Costume Mega Tail

October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 / reginaalexisweiss / 6 Comments

Fur yarn seems to be something I always have a lot of. In addition to using it to trim Trickster Hoods, wacky coats, and Pixie Belts, I also occasionally use it to make costume ears and tails. My first foray into tail making was using crochet, as it was certainly easier for me at the time to deal with the nuisance of all that funky hair using a technique with which I was very confident.

The resulting little fox tail (I call it the chibi tail) was clever, IMHO, made with super soft Lion Brand Romance and ending in a little clip so it could be attached to a belt. But it was a bit stiff, and I decided knitting was really the way to go for these fun and cruelty-free costume elements.

I made a couple more – the tail on the left is made with Lion Brand Fun Fur, knitted to look like a raccoon, the tail on the right is Lion Brand Romance again, in sweet fantastical pastels. Both are stuffed with lightweight polyester fiber stuffing and clippable, like the first, onto belt or pants.

The pastel tail is pretty long, and very slinky and soft. After that one, I went down the rabbit hole. Er, possibly the fox hole.

I had A LOT of Lion Brand Pelt in similar colors. What if I made a really BIG tail, so it would look proportionate to the human body?

So, as you can see, I did that. And this year’s Halloween costume was born. To be specific, I finished the humongous tail less than 24 hours before the costume party! 😀

I dubbed my costume “Forest Witch” but mostly I was referred to as the Squirrel Lady which I am also 100% satisfied with 😉 . This is one of the most handmade of all costumes I’ve ever done, so I’m going to feature some of the elements involved before writing out my notes on making the Tail toward the end of the post – keep reading for the free pattern! You can also favorite this project on Ravelry for reference later.

It was cold and rainy enough the day of the party to wear my super woodsy version of the Boho Fringe Poncho, made with different scrap bulky and super bulky yarns, then trimmed with plain fringe and woven with a super textured handspun art yarn. I also added a leafy drawstring tie to the top of this piece, similar to the one made for the Rhiannon Cowl. I’m so glad to have added this poncho to the ensemble, because it hasn’t really seen the light of day since I made it.

Underneath I wore the dress I had refashioned from a few thrift store pieces – I cut the green top and the brown and purple paisley skirt up joined them using hairpin lace, then added doily accents – all crocheted in gray, upcycled sweater yarn. You can read more about this refashion project here. Layered under the dress is a thrifted skirt that I tie-dyed in browns.

The belt sports several accessories beside the tail – one of them is a crocheted woolen pouch, mounted on loops so that it can slide onto a belt. This pattern is a piece of Lilla Bjorn’s Dandelion Mandala Overlay. The knife is an antique piece made with a real fawn’s hoof found for me by a friend. It’s not handmade by me, it’s just totally wicked so I wanted to mention it 😉

It was terribly overcast all day, so my indoors photoshoot is very dark (and consequently grainy.. just pretend it’s a spooky filter effect, okay?) and you probably can’t see the faux dreads underneath my hair very well, but they are there and I made those too! From Jacob wool, dyed brown and boiled in hot water to felt them making long woolen cords, then attached to and elastic headband and decorated with beads and feathers. The hat on top sports a pair of crocheted fur yarn ears, mounted on an elastic band around the crown of the hat.

The witch hat, unfortunately is not handmade. I attempted to finish the black Hedge Witch Hat for this ensemble in time for the party, but was too busy knitting this big chunky baby…

Speaking of which, how about that tutorial? I’m afraid all I can offer is my notes, since this was not intended to be a full-scale pattern, but it’s pretty straightforward knitting if you can stand trying to see your way around all that fur.

Costume Mega Tail Tutorial

Materials:
US Size 9 double pointed knitting needles (1 set) US size 9 circular needles, 24″
Lion Brand Pelt (#5, 50 g / 47 yds) 4 skeins “Sable”, 4 skeins “Fisher”
Lion Brand Fun Fur, (#5 bulky, 40 g / 57 yards) 1 skein “Ginger”
Lion Brand Romance (#6 super bulky, 50 g / 27 yards) 1 skein “Truffle”, 1 skein “Champagne”
(Or, in substitute, around 550 yards total of any fur yarn)
Metal clasp
~10-15 oz Polyester Fiberfill batting
Scissors and Tapestry needle

With fur yarn and DPNs, Cast On 18 sts. Knitting in the round:
Row 1: *K, M1 increase* Rpt around – 27 sts
Row 2; *K2, M1 increase* Rpt around – 36 sts
Row 3: *K3, M1 increase* Rpt around – 45 sts
Row 4: *K4, M1 increase* Rpt around – 54 sts
Row 5: *K5, M1 increase* Rpt around – 63 sts
Row 6: *K6, M1 increase* Rpt around – 72 sts

Switch to circular needles.
Rows 7 – Infinity: Knit around. Change colors when necessary or desired.

