Welcome to Operation Marigold, in which Snowcatcher and I are joining forces to honour our friend the Goatmother, and with her all who are battling cancer. You are welcome to do whatever you like with the hats you make from this free pattern, but please consider making one (or more) hats for donating to charity.
If you'd like to be part of Operation Marigold, here is some helpful information from Snowcatcher:
"Hats for chemo patients should be soft, cover the entire head and be washable. Keep in mind some cancer patients are unable to tolerate wool or animal fibers. Color schemes should be upbeat but also fashionable and suitable for everyday wear.
Below is a list of charities that accept hats, but you also may contact hospitals or cancer/oncology centers in the area where you live to see if they accept donations. The list below is alphabetical and not in any order of preference."
Caps for a Cure
Chemo Caps
Chuck's Hats for Chemo
Halos of Hope
Hat Box Foundation
Hats Off for Cancer
Head Huggers
Knits of Hope
Knots of Love
(Special thanks to Snowcatcher for putting this list together and for letting me borrow her text.)
Together we can butt some hay out of cancer!
(Here are a few more helpful links: Snowcatcher's hat pattern, an optional brim pattern for the Marigold Hat, and our Flickr group where you can post pictures of hats you make for charity.)
And now, without further ado, I am happy to present this month's featured pattern: the Marigold Hat.
Soft and stylish, in an easy textured stitch, the Marigold Hat features a striped band adorned with a cheerful marigold-and-button motif. Easily adjustable for size, and suitable for all ages, the Marigold Hat is appropriate for chemo patients - or for anyone who'd like a pretty hat.
(An optional brim pattern is also available - click here to be taken to brim pattern post.)
Size: Custom (samples are approximately 20" in circumference and 8" from crown to brim; they comfortably fit an average size adult head).
Yarn Requirements:
Main colour: about 110 yards of worsted weight (#4) yarn
Stripes: about 6 yards per stripe of worsted or similar weight yarn
Yarns I Used:
Plymouth Jeannee Worsted Weight, for crowns and stripes on both hats
(Lavender stripes on blue hat were made with NaturallyCaron Spa)
How Did the Yarn Behave?
Very well. Jeannee is a pleasant cotton-acrylic blend with excellent memory. It can get splitty (especially if it's been frogged), but yields a very soft and cushy crocheted fabric. More importantly, it's washable. The Caron Spa was used only for a few accent stripes, as it's a thinner bamboo-blend yarn with less recovery.
Hook Size: US H/5.00 mm hook for the hat, or whatever fits your yarn
US G/4.25mm hook for flower (or one size down from the hook you use for the hat)
Notions:
1" button
All crochet terminology is American.
Some Stitches Used:
Knotless Chain (demonstrated in phototutorial): Wrap yarn end around hook from front to back, bringing tail over working yarn and back to the front. Holding both strands, chain as directed.
Extended Single Crochet (esc): Insert hook as for single crochet; pull up loop. Yarn over and pull through one strand; yarn over and pull through both strands.
Invisible join (demonstrated in phototutorial): Cut yarn about 2" from final stitch; pull end up and out of stitch. Insert hook back to front through indicated stitch; pull yarn end through. Insert hook up through back loop(s) of final stitch; gently pull yarn end down and through.
Knotless Standing Single Crochet: See phototutorial below
Half-Double Crochet in Back Horizontal Bar: Made in horizontal strand behind back loop of stitch.
Marigold Hat Shorthand Instructions:
Note: Extended Single Crochet yields a fabric with a pleasantly textured reverse, so the "wrong" side of the crown will become the "right" side of the finished hat.
Crown:
Knotless chain 4 (see instructions above or phototutorial below); join with sl st to form ring.
Round 1: ch 1, sc 1 in ring; esc 7 in ring. Place marker on first stitch. Do not turn - hat will be worked in a continuous spiral. Move marker up with each round.
