Tiny hat help!

[Mookie]

Hi

I'm new and I'm a beginner!

I've made a few blankets and shawls and have been really enjoying myself. I'm find it too difficult to read patterns so prefer to watch online tutorials. I watched a tutorial yesterday and made a hat. It was suppose to be 0-3 but is so small it doesn't even fit on a doll. I thought I'd got confused with the US and UK terms but I've been back and watched the video again and I have watched, then copied every single stitch the lady does. I've followed the video twice and at the end I end up with a tiny hat and the lady ends up with a much bigger hat. What am I doing wrong? Please help! X

[Itchycrochet]

As it looks beautifully proportioned, and just beautiful in it's self, I am going to suggest teh tutorial used a heavier yarn and a bigger hook. Did the tutorial mention gauge/tension at all? Did they say which weight yarn and hook to use? That's teh only thing I can think of.

[Mookie]

Thank you so much for your reply. I used the same hook as the tutorial but I used a different yarn. The yarn the tutorial used was drops Alaska ( I have no idea what that is?) and I used a WI yarn. I didn't know anything about yarn, there was no mention of tension at all.

[Itchycrochet]

Drops Alaska is an Aran yarn (I am assuming you are in the UK, correct me if I am wrong) depending on which WI yarn you are using you could be on too light a yarn. Is it the DK you are using? if so then it IS the yarn.

[redrosesdz]

Welcome to Crochetville!

 

I agree with Itchycrochet.  There are a number of things that impact size.  The three most common are yarn weight, hook size and your tension.  Another factor is your mood.  If you're tense, upset or angry, your stitches will be tighter than if you are relaxed, happy or calm.

 

Test your gauge.  Make a swatch (5" x 5", flat) with your yarn and hook.  Then make a swatch using heavier yarn, like worsted, and the same hook.  Measure the middle 4 inches, since sides aren't accurate.  Count the rows and stitches in that measurement.  You'll see that you have more for the lighter yarn.  Now make swatches using bigger hooks, until your swatch with the lighter yarn has the same count as the heavier yarn.  That's the hook you want to use to make the hat.

 

The other thing you can do is add some rounds.  Hats are typically rounds with even increases, then a round or 2 without increases, then rounds of the pattern.  The increase rounds give you the circumference.  The non-increase rounds start the curl.  (Sometimes increase and non-increase rows are alternated to give a more rounded circumference.) 

 

To add to the circumference, you need to add increase rounds.  You'll then add the same number of stitches to the rest of the rounds.  For example, if you started with 6 stitches and 2 increase rounds (3 rounds), it will be 18 stitches around.  If you add an increase round, then it will be 18 + 6 = 24 stitches around.   You'll then add 6 stitches to the subsequent rounds. 

 

To add to the length, you add non-increase rounds.  You can add them before or after the pattern rounds.

 

Since you're a beginner, you're probably glassy-eyed by now.  If yes, then just use a bigger hook.  Keep using bigger hooks, until you like the results.

 

 

Here's a chart for measuring your hat....

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/headsize.html

[Granny Square]

^ What she said.  

 

To add a little math to that:  most crocheted hats are made from the center top of the head down, and start with a flat circle for a certain diameter, then are continued without increasing.  You can make a hat of any size without a pattern, with any yarn, if you know the head circumference and depth that you want (above post's link for reference).

 

The math is:  measure the circumference of the wearer's head around where the hat brim would be--example mine is about 21".  Geometry tells us that pi (3.14) times diameter = circumference.  So, I divide 21 by 3.14 and get about 6.7"; this is the diameter of the circle I want to make to fit my head exactly (but most hats are made a little bit smaller for a stretch fit; depends on how you like to wear them).  

 

Here is a link that gives more detail:  Scroll down to the part which shows a dissected circle for the measurement discussion; at the top is a link to a page where she describes 'working in the round', how to increase with a variety of stitches to make a flat circle for the top of the hat ( the number of increases per round depends on the stitches used).  This is in US terminology, since I'm guessing you are really a night owl or not in the US based on the time of your post

http://www.crochetcabana.com/html/round_hat.html

 

By the way, about tension - you'd be amazed on the difference that could make.  A few years ago a relative was visiting, she decided to start an afghan (with sewn together motifs) so we went yarn shopping, and I volunteered to help her make a few squares while she was here.  Her tension was really loose compared to mine, we swatched and swatched and ended up being about 5 hook sizes apart before we ended up with the same sized square.

 

Also, even if the video person had the same width gauge as you, she might have had a different height gauge than you.  Some people pull up their stitches higher than others--and this makes a big difference when you are working in the round, she may be able to reach a needed circumference in fewer rounds than you.

[Itchycrochet]

 

 

 

 

Here is a link that gives more detail:  Scroll down to the part which shows a dissected circle for the measurement discussion; at the top is a link to a page where 

By the way, about tension - you'd be amazed on the difference that could make.  A few years ago a relative was visiting, she decided to start an afghan (with sewn together motifs) so we went yarn shopping, and I volunteered to help her make a few squares while she was here.  Her tension was really loose compared to mine, we swatched and swatched and ended up being about 5 hook sizes apart before we ended up with the same sized square.

 

 

Funnily enough, my mum asked me to add some sleeves to a sweater she was crocheting, she really can not make two of the same thing, and we have exactly the same tension. Odd to say the least.

[redrosesdz]

I was having a lot of trouble with getting a consistent tension.  Then I read an Article by Doris Chan on Lifters vs. Riders vs. Yankers.  Once I figured out that I was a yanker and wanted to be a lifter, I set to work.  I spent hours making dc stitches.  When I was finally consistent, I made another 1,000 stitches.  It paid off.  Projects became faster and easier, because I wasn't ripping out so much.  Now I only rip for mistakes, not for tension.