Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

APRIL GIVEAWAY – WEEK #2

by

First is this little Coats and Clark book from 1967.  It’s mostly knit, but has several crochet patterns, including some lovely afghan stitch mittens.  The other 11 books are old copies of Workbasket Magazine.  These are not in mint condition – NOT.  But, they are intact and full of amazing patterns, recipes, gardening tips, etc.  If you’re not familiar with Workbasket, you’ve been missing out!

READ THE RULES BELOW AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO USE UP YARN SCRAPS (FROM INCHES TO PARTIAL OR TOTAL ORPHAN SKEINS)?  POST A LINK IF YOU CAN.

Here are the rules:

Each item will be mailed to the winner by USPS – books by media mail.  For now, this contest will only be open to participants with a U.S. mailing address.

This is how it will work.  Each Monday, I’ll pose a question on my blog.  Everyone who answers the questions will be entered in the drawing on the last day of that month.  Some ‘answers’ may require you to post a link to a specific pattern or site.  The winner will be announced along with the next Monday’s question.  The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with mailing information.  If the winner doesn’t contact me, the prize will be offered on another occasion.

RESPONSES MUST BE POSTED HERE AND NOT EMAILED TO ME PRIVATELY OR POSTED ELSEWHERE FOR ENTRY.

TO MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR, THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON THE DAY OF EACH MONTH (OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER) AND THE WINNER MUST EMAIL ME ([email protected]) WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT.  So, for sanity’s sake, that deadline will really mean that I need to hear from you no later than 8 PM the following Monday (so you have plenty of time to email me and I’ll get the email for sure even if I don’t sign on to my email on a Sunday).

Simply enter to win by leaving a comment on this post answering the question posed.

Comments

  3. I’ve been using leftover bits of cotton yarn to make small crocheted flowers. A variety of colors makes each flower different.

    Darla

  4. I like to use my “odds & ends” yarn scraps to make tassels & pom poms, these look great as embellishments on just about anything! Zipper pulls, drawstrings, borders & just fun on hats, mittens & baby items.

  5. I had a bunch of yarn left over from an afghan I made, and I turned it into my “project bag” based on the “Very V Hobo Bag” from Hooked Bags:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/very-v-hobo-bag

    I used a bigger hook and double-stranded the yarn, and ended up with a HUGE bag, big enough to tote 3 Caron One-Pounders and a current project!

    I plan on making another at some point here, because that V-stitch that holds it all together moves so quick.

    My mother has balls of orphan yarn in a bowl in her bathroom as decoration. I once got bored, grabbed a few and whipped up a pair of slippers while I was doing my laundry. Another good use for leftovers!

  7. hmmm, i do not have a link but i have been collecting small snippets for a bit waiting to start two projects. Alan Darts Farm as well as a mini veggie basket (found on ravelry). Lots of variety of texture and color will be fun to play!

  8. I made a giant queen size afghan completely out of leftovers from previous projects. It’s pretty crazy looking but it’s one of my favorites. My husband too, he loves it when I do some stash busting!

  9. I belong to a crochet group so we make square or stripes with our left over yarn and then we put them together and take them to charities. We just finished a baby blanket and are completeeing 2 more I plan to take to the womens shelter and I have started a full size striped blanket to donate to charity.

  10. I have a large bag of yarn scraps that I use for rug hooking. When I have enough gathered together I go for it. The different colors and textures make for some interesting projects.

  11. I’ve been making granny squares with leftover yarn to turn into a blanket in the future.

  12. Right now I’m combining all kinds of blues, greens, browns and cream colored scraps into an afghan. I just single crochet until I run out of one color and then switch. I’ll have lots of ends to weave in, but so far it looks great!

    My MIL makes mittens for local charity groups. Even a small color scrap can make nice looking stripes on the cuffs.

  13. This past St. Valentine Day I made small hearts using scrap red and white yarn. Last fall I made small pumpkins that I used as pins, and at Chrismas I made a wreath pin. My alltime scrap buster was a granny square afghan I made a long time ago. It is one large square, and every row is a different color.

  14. I’ve been making cupcake washcloths with my scraps. They are great for a baby shower or wedding shower. The best part is that you can use any yarn, roll it up, put a cherry on top, and they look adorable.

  15. I use up my small amounts of yarn to make granny squares that eventually go into an afghan. It makes a beautiful afghan that goes with most every decor and thus a wonderful gift for someone.

  17. If I have enough yarn after completing a project I use a nostepenne to make small cakes. These cakes are being saved for an afghan. I also use them to practice a new technique (to make sure I understand it) before starting or continuing with a project/pattern.

  18. I crochet up a bunch of little pouches for my daughter who is constantly collecting little things from nature.

Have you read?

Pattern Review: Granny Dots Crochet Bucket Hat Pattern

There is something wonderfully cheerful about a crochet bucket hat, especially when it has that granny-style texture that makes us all say, “Oh yes, I could make that in five colours from my stash.” And let’s be honest, any pattern that lets me justify keeping those half-balls of yarn tucked away in a basket is already off to a strong start.