Round 2: esc 2 in each st around = 16 st
Round 3: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next st) 8 times around = 24 st
Round 4: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 2 st) 8 times around = 32 st
Round 5: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 3 st) 8 times around = 40 st
Round 6: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 4 st) 8 times around = 48 st
Round 7: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 5 st) 8 times around = 56 st
Round 8: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 6 st) 8 times around = 64 st
Round 9: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 7 st) 8 times around = 72 st
Round 10: (esc 2 in next st, esc 1 in next 8 st) 8 times around = 80 st
Continue increases until hat is approximately 6" across. (Mine measured 6" after Round 10). For a child's hat, stop increasing when hat is approximately 5 1/2" - 5 3/4" across (about 1 round less than for adult hat).
Rounds 11-19: Work even rounds (1 esc in each st) until hat is approximately 5 3/4" deep (about 4 3/4" for a child). Rounds may be added or subtracted as necessary.
Round 20: esc 77; sc in next 2 st. Skipping over 80th stitch, join with invisible join to first stitch of previous round.
Turn hat inside out - the textured side will be the right side of the hat. Be sure to weave yarn ends to the new inside of the hat! (If you like the original right side better, feel free to use that.)
Striped Band:
All slip stitches are made through top 2 strands of indicated stitch.
Round 1: In any stitch, join new colour with Knotless Standing Single Crochet (see phototutorial below for details); hdc 79 around = 80st.
To change colours, insert hook into 1st stitch of current round. Pull up a loop with new colour. (Dropped yarn will be carried up the back of the work.)
Rounds 2 - 7 (made in back horizontal bar): ch 1, hdc in back horizontal bar, behind back loop of same stitch. Hdc around in back horizontal bar = 80 st. Change colours, carrying dropped yarn up the back.
Join final st of Round 7 with invisible join to first stitch of same round. Cut yarn; weave in ends.
You may increase or decrease the striped rounds as you like - I made 7 rounds for a 2" wide band.
Marigold:
Leaving 6" tail, Knotless Chain 4; join with sl st to form ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, hdc 10 in ring. Join with sl st. (Do not pull tightly on sl st; final st of next round will be made here.)
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in same st. Make picot: ch 2, hdc in sc, inserting hook from front to back through top 2 strands of sc. (Sc in next st; make picot) 10 more times around = 11 picots (final sc/picot are made in sl st of previous round). Join to first sc with invisible join. Cut yarn and weave in end.
Use long tail to sew button to flower, and flower to band. Attach flower over band seam.
Marigold Hat Phototutorial with Instructions in Plain English:
Crown:
Make a knotless chain 4:
Wrap yarn from front to back, and bring free end over working yarn, towards the front. Hold the "X" made by the yarn, and chain 4.
 |
| Look! No bumpy knot! |
Join with slip stitch to form ring.
Round 1:
Chain 1, single crochet 1 in ring.
Extended Single Crochet 7 in ring.
(To make an Extended Single Crochet, insert hook as you would for a single crochet, and pull up a loop.Yarn over and pull through 1 loop; yarn over and pull through both loops. This makes a slightly taller, skinnier single crochet. It's about the same height as a half double crochet, but not as bulky.)
 |
| Extended Single Crochet |
 |
| First round complete: 1 single crochet and 7 Extended Single Crochets in ring |
Place marker on first stitch (I like to use a scrap of yarn and just weave it up through the first stitch of each row).
Do not turn or slip stitch - the hat will be worked in a continuous spiral.
Remember to move the marker up with each round.
Round 2:
Extended Single Crochet 2 in each stitch around = 16 st.
 |
| Round 2 complete |
Round 3:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 in next stitch.
Repeat 8 times around = 24 stitches.
 |
| Round 3 complete. Notice the yarn marker weaving its way up. |
Round 4:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 in each of next 2 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 32 stitches.
Notice the difference in looks of the side facing you...
...and the reverse. The reverse has a kind of topstitched look which I like.
Round 5:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 each of in next 3 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 40 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 48 stitches.