I knit this piece to a length of about 55″. When ready to finish off:

Switch back to the Double Pointed needles

3rd to last Row: *K2, K2together decrease* Rpt around.
2nd to last Row: *K1, K2together decrease* Rpt around.
Last Row: *K2tog decrease* around. Cut yarn leaving a long piece for sewing. Thread the yarn into a tapestry needle and pass the yarn through each loop on the needles, catching the live stitches on the yarn tail. Once all stitches are threaded, pull the DPNS out and use the thread to cinch the stitches shut. Make some firm weavings across this circle to secure shut, then weave in ends and cut.

To finish the piece, Weave in all yarn ends. I used a wig brush at this stage to brush all the fur loose that had gotten trapped in between stitches to make it thicker and fluffier. Then, take the polyester fiberfill and stuff through the open end. Be careful not to overstuff – it really needs less than you think, and overdoing it will cause the piece to be too stiff and therefore less realistic looking.

Once the piece is stuffed, thread a long piece of fur yarn onto a tapestry needle and sew the open end shut, then sew onto the clasp. I used a pretty small metal lobster style clasp, available with the metal findings in most hobby stores. This allows you to attach the tail to a belt (recommended – it’s heavy) or to pants (works better with smaller ones, but if you’re brave enough…)

One last very necessary addition to this monstrosity is left! Using a crochet hook, I loosely threaded a length of bronze ribbon yarn through the knit stitches toward the end of the tail, weaving in and out all around the circumference, then tying the ends in a knot. After all, I had to have some way to keep this thing from getting super wet and mucky by dragging on the ground!

I used the tied length of ribbon as a handle to maneuver the thing all night (and dance with it – SO MUCH FUN.) Also occasionally to bop people in the face with the fluffyness. When I needed both hands free, I wrapped the ribbon into my belt in the front to secure it.

I probably don’t need to tell you that I had too much fun with it 😉 And I hope you will too, if you decide to make one for yourself <3 If you have any questions on how I did anything in this semi-slap-dash tutorial thingy, leave me a comment 🙂

<3
-MF

P.S – as a big and unintended bonus, post-costume-party this thing turned out to be an excellent body pillow as well, lol!

Curvy Bralette Tutorial

March 22, 2019April 28, 2021 / reginaalexisweiss / 14 Comments

Last summer I designed a simple beginner bralette-style crochet top with the aim of creating a fun basic piece that could be altered easily – the Basic Bralette Tutorial! Since then, it’s been on my list to create some modified versions, especially one that is better for curvier busts 🙂

Update! 7/17/2019: This modification and the pattern for the original are now both available in one downloadable, printable, ad-free PDF! Get more info by clicking here!

The flattish triangle style cups are great because they can be expanded to any size, but to fit best over bigger chests they need some edging to curve them inward a little – which is what we’re doing today with the Curvy Bralette Tutorial. <3 <3

You can find this design linked in the Ravelry database, or on my Pinterest crochet board – so throw me a like or a pin if you enjoy it 🙂

Curvy Bralette Tutorial Pattern
Materials
3.50 mm hook
#4 weight cotton yarn (although you can make it with any weight yarn / hook size combo as long as you know your gauge) 1-3 skeins depending on size made
Stitch markers
Scissors & Tapestry Needle
Measuring Tape
Measurements
Band Size (measured around the rib cage just under the bust): For example, my measurement would be 32”
Measurement A : (Band size “ / 4) ” = Length of each side of completed triangle cup ( My example would be [32 / 4] = 8”). Therefore, my Measurement A = 8″
Measurement B: (Measurement A) – 2 = My Measurement B would be 6”
Gauge:
You can have differing gauges for this project, as long as you know what your gauge is in order to achieve the right measurements. Follow the gauge-finding instructions in the Basic Bralette post.
To begin, follow the instructions for the Basic Bralette from the two triangle cups all the way through the Row 3 repeats of the band, then stop – do not tie off.
Edging:

Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch-1), rotate the piece so that you are working into the side of the stitches on the row ends. (Dc into the side of the next st, ch 2, sk next st) 2 times. Dc into the side of the last stitch.

2. Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch-1). Rotate your piece so that you are working into the next un-edged side. Dc in the same stitch, ch-1 to turn the corner.
3. (Sk next 2 sts, dc in the next st, ch-1) repeat across the row until you reach the corner of the cup.The ch-1, skip 2 repeat here reduces the overall length of the edge along the sides and cup to help it curve inward to fit a curvy bust – if this is too tight for you, you can do ch-2, skip 2 instead in these instructions and in the instructions following.
4. Sk next 2 sts and the dc on the bottom row of the cup. Dc into the top of the first unworked dc on the side of the cup, as shown. Ch 1. (Sk next 2 sts, dc in the next st, ch-1) along the side of the cup.
5. (Dc, ch 1) 2 times in the top corner of the cup, in the ch-2 space. Depending on how many dc’s you have in each side of the cup, you might want to place a dc, ch-1 in the stitches right before and after this space. Since this is where the ties will go, it isn’t good for it to be too tight.
6. (Sk next 2 sts, dc in the next st, ch 1) along the next side of the cup. A few stitches before the end, skip to the next cup, making sure there are an equal amount of skipped stitches on either side so it is mirrored. The more you skip, the tighter the cups will be, so you can customize based on your size.
7. Repeat the same process over the other cup’s 2 sides, mirroring the first half: Work 2 (dc, ch 1) repeats in the other cup’s top corner, (dc, ch 1, sk 2 sts) down the side skipping the same amount of stitches at the corner, then across the top of the band. Dc, ch 2, dc in the same stitch at the corner. (Ch 2, sk next st, dc in the side of the next dc) across the row ends at the side of the band. Dc in the last dc -I added an extra dc in this stitch too to make it more even with the bottom band.)
8. Ch 4 (counts as first dc + ch-1). Turn, (dc in the next ch space, ch-1) across the last row of edging until you reach the corner. (Dc, ch 1) 3 times in the corner space.
9. (Dc in the next space, ch 1) all across the last row of edging in the bralette, placing (dc, ch 1) repeats at the top corners of the cups. I left the top corners free, because I used t-shirt yarn ties for this one, but if you’re crocheting your ties, add them on by chaining the length you want, then slip stitching back down the chain to return to the top corner of the cup. The Ties need to be long enough to cross over the back, and criss-cross the openings on the band sides to adjust it:
10. To make it strappy: after chaining your strap (or not), chain Anchor your yarn with a dc in the first stitch of the next cup side. Count the amount of stitches left in the side of the cup – I have 8 repeats of (dc, ch 1) so altogether that’s 16 stitches. Chain your number, then skip the cup side and single crochet in the center ch-1 space. Chain the same number again, then skip to the last dc of the next side of the cup, dc in that stitch.
Repeat the edging across the rest of the bralette, mirroring the first side, all the way to across the band side, then cut yarn and tie off. Weave in all your ends, then rock on!

-MF

Tunisian Simple Stitch Tutorial

January 25, 2019August 18, 2020 / reginaalexisweiss / 8 Comments

Today I’m bringing to the blog a tutorial for the style of crochet known as Tunisian (also called Afghan) crochet, a method that uses a long hook to keep multiple stitch loops on the hook before working them back off to complete them. There are many different Tunisian stitches, but one of the most basic is the Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS). The following is a guide to creating this stitch, as well as making increases and decreases in TSS.

This tutorial is based on my Tunisian Primer, a guide included as part of my Shaman Coat crochet pattern which utilizes Tunisian Simple Stitch! Tunisian might seem kind of daunting if you’ve never tried it, but it is one of my all-time favorite crochet styles and I really encourage you to try it if you never have 🙂

UPDATE 8/18/2020: There is now a growing playlist full of Tunisian Crochet video tutorials over on the Morale Fiber YouTube channel – check it out!

Tunisian Simple Stitch Tutorial:

The hold:

Working Tunisian crochet may require a different hold than regular crochet – here’s an example of how I hold mine. The hand holding my live yarn remains the same, while my Tunisian hook is grasped almost like a knife, with the index finger controlling the loops on the hook.

In addition, Tunisian crochet requires a Tunisian (also sometimes called Afghan) hook, which is an specialty hook that is extra long with a stopper on the end.

Starting, Forward Pass, and Return Pass (RP)

To begin a Tunisian piece, chain the number of sts the pattern requires. This is your foundation for the following rows.

