Thick & Quick Gold Medal Crochet Hat #L80047

[milney]

Hi .. I've completed the Repeat Row 2.  The piece measured 19" and is flat.  I don't understand how to close up the top of the hat.  The top is currently not in the round.  Do I join the two ends together, then work through the ends of the rows, first one side, go around the corner & back through the other side, then pull tight through the row to gather the top?  Thanks for any help.  Janice

 

[Granny Square]

The instructions say:  "Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail. Thread tail into the blunt needle and weave through ends of rows along one long edge and pull to gather for top of Hat".

First, before fastening off, make sure  it fits around your head, so you don't find out too late you made a few too few or too many rows.

Second: the first seam will join the two short sides.

Third: cut a length of yarn a little longer than the long side.  Grab a tapestry needle, thread the yarn, make running stitches into each ridge (^^^) of the ribbing  to gather it.  Gather as tight as you can, tie a secure knot, and weave the ends in securely.

Fourth (optional): make a pom-pom to cover up the gather place.  I like to leave long ends and tie them on, with a bow on the inside of the hat so you can remove it to wash the hat, and easily put it back again. 

edit--D'oh!  I just noticed it said to make a pom pom.  There are lots of tutorials for this on the web, you can make a 'tool' for one by folding a piece of paper to stiffen it, and wrapping around...here is one tutorial.  When you tie it, make it as tight as you can, and make the tie-thread extra long - partly for that bow tying I mentioned, and partly to use the ends to stitch thru the center in multiple directions to discourage the pom pom from falling apart.

Edited December 14, 2019 by Granny Square

[milney]

Okay, I can see if you first close up the short sides, that will make it round. I was just following the directions which said to weave through ends of rows on one long edge & pull together then lastly to seam ends to make hat. Thanks for responding. Janice 

[Granny Square]

You're right; I was reading words into it that were't there.  (This was the very first sort of project I ever made, mumble decades ago, but with my mom guiding me and no pattern, so it looked really familiar!)

I was reading it as if it said "Fasten off, leaving a long yarn tail. Thread tail into the blunt needle and weave through ends of rows (bottom and top edges, and then) along one long (side) edge and pull to gather for top of Hat".

 

[milney]

So, would you weave along one long edge & pull tightly. Then, go down seam ends sewing them together? This is all done with one long piece of yarn without breaking off?? Thanks! Janice 

[Granny Square]

I'd do the short ends first, then the long end - I think it would be easier to keep it neater looking, also (to me) more logical. 

That's why my edited version said 'bottom and top edges' first, meaning the way that you crocheted them...I guess that is confusing...join the first row you crocheted to the last row you crocheted, then gather around 1 of the sides from the point of view of that the long edges were sides as you were crocheting them.

Here's a pic (worth 1000 words, I hope?):  seam the red ends to make a tube.  Gather the yellow side and pull tight. 

[milney]

On the yellow side, you weave around the tube perimeter. You don’t weave both edges together as a seam? Hard to picture how this can be pulled together. Thanks for your patience. Janice 

[USpolishgirl]

Granny Square is right. Her instructions are correct. 

 First you need to sew those shorter sides together, weave the end of that yarn securely so will not start opening up in wash. At that time you will have something looking like tube. One side of that tube will be the top of that hat with a Pom-Pom on top. The other side will be the side close to your face. You do NOT do anything to that side, just leave that open. You need that one side open to be able to put that hat on your head. Use a double strand of yarn for gathering that top of your hat, 2 strands of yarn will make that stronger. Pull those ends of yarn tight to close that opening, make a knot, double knot is better (remember to weave all those ends of yarn very securely so nothing will be  opening up later). Attach Pom-pom on top of that. When gathering that top try to put that needle in to every other stitch, that will close easier. IF you still having problems closing that top try to skip 2 or 3 three stitches when gathering with that needle. 

I made at least couple dozens of those hats. I call them "Tube Hats". I never used a needle to gather the top, I  was doing that with my hook. Doing that with needle will be easier for you.

Krys

[Granny Square]

Thanks Krys, good description--if I were the one not visualizing it, I'm sure the way you explained the open side would have made it all make sense!    

[USpolishgirl]

21 minutes ago, Granny Square said:

Thanks Krys, good description--if I were the one not visualizing it, I'm sure the way you explained the open side would have made it all make sense!    

You explained everything right! :). I am not sure if she could understand what I was trying to say?? LOL.  I know my writing in English is very bad!. Your explanations are very clear.  But for some reason there was still a "problem" for her to understand  some of that.  I just thought that maybe she would get some  answers out of my "Mumbling.." in English LOL

I have a picture here how to gather that that top. On that picture those gathered stitches  are shown more apart because that was crochet using hdc, I think that picture above  was done with sc ( each stitch is closer to the next one). As long as she will skip couple stitches each time inserting that needle (that will create less bulk) she will be able to close that opening.  I hope that picture will help.

Krys

[Granny Square]

Great illustration on the gathering for the 'yellow' side/top of the hat.

Meanwhile, I made a tiny little hat, about 2" tall, and totally the wrong stitches (the hat is plain DC) but just to illustrate the seaming, using the color coding in my earlier post.

The short side seam is in red, which I made by single crocheting the seams together on the 'wrong' side.  I then hand stitched to gather the top of the hat in yellow like Krys showed above--my stitches are pulled tight and you can't see them, but you can see how they gather the top of the hat, and I pulled the knot to the outside of the hat so you could see that's the end where the yellow was.  The bottom of the pic is the side I didn't color in, and is the brim of the hat.   Hope this helps!

[milney]

Ladies .. you've all been very helpful.  Each helped in a different way.  I understand it now.  You probably think I'm a newbie to crochet but I'm not (almost 50 years).  I've always shied away from sewing seams together .. I hate it.  I understood better when you said to close the side seam first & then gather the top where the pom-pom would be.  All the pictures were very helpful.  Thanks for your patience.  Janice

[USpolishgirl]

Janice I am happy we were able to help. I am sure your hat will look great!

We would like to see picture of your hat after you finish.  Please post that picture in "Show & Tell" - Crochetville

Happy Holidays! 

Krys

[USpolishgirl]

15 hours ago, Granny Square said:

Great illustration on the gathering for the 'yellow' side/top of the hat.

Meanwhile, I made a tiny little hat, about 2" tall, and totally the wrong stitches (the hat is plain DC) but just to illustrate the seaming, using the color coding in my earlier post.

The short side seam is in red, which I made by single crocheting the seams together on the 'wrong' side.  I then hand stitched to gather the top of the hat in yellow like Krys showed above--my stitches are pulled tight and you can't see them, but you can see how they gather the top of the hat, and I pulled the knot to the outside of the hat so you could see that's the end where the yellow was.  The bottom of the pic is the side I didn't color in, and is the brim of the hat.   Hope this helps!

Granny Square I LOVE that tiny hat.  CUTE!

That was a great idea.

Happy Holidays! 

Krys

[milney]

Krys .. you asked for a picture of the hat when I finished it up.  Just want to let you know I posted a picture on show-and-tell.  I closed the short side seam with slip stitches.  It really worked well & is hard to see.  Thanks for everyone's help.  Janice