Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

Freeform Steps Outside the Pattern Book Box

by

prudence mapstone’s freeform - www.destinationart.co.nz

Find a box and step right into it. Take your hook and yarn with you. Sit down and follow all the rules. When you get tired of following all those rules, make a few of your own. Then, you are a freeform-er.

Freeform crochet is the simple act of creating scrumbles. What’s a scrumble? Well, it’s a piece of freeform crochet. How’s that for a circular definition? But it’s true, if not informative.

Freeform crochet takes all the rules of crochet that you were taught – match the hook to the size of yarn or thread, ch 2 (or 3) to start a row of DC, follow a pattern. To really appreciate crochet, one of the easiest first steps is to create a MAGIC BALL. Take all your partial skeins of thread and yarn and tie them together, end to end. Don’t worry about the size or color or fiber content. Then roll the ‘new’ yarn into a nice ball.

Then, get yourself a set of crochet hooks – from size E to I, for starters – and a couple of dice (or one die). Assign a # to each stitch – 1 = sl st, 2 = sc, 3 = hdc, 4 = dc, 5 = tr, 6 = ch 3, 7 = bouillon. Of course, you can designate any number to any stitch you want. Roll one time to determine which stitch. Roll the second time to determine how many stitches to do. Every fifth roll of dice, change your hook size. Start by creating a circle or by working in rows. Whatever. Anything will work. When you’re tired of it, bored, or finished, finish off. Leave the tails dangling or weave them in. Add charms, buttons, beads, etc to suit your taste. Voila! You have your first scrumble.

Experienced Freeformers like Prudence Mapstone and Margaret Hubert (to name only two) will take a bunch of scrumbles and make a sweater out of them. It’s a great technique and they have books to show you how to pull this off. It’s not as hard as it sounds from my brief and likely inadequate description.

My very first scrumble wanted to be heart shaped. I made it on a flight from Paris to the US in 2004. Since I crochet with a lot of pinks and reds, those were the colors in my magic ball. When I returned home, I added some charms and beads. It was definitely a heart! So, I gave it to a friend who uses it as a decorative doily on the back of a parlor chair. It found a nice home. Wish I had taken a picture…….

Comments

  2. This book is on my list, why haven’t I bought it yet?? LOL I think I’ve been a bit intimidated by them!

    I’m gonna try your instructions this week. I have tons of yarn and it looks so fun! Thanks for posting this!

  4. Thanks for the good ideas, have wanted to try this for a long time. I’m going to print this out and play around with it and see what I come up with. Thanks for encouraging me to step out of comfort zone!
    —
    Justina

  5. i just wanted to say i do crocheting myself i am starting a new project i am working on a new curvie hanger i will let you know how it looks when I get done. marcy allen

Have you read?

Baby Bonnet Crochet Patterns for Sweet Handmade Gifts

There’s something about a little crochet baby bonnet that makes me put down whatever sensible project I’m supposed to be finishing and start rummaging through the baby yarn. Perhaps it’s the old-fashioned shape, or the thought of making something so small and lovely with just a hook and a few quiet evenings. Either way, these tiny projects are rather difficult to resist.

A baby bonnet crochet pattern is a lovely choice when you want to make a thoughtful gift without committing to a whole blanket. You can keep things simple with a softly textured pixie bonnet, choose delicate stitches for a keepsake, or bring in a little colour for parents who prefer something brighter than traditional pastels. Cream, oatmeal and sage are beautiful, but a cheerful stripe has its place too.

I’ve gathered ten crochet baby bonnet patterns with different constructions and finishes, including straightforward rectangles and more detailed designs for crocheters who enjoy learning a stitch or two. The patterns below are offered free online or as free downloads; some designers also sell printable versions, and one requires a free account to unlock the complete instructions.

Easy Crochet Baby Bonnet from Maisie and Ruth

If you’re after a rounded bonnet with a traditional babywear look, the Easy Crochet Baby Bonnet from Maisie and Ruth is a lovely place to begin. The tutorial includes newborn and baby sizes through the first year, with crown measurements to help you check your tension as you work. I’d choose a single soft colour and let that sweet shape do the talking.