To begin the first row, insert your hook into the single loop on the underside of the 2nd ch from the hook. Yarn over (YO) and draw up a loop. Notice that before you do this, you already have one loop on your hook. This first loop counts as the first stitch and so you do not work into the first chain from the hook, but the second.

Continue to draw up a loop from the back of ea ch stitch until you reach the end of the row. The action of drawing up a loop from each stitch in a Tunisian row is referred to as the Forward Pass, and counts as half of a row. (A single Tunisian row is composed of a Forward Pass and a Return Pass).

Now that you’ve got all your loops on the hook, it’s time to work them back off with the Return Pass.

YO and draw through ONE loop. Every Return Pass in TSS crochet begins this way. Don’t forget it!

YO and draw through TWO loops. Repeat yarning over and drawing through TWO loops until you reach the end of the row.

At the end of the Return Pass, you will have one loop left on your hook. This loop counts as the first loop on the hook for the Forward Pass of the NEXT row.

To begin the next row, insert your hook under the second vertical bar on the previous row. You will NOT be inserting it into the very first vertical bar (the one on the edge) because you already have your first loop on the hook leftover from the last row, right? Right.

Your hook should enter under the stitch from the front and emerge from the front, as shown in the picture.

YO and draw the loop through the bar. In the Shaman Coat pattern this is referred to as “picking up a lp” and a single vertical bar represents one Tunisian simple stitch.

Repeat across the rest of the row, picking up one loop from each stitch.

YO and draw through ONE loop. (YO and draw through TWO loops) rpt across the entire row. In the Shaman Coat pattern, the instructions for the entire return pass read “Work all sts off the hook” since the return pass is the worked the same way for every row.

Note: Tunisian crochet has a right side and a wrong side – the right side with the vertical bars will be facing you while you work TSS – tunisian pieces are not turned while working like regular crochet.

Two completed rows of TSS

Increasing:

Increasing in TSS is done ONLY on the forward pass, with the return pass worked in the same manner as usual, but with one more stitch to work off the hook.

To increase, insert your hook in the space between two vertical bars (with the hook entering through the front and emerging at the back) and draw up a loop. This counts as one increase and the loop is kept on the hook the same as the rest of the stitches and worked back off in the same manner.

The picture above shows the increase highlighted after the forward pass is completed.

Decreasing:

Like increases, decreases in TSS are worked on the forward pass only.

To decrease, insert your hook under TWO adjacent sts (the vertical bars) at once. YO and draw up a single loop. This counts as a single decrease and the loop is kept on the hook the same as the other sts and worked back off in the same manner on the return pass.

You might notice that your little Tunisian swatch or piece wants to curl – this is totally normal for this type of stitch and can be overcome with blocking.

The picture above shows the decreased sts highlighted after the forward pass is completed. You can decrease across more than two stitch at once – for instance, the Shaman Coat hood uses a double decrease that inserts the hook through three stitches at once and draws up one loop.

I hope this tutorial has been helpful and that you are inspired to try Tunisian crochet! As I mentioned, it’s one of my favorite techniques. The fabric made by Tunisian crochet is warm, more tightly woven than regular crochet, and has a lovely texture. TSS in particular creates a really pretty woven texture on the surface of the fabric. Here are some things I’ve created with Tunisian Simple Stitch:

The Shaman Coat

Crochet Washcloth 1

The Best Crochet Washcloth

The Trickster Hood

Interested in more Tunisian crochet? Check out the FREE scarf pattern I created using Tunisian Knit Stitch, another basic Tunisian style.

Thanks for visiting, more to come!

-MF

Linked Double Crochet Tutorial

February 2, 2018August 26, 2020 / reginaalexisweiss / 21 Comments

Years ago, I was crocheting a mysterious pineapple stitch market bag (I can’t seem to locate the pattern now) when I ran up against a stitch I hadn’t yet heard of: the linked treble crochet. After a few wonky stitches representing my first learning attempts, I had a band of prettily textured, smooth treble crochet stitches without holes in between them. This seemed like a tiny miracle to me, since as we know the taller stitches in this lovely craft of ours are pretty hole-y. Which is sometimes great. But sometimes not.

That pretty linked stitch stuck in my mind long after I finished off the project, so I came back for more – and found that you could link any tall stitch, which I consider one of the handiest little bits of hook wizardry to know!

UPDATE 8/2020: There is now a video tutorial available for this stitch on my YouTube channel!

Today I want to share the Linked Double Crochet tutorial, which I think is a good introduction to linked stitches and ALSO happens to be a featured stitch in my upcoming new pattern 😉 As you’ll see, linked double crochets are a neat, nice looking and easy way to eliminate gaps between stitches, which is great tool for garments that can’t be see-through or to reinforce areas of crochet for durability.