The Granny Dots Crochet Bucket Hat Pattern is a fun, easy crochet bucket hat pattern worked in colourful granny-style clusters with a simple single crochet brim. It has that lovely retro handmade look without needing to sew together a stack of separate granny squares, which is always a win in my book because joining motifs is where many good intentions go to quietly disappear.

This pattern is written for adult one-size fit and uses medium weight yarn in five colours. It is a great stash-busting crochet project, especially if you have leftover worsted weight yarn from blankets, scarves, or all those “I only bought one skein because it was pretty” moments.

The finished hat has a playful dotted look across the crown and body, then a neat striped brim that gives it a polished finish. I especially like how easily the mood changes depending on the yarn colours. Soft pastels make it sweet and springy, oranges and browns give it a warm autumn feel, and greys and blacks make it look more modern and unisex.

If you love granny-style crochet accessories, you might also like our free Georgie Granny Cluster Bucket Hat over on CraftBits, which has a similar beginner-friendly feel and works well as a companion project for anyone wanting to try more crochet hats. You can also browse our roundup of crochet bucket hat patterns to make this summer if your hat-making mood has officially taken over the craft table.

What I Like About This Crochet Bucket Hat Pattern

The best thing about this pattern is that it gives you the look of granny crochet without becoming overly complicated. The crown begins in the round and builds out using double crochet groups, then continues into the body with repeating granny-style rounds. Once you understand the rhythm, it becomes one of those cosy “just one more round” projects.

The brim is worked in single crochet, which gives the edge a little more structure than the body. I always appreciate that in a crochet bucket hat because a floppy brim can go from cute to “why is this sitting on my eyebrows?” very quickly. You could also gently steam or block the brim if you want a smoother shape, especially if you are making it for photos, gifting, or selling finished hats at markets.

This is marked as an easy crochet pattern, and I think that is fair. It is not a first-ever crochet project, but it would suit a confident beginner who knows how to chain, slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, work in rounds, and change colour. The colour changes are the only part that require a little attention, but they are also what make the hat so much fun.

For yarn, a medium weight cotton or cotton-blend would be lovely for a summer bucket hat, while acrylic or wool-blend yarn would make it warmer and softer for cooler weather. If you are buying supplies, Mary Maxim is a good place to look for colourful worsted weight yarn, and Amazon is handy for crochet hooks, yarn needles, and blocking supplies if your craft drawer has mysteriously eaten them again.

Colour Ideas For The Granny Dots Bucket Hat

This is where the pattern really shines. Because it uses five colours, you can make it feel completely different each time.

A few combinations I would try:

Soft Pastels: blush pink, mint, lilac, buttercream, and pale blue
Autumn Spice: mustard, rust, olive, cranberry, and camel
Earth & Sky: teal, chocolate, goldenrod, dusty pink, and denim
Modern Neutral: black, charcoal, silver, cream, and soft grey
Cottage Garden: rose, lavender, sage, butter yellow, and robin’s egg blue

This is also a lovely pattern for using up scrap yarn, provided your yarns are all a similar weight. I would avoid mixing very stiff cotton with very soft acrylic in the same hat unless you are prepared for a little shaping drama. Ask me how I know.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

Check your gauge before you begin, especially if you want the adult fit to come out neatly. The pattern gauge is 15 single crochet and 16 rows to 4 inches, and because hats need to fit around an actual head — not just look pretty flat on the table — gauge matters more here than it might on a scarf.

Use stitch markers to mark the beginning of each round. When you are changing colours often, it is very easy to lose track of where a round starts, particularly if you are crocheting while watching television and pretending you are “just doing one more row.”

Weave in ends as you go if you can bear it. Five-colour crochet is gorgeous, but it does come with ends, and future-you will be much happier if you don’t leave them all until the end in one terrifying little yarn nest.

Who This Pattern Is Best For

This crochet bucket hat pattern is a good fit for makers who enjoy colourful crochet accessories, quick wearable projects, and stash-friendly patterns. It would make a great handmade gift for teens and adults, and it has strong market stall potential because you can create several versions in different colour palettes without changing the main pattern.

It is also a nice project for anyone who loves the look of granny squares but does not necessarily want a sewing-up session at the end. The texture gives that familiar granny crochet feel while keeping the construction more straightforward.

You could make one in soft spring colours for a festival look, one in earthy shades for autumn outfits, or one in monochrome greys for someone who insists they “don’t wear colourful things” but still secretly appreciates handmade.

Etsy Listing Note

This is a digital PDF crochet pattern, not a finished hat. The PDF includes the written pattern, materials, abbreviations, gauge notes, colour change guidance, brim instructions, stitch key, mockup inspiration, and colour palette ideas.

For crocheters who enjoy easy crochet hat patterns, granny stitch texture, and colourful stash-busting projects, the Granny Dots Crochet Bucket Hat Pattern is a sweet, wearable make with lots of room for personality. It is cheerful without being fussy, practical without being boring, and exactly the sort of project that makes you start looking at leftover yarn in a whole new way.