Sweet Pixie Hat for a Simple Newborn Project

The Sweet Pixie Hat from Maisie and Ruth starts as a rectangle, which makes the construction wonderfully approachable. You fold it and join the back to create that pointed pixie shape, without needing a complicated crown. The written pattern is newborn size, with guidance for adjusting the measurements for older babies and toddlers.

Petit Fours Textured Baby Bonnet

The Petit Fours Bonnet from Kirsten Holloway Designs is one to bookmark if you love richly textured crochet in a small project. It uses lightweight sock yarn and comes in newborn, 0–3 month, 3–6 month and 12–18 month sizes. I’d keep the yarn plain or gently tonal so those lovely stitches remain the main attraction.

Cluster Stitch Baby Bonnet from Daisy Farm Crafts

For a bonnet with a defined brim and a cosy textured body, try the Crochet Cluster Stitch Baby Bonnet from Daisy Farm Crafts. The pattern is written for newborn to three months and includes a video tutorial, printable PDF and advice about adjusting the fit. This would be a satisfying choice if you want to practise cluster stitches without taking on a blanket’s worth of them.

Candy Stripes Cotton Baby Bonnet

The Candy Stripes Baby Bonnet by Laura Hjertefryd at Hobbii combines cotton yarn with a ribbed texture for a fresh little design. It’s listed as beginner level, with sizes for 3–6 months, 6–12 months and 1–2 years. I like this option for anyone who wants a baby gift with colour and character rather than a more formal keepsake look.

Primrose Pixie Bonnet in Baby and Child Sizes

The Primrose Pixie Bonnet by Baby Crochet Designs at Hobbii is another clever rectangle-based project. The beginner pattern covers sizes from preemie through to 3–4 years, making it useful if you’re planning coordinating gifts for siblings. That broad size range is particularly handy when you find a design you’d like to make more than once.

Eloise Bonnet for a Colourful Crochet Gift

The Eloise Bonnet from Moogly brings a little colour into the mix and was designed to coordinate with the Eloise Baby Sweater. The free bonnet pattern includes three-, six- and twelve-month sizes. I’d pick this one when I wanted to build a matching outfit gradually, starting with the smaller project before deciding whether to tackle the sweater.

Classic Crochet Baby Bonnet with Heirloom Detail

The Classic Crochet Baby Bonnet at Make & Do Crew has a more intricate stitch combination, including crossed stitches, puff stitches and raised details. It uses fine yarn and includes newborn, six-month and 12–24 month sizes. This is the one I’d save for when I felt like making a special little keepsake and could give the stitch instructions my full attention.

Elizabeth Stitch Bonnet for Babies and Older Children

The Easy Crochet Baby Bonnet from Make & Do Crew uses Elizabeth stitch for a beautifully textured fabric. Its six sizes run from 1–3 months through to 4–6 years, so there’s plenty of scope beyond the newborn stage. The complete free pattern is subscriber-exclusive and requires a free account to unlock it.

Bella Bonnet for a Soft, Scalloped Finish

The Bella Bonnet from Herrschners is an easy crochet design made with Baby Velvet yarn and finished with scallops. The free download includes 0–4 month, 5–8 month and 9–12 month sizes, with one ball of the specified yarn needed for each. I’d choose this for someone who enjoys a plush texture and wants a small project with a pretty finishing detail.

Another Crochet Baby Hat to Add to Your Gift List

If this little collection has sent you down the baby-yarn rabbit hole, our Crochet Baby Beanie on CraftBits is another project to save. It features a fluffy edging and an optional crochet flower, giving you a different hat shape to add to your handmade gift ideas.

The hardest part may well be choosing just one. I’d start with a simple pixie bonnet if I wanted an easy construction, then come back to one of the more detailed designs when I fancied a little stitch adventure. A small project can still hold a great deal of care—and that’s what makes handmade baby gifts so lovely.