DaniSol4

Here is a shameless plug for the Plus Size Sol halter top pattern, in which I used linked double crochet (ldc), seen above! I also find ldc does a very nice job at creating borders for Tunisian crochet fabric like in my Shaman Coat pattern– the texture and density of the two stitch styles work well together.

ldcshaman

Neat, huh? So let’s do this!

Linked Double Crochet (ldc)

Linked double crochet (ldc) uses the middle (horizontal) bar of the previous dc stitch to draw up a loop, instead of using a yarn over wrap as for a normal dc. This loop is then crocheted into the stitch as the yarn over would be, and the resulting stitches are linked by their horizontal bars.

Step 1:

Beginning with the first dc of your linked double crochet section, locate the “bar” of the stitch which runs diagonally across the middle, shown here highlighted in blue. Insert your hook, from top to bottom through this one strand.

If you are beginning a new row and not starting in the middle of a row of regular stitches, you can insert through the front half of the second chain of the turning chain, or make a regular dc to start.

Step 2:

Yarn over and draw up a loop through this strand. The loop just made stands in for the YO wrap that would normally begin a double crochet stitch.

Step 3:

Insert hook into the next stitch and draw up a loop – three loops on the hook.

Step 4:

Yarn over and draw through 2 loops.

Yarn over and draw through two loops again to complete the stitch. The new stitch now has a middle bar (bright blue) that is linked to the middle bar of the previous stitch (faded blue).

To continue, keep inserting your hook into the middle bar of the previous ldc and drawing up a loop to replace the yarn over. The result is a line of sturdy but flexible stitching with a pleasing lined texture.

Aww, it’s like they’re holding hands.

And about those linked treble crochets I mentioned at the beginning of the post – since they’ve got TWO middle bars, you can just draw up two loops – which stand in for the TWO yarn overs you would do for a regular treble. Pretty slick, eh? I think so.

-MF

Krampus Hat Free Pattern

November 25, 2017January 2, 2023 / reginaalexisweiss / 89 Comments

KrampusCover1

There’s a lot of pretty cool stuff in my hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, but one of the most outstanding in my opinion is the annual Krampus Night put on by the awesome people at the Krampus Legend and Arts Workshop (K.L.A.W). A better explanation of Krampus Night and American versions of this traditional European event can be found in this Dangerous Minds article (in which it says that Bloomington’s parade is the best. I have to agree obviously).

Anyway, that’s how my enthusiasm for Krampus was born. Who wouldn’t love a ferocious rampaging Christmas demon? So this year, as I was contemplating how to refurbish an old crochet pattern of mine, I got the idea to turn it into a Krampus Hat. And since I don’t want the Krampus to think that I am ungenerous, I am sharing it for free here with you!

I am also making this whole pattern available in PDF form in my Etsy Shop , Ko-Fi Shop, and Ravelry Pattern Store.

That’s right.

As far as insane things that I’ve crocheted go, it may well be a personal best. Also I got to look bonkers in the photos. Bonus!

Krampus4

This twisty-horned, shaggy eared monstrosity could also be a ram, a yeti, a Wild Thing, or any number of raucous beasts. Hope you enjoy!

Krampus5

Krampus7

Krampus Hat Crochet Pattern

Materials:
4.50 mm hook, 3.75 mm hook, 5.00 mm hook

Color A: 710 yds #4 worsted weight acrylic (I used I Love This Yarn! – 2 skeins, in “Linen”)
Color B: 150 yds #4 worsted weight acrylic (I used I Love This Yarn! in “Toasted Almond”)
Color C: <100 yds #3 DK weight acrylic or wool blend (I used some spare Drops Lima I had laying around. You could easily sub any DK weight or a light #4 weight in here)

Polyester fiberfill
Scissors, Tapestry Needle
Locking stitch markers (highly recommended – other kinds of markers will work but I have found non-locking markers tend to get knocked off during the creation of this pattern)
Head form (useful but not absolutely necessary)

Gauge: 2″ in diameter after Rnd 7 (in pattern) for the main hat.

Techniques used: Magic Ring, Single crochet (sc), Crochet chain (ch), Slip stitch (sl st), Front loop only (FLO), Back loop only (BLO), Single crochet decrease (sc2tog), half-double crochet (hdc)

Notes:
The circular pattern alternates rounds worked in the front and back loops of the previous round. I highly recommend using a locking marker on the back loop of the first stitch of each sc round (odd numbered rounds) so you know for sure where to start and finish – with all of those loops it can get confusing and the markers always save the day.

