Baby hat help

[Justyarnover]

Hi,

 

Semi-new to crochet. I was trying to get a standard for newborn-3 months I give away. I researched like crazy and decided on a crown diameter of 4 and length of 5 inches.

 

So we try it on a 5 week old and it doesn't fit! I can't understand what I am doing wrong. The only thing I can think is that the whole hat is worked in double crochets but the end three rows of single crochets. There is a lot less give on the tension in that area?

 

Any help or advice would be great! I am going slightly crazy... I even blew up balloons to certain head. If umfrenxes to test my hats on lol.

[LadiBug329]

Here's a good reference for hat sizes.    

http://thecrochetcrowd.com/crochet-hat-sizes-reference-guide/

For infants, it really depends on how big the baby is.  My newest grandson was born early and weighed a little over 5 lbs....for his hats, I did 3 rows in the round in hdc increases, and then 1 row without increases to see how big it would be.  If it didn't "look" big enough, I would add another row of increases, but maybe not every 4th stitch...maybe every 8th stitch.  It depends on the weight of your yarn, your hook, and how tight/loose you crochet.  I crochet tight, and I used a G hook with baby weight yarn, and an H on regular 4 size yarns. And it also depends on how stretchy your yarn is too.  I actually made 2 hats with the same brand yarn, same weight yarn, same hook...and same number of rows/stitch before stopping increase rows, but changed the stitch pattern up a bit....first hat is perfect size, the second hat is a bit larger.   

I typically don't use a pattern for hats, just a combo of sc or hdc stitches, so I'm more patient with myself when they are too big.   

I also usually do at least 3-4 rows of sc as the edge so its not so stretchy and moves when it is worn.  

I have made a few hats for my older grandson...some he wears now because they fit, and some he will wear next year because they are too big.  ;o)

[Granny Square]

Crown diameter of 4", times 3.14(pi) = 12.5 inches in circumference, as you can see that's to small per Ladybug's chart (newborn to 3 months, 14 inches, divided by pi, would be a diameter of 4.5 inches--fractions make a difference; that would have been an extra round, and extra stitches around)..  Don't forget how big a baby's head is in proportion to the rest of them, versus an adult.  A 3 year old's head is only a couple of inches less than the small adult size.

 

Doing the diameter x pi is the best way to know whether a hat is going to fit, along with a size guide like the above.  The stitch used, or number of stitches used* is irrelevant, as long as you hit the circumference. 

 

*as long as it's the right number to get a flat circle based on the stitch you are using.  Typically you start with x stitches and increase by the same x number of stitches each round.

sc=6 stitches

hdc=9 stitches

dc=12 stitches

 

If you are making (example) a hat in DC and the current round is too small, but the next in dc would make the hat too big, you could adjust the next round by using a shorter stitch (using the increase scheme for that stitch) before starting to work even...or whatever combo works, the key is to get that initial diameter/circumference right.

[Jayashiangel]

I have also found as I do things in the round ( that have repeat rows) my gauge gets tighter.....this could also but your issue I usually go up a hook size from what the pattern calls for to help with this issue I have...

 

I like this pattern  and I use a I hook for the newborn size as well as this concept for joins...

 

I also prefer using this concept to remove the join lines that from time to time also get created when crocheting in the round....