 

I carried the yarn for the front part, so you can see the white yarn through the dark green stitches. I have three possible remedies to try: 

1) use bobbins of white yarn for each point, so I don't have to carry the yarn

2) do simple stripes of white and dark green and make an applique to sew on for the design

3) Make the pattern by doing my last row of dark green in varying stitches (sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc, ss), and then the first row of white in reverse order (tr on the slip stitch, dc on sc, etc.)

I have a pattern test and a deadline on a crochet-along that I need to catch up with before I can try version 2.0, and I would like to find a toddler to try the hat on and see how it fits too! So, it may be a little bit before version 2.0 hits my blog!