To Begin, make magic ring with Color A and a 4.50 mm hook.

Rnd 1: 6 sc into the ring, join round with a sl st in the front loop of the first stitch. Pull the ring closed tightly. – 6 sts

Rnd 2: Working in the FLO of Rnd 1 (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 5 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 6 ch loops

Rnd 3: 2 sc into each of the back loops only (BLO) of the sc stitches from Rnd 1. Join with a sl st in the FLO. – 12 sts

The back of the piece after Rnd 6. See that non-locking marker? That fell off about twenty times.

Rnd 4: Working in the FLO of Rnd 3, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 11 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join – 12 ch loops

Rnd 5: In BLO of Rnd 3, (1 sc in next st, 2 sc in the next st. ) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 18 sts

Rnd 6: Working in the FLO of Rnd 5, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 17 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 18 ch loops

Rnd 7: In BLO of Rnd 5, (1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round – 24 sts

Rnd 8: Working in the FLO of Rnd 7, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 23 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 24 ch loops

Rnd 9: In BLO of Rnd 7, (1 sc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 30 sts

Rnd 10: Working in FLO of Rnd 9, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 29 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 30 ch loops

Rnd 11: In BLO of Rnd 9, (1 sc in each of the next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 36 sts

Rnd 12: Working in FLO of Rnd 11, sc in the same stitch as sl st join. (Ch 6, sl st in the same stitch. *Sc in the next stitch.) Rpt 35 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 36 ch loops

Rnd 13: In BLO of Rnd 11, (1 sc in each of the next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 42 sts

Rnd 14: Working in FLO of Rnd 13, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 41 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 42 ch loops

Rnd 15: In BLO of Rnd 13, (1 sc in each of the next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 48 sts

Rnd 16: Working in FLO of Rnd 15, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 47 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 48 ch loops

Rnd 17: In BLO of Rnd 15, (1 sc in each of the next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 54 sts

Rnd 18: Working in FLO of Rnd 17, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 53 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 54 ch loops

Rnd 19: In BLO of Rnd 17, 1 sc in each sc around. Join with a sl st in the FL of first st in the rnd. – 54 sts

Rnd 20: Working in FLO of Rnd 19, (Ch 7, sl st in the same st. *Sl st in the next st.) Rpt 53 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 54 ch lps

Rnd 21: In BLO of Rnd 19, (1 sc in each of the next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 60 sts

Rnd 22: Working in FLO of Rnd 21, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 59 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 60 ch loops

Rnd 23: In BLO of Rnd 21, sc in each stitch around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 60 sts

Rnd 24: Working in FLO of Rnd 23, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 59 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 60 ch loops

Rnd 25: Working in BLO of Rnd 23, (1 sc in ea of the next 9 sts, 2 sc in the next st.) Rpt around. Join with a sl st in the FL of the first st of the rnd. – 66 sts

Rnd 26: Working in the FLO of Rnd 25, (Ch 7, sl st in the same st. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 65 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 66 ch loops

Rnd 27: In BL of previous rnd, sc in each stitch around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 66 sts

Rnd 28: Working in FLO of previous rnd, (Ch 7, sl st in the same stitch. *Sl st in the next stitch.) Rpt 65 more times, ending last rpt at *. Do not join. – 66 ch loops

Rnds 29-42: Rpt Rnds 27-28 7 more times.

Rnd 43: In BL of previous rnd, sc in each stitch around. Join with a sl st in the FLO of first st in the round. – 66 sts

Rnd 44: Working in FLO of previous rnd, (Ch 9, sl st in the same st. *Sl st in the next st.) Rpt 65 more times, ending alst rpt at *. Do not join.

Rnds 45 – 52: Rpt Rnds 43-44 4 more times. Leave yarn attached to begin working earflaps.

Krampustute2

Earflaps (Make 2)

Get four locking stitch markers. Place one in the BL of the first stitch of the previous round. Place second marker 9 stitches from the first (counting in same direction as you would work the round). Including stitches with markers, this makes a 10-stitch section. Starting with the first stitch after the 2nd marker, count 19 stitches in the same direction you would work the round. Place the third marker in the back loop of the 19 stitch. Place 4th marker 9 stitches from the third.

This leaves you with two marked off sections of 10 stitches (where you will work the earflaps) with an 18-stitch gap on one side (the back of the hat) and a 28-stitch gap on the other side (the front of the hat). You can try on the hat now to see where those sections fall and adjust if necessary – as long as you have two sections of 10 stitches you can place them where you like.

Earflaps are worked in rows, turning after each row. Every row is worked in the back loop only.

Row 1: RS facing, join with a sc to the marked st at the beginning of one marked off 10-st section. 1 sc into the BLO of ea of next 9 sts. Ch 11, turn.

Row 2: Working in the BLO, sl st in the same st. (Sl st in the next st, ch 11, sl st in the same st) 9 more times. Ch 1, turn – 10 ch loops

Row 3: In the BLO, sc in ea of the next 10 sts. Ch 11, turn.

Row 4: Rpt Row 2.

Row 5: Rpt Row 3.

Row 6: Rpt Row 2.

Row 7: To begin this row, work a sc decrease over the BL of the first 2 stitches. Sc in ea of the next 6 sts. Work a sc decrease over the next 2 stitches. Ch 11, turn. – 8 sts.

Row 8: Sl st in the same st. (Sl st in the next st, ch 11, sl st in the same st) 7 times. Ch 1, turn. 8 ch loops.

Row 9: Sc in ea of the next 8 sts. Ch 11, turn. – 8 sts

Row 10: Rpt Row 8.

Row 11: To begin this row, work a sc decrease over the BL of the first 2 sts. Sc in ea of the next 4 sts. Work a sc decrease over the next 2 sts. Ch 11, turn. – 6 sts

Row 12: Sl st in the same st. (Sl st in the next st, ch 11, sl st in the same st) 5 times. Ch 1, turn. – 6 ch loops

Row 13: Work a sc decrease over the next 2 sts. Sc in ea of next 2 sts. 1 sc dec over the next 2 sts. Ch 11, turn.

Row 14: Sl st in the same st. (Sl st in the next st, ch 11, sl st in the same st) 3 times. Ch 1, turn. – 4 ch loops

Row 15: (Work a sc dec over the next 2 sts) twice. If this is your first earflap, cut yarn and tie off. If this is your second earflap, do not cut or tie off.

Brim:

The brim works two rows of sc in each stitch around the edge of the hat, including the earflaps.

Row 1: Work 1 sc in the side of ea row down the earflap toward the main part of the hat. Continue to work 1 sc in the back loops of the stitches and 1 sc in between ea loop on the sides of the earflaps all the way around the hat.

Row 2: Sc in ea sc.

Horns (Make 2)

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Work in BLO unless otherwise specified. Work continuously in the round, using a st marker to track rounds. Stuff gradually with poly fiberfill as you go – be careful not to overstuff.

Using color B and 3.75 mm hook, make magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc into the ring. – 6 sts

Rnd 2: 1 hdc in ea of the next 3 sc, 1 sc in ea of the next 3 sc. – 6 sts

Rnd 3: Rpt Rnd 2.

Rnd 4: Rpt Rnd 2.

Rnd 5: (1 sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times. – 9 sts

Rnd 6: 1 hdc in ea of the next 5 sts, 1 sc in ea of the next 4 sts. – 9 sts

Rnd 7: 1 hdc in ea of the next 5 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the next 4 sts. – 9 sts

Rnd 8: Rpt Rnd 7

Rnd 9: (1 sc in ea of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times. – 12 sts

Rnd 10: 1 hdc in ea of the next 6 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 6 sts. – 12 sts

Rnd 11: Rpt Rnd 10

Rnd 12: 1 sc in ea st around. – 12 sts

Rnd 13: (1 sc in ea of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times. – 15 sts

Rnd 14: 1 hdc in ea of the next 9 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the next 6 sts. – 15 sts

Rnd 15: Rpt Rnd 14

Rnd 16: 1 sc in ea st around. – 15 sts

Rnd 17: (1 sc in ea of the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times. – 18 sts

Rnd 18: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 12 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 6 sts. – 18 sts

Rnd 19: Rpt Rnd 18

Rnd 20: (1 sc in ea of the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times. – 21 sts

Rnd 21: 1 hdc in ea of the next 13 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the next 8 sts. – 21 sts

Rnd 22: Rpt Rnd 21

Rnd 23: (1 sc in ea of the nxt 6 sts, 2 sc in the nxt st) 3 times. – 24 sts

Rnd 24: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 16 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 8 sts. – 24 sts

Rnd 25: Rpt Rnd 24

Rnd 26: (1 sc in ea of the next 7 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times. – 27 sts

Rnd 27: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 18 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 9 sts. – 27 sts

Rnd 28: (1 sc in ea of the nxt 8 sts, 2 sc in the nxt st) 3 times. – 30 sts

Rnd 29: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 20 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 10 sts. – 30 sts

Rnd 30: (1 sc in ea of the nxt 9 sts, 2 sc in the nxt st) 3 times. – 33 sts

Rnd 31: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 22 sts, 1 stl st in ea of the nxt 11 sts. – 33 sts

Rnd 32: (1 sc in ea of the nxt 10 sts, 2 sc in the nxt st) 3 times. – 36 sts

Rnd 33: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 24 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 12 sts. – 36 sts

Rnd 34: (1 sc in ea of the nxt 11 sts, 2 sc in the nxt st) 3 times. – 39 sts

Rnd 35: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 26 sts, 1 sl st in ea of the nxt 13 sts. – 39 sts

Rnd 36: (1 sc in ea of the nxt 12 sts, 2 sc in the nxt st) 3 times. – 42 sts

Rnd 37: 1 hdc in ea of the nxt 28 sts, 1 sc in ea of the nxt 14 sts. – 42 sts

Rnd 38: Working in both of the top loops, 1 Sl st in each st around. Cut yarn and tie off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Embellishing the Horn

In a contrasting yarn and the 3.75 hk, attach yarn to the first FL from Rnd 1 of the tip of the horn. *Sl st in the FL of the next st. Rpt from * in a continuous spiral all the way down the horn to the end of Rnd 36. Cut yarn and tie off.

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Ears (Make 2):

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The ears are worked in continuous rounds and then flattened to form a sturdy, double layered shape.

With Color A and a 5.00 mm hook, make magic ring.

Rnd 1: 3 sc into the ring. Tighten. – 3 sts

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around – 6 stitches

Rnd 3: 1 sc in ea sc around – 6 stitches

Rnd 4: 2 sc in ea sc around – 12 stitches

Rnd 5 -6: 1 sc in ea sc around – 12 stitches

Rnd 7: (1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) around – 18 stitches

Rnd 8: 1 sc in each sc around – 18 stitches

Rnd 9: (1 sc in each of the next 2 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) – 24 stitches

Rnds 10 – 14: 1 sc in each sc around – 24 stitches

Rnd 15: (1 sc in each of the next 2 sc, sc2tog over the next 2 stitches) – 18 stitches

Rnd 16 -22: 1 sc in each sc around – 18 stitches.

Rnd 23: Sl stitch around. Fasten off, leaving a long tail attached for sewing.

Using a length of Color C and a tapestry needle, embellish the ear by embroidering on a spiral or other fun ear-like shapes.

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Earflap braids:

Cut a bundle of 15 32”-long strands in Color A. Fold the bundle to form a loop at one end and draw it through the bottom of the earflap. Tuck loose ends through the loop and tighten. Separate into 3 bundles of 10 strands and braid, then tie off. Repeat for the other side.

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Assembly

Gather all of your pieces and weave all ends except those left long to sew on the piece. Try on the hat and hold up the pieces to see how you’d like to position your horns and ears – the horns are not mirrored pieces so you won’t get them exactly symmetrical, but its fun to play around and see what you like. Mark out the area you will be attaching the pieces with safety pins or stitch markers if you like.

Then find something to put your hat on while you sew. Head forms are handy, or you can hunt around for something else that vaguely fits. You can even use your bent knee if you’re limber enough. I still haven’t replaced my battered old styrofoam head so today we’re using a medicine ball.

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I used to sew the horns directly onto the hat, but I have found that since the chain loops are so dense, you can really just sew them onto the loops and it works just as well. Make sure before you close the seam that the bottom of the horns are properly stuffed – I usually cram in a glob of fiberfill just before closing it up for good measure.

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I like the ears just beneath the horns – mine are floppy as they are sewn directly onto the loops, but you can get them sturdier by sewing onto the hat base instead.

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Finally, for extra scruffiness, cut a big bundle of 1/2 yard strands of Color A. Loop them over in and fringe bundles of 4-5 through some of the loops on the lower part of the hat around the earflaps. Chop and style as you like – I used whatever bit of Color A I had left over and added small decorative braids. You could really go nuts here (since the entire hat is covered in loops) and make an extremely shaggy thing. I hope someone does, and shows me a picture 😉

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And, there you have it – Krampus Hat! I hope you like, and of course if you have any questions I am here to help. Be good or the Krampus will get you!