Round 7:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 each of in next 5 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 56 stitches.
Round 8:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 each of in next 6 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 64 stitches.
Round 9:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 each of in next 7 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 72 stitches.
Round 10:
Extended single crochet 2 in next stitch, then extended single crochet 1 each of in next 8 stitches.
Repeat 8 times around = 80 stitches.
Continue increases until hat is approximately 6" across. (Mine measured 6" after Round 10). For a child's hat, stop increasing when hat is approximately 5 1/2" - 5 3/4" across (about 1 round less than for adult hat).
Rounds 11-19:
Work even rounds (1 extended single crochet in each stitch) until hat is approximately 5 - 3/4" deep (about 4 3/4" for a child). Keep moving the marker up!
Round 20, or final round of crown:
Extended single crochet 77, then single crochet in next 2 stitches.
Skipping over the 80th stitch, join with invisible join to first stitch of previous round.
(To make an invisible join: pull yarn up and out of final stitch. Insert hook back to front through first stitch of round. Pull yarn end through. Insert hook from bottom to top of back loops of final stitch. Gently pull yarn end down and through. I will post a dedicated tutorial for this soon and link to it.)
Why do we skip a stitch? The invisible join acts as a stitch for the next round; if we didn't skip a stitch we would end up with a count of 81, not 80.
 |
| Last round of crown: stop when there are 3 stitches left |
 |
| Single crochet 2, then skip over last stitch. Invisible join to first stitch of previous round. |
Cut yarn and turn hat inside out - the textured side will be the "right" side now. Be sure to weave yarn ends to the new inside of the hat. : )
Note: If you like the look of the original right side better, feel free to keep it on the outside.
Striped Band:
All slip stitches are made through top 2 strands of indicated stitch.
Right side of hat will be facing you at all times. (The new right side, that is.)
Round 1:
Join new colour with Knotless Standing Single Crochet in any stitch.
To make a Knotless Standing Single Crochet, wrap yarn end from back to front...
...then over working yarn and down along the hook. Hold the yarn end there with your thumb.
Insert hook into any stitch of crown...
...and pull up a loop. Let the free end of yarn pop loose...
...and pull it to the left so your future stitches will cover it.
Then yarn over, and pull through both loops to complete the single crochet as usual.
 |
| Pretty cool, isn't it? No knot! (You can do this with half double crochets and double crochets too.) I think I'll call it Mrs. Micawber's Amazing Knotless Standing Stitch. |
Now let's finish this round.
Chain 1, then half double crochet 79 around = 80 stitches.
Time for a new colour!
To change colours, insert hook into 1st stitch of current round. Pull up a loop with new colour. (Dropped yarn will be carried up the back of the work.)
 |
| Presto chango |
Rounds 2 - 7:
Chain 1, then half double crochet in back horizontal bar of same stitch. (The back horizontal bar is just behind and below the back loop of your stitch, on the back side of the work.)
 |
| Looking at the back of the work. Back horizontal bars are marked with a black dash. |
All future half-double crochets will be made in the back horizontal bar.
Half double crochet around in back horizontal bar = 80 st.
Stitching in the back horizontal bar pushes the top of the previous row forward, giving a nice look to the band.
When you reach the end of the row, pull the yarn you dropped from the previous round up and behind your current working yarn.
 |
| Getting ready for the next colour change. Pull new colour UP and BEHIND current colour. |
Change colours just as in Round 1, by inserting your hook through the first stitch of the current round and pulling up a loop with the new colour.
 |
| Presto chango again! |
Chain 1, make half double crochet in back horizontal bar of SAME STITCH, then finish round as above. (All your band rounds will start this way.)
 |
| Start each new round with a chain 1, half double crochet in back horizontal bar of same stitch |
Keep making as many band rounds as you like (I made 7 rows for a band about 2" wide), changing colours at the end of each round.
When changing colours, remember to pull the new colour up and behind the current colour. This will "trap" the current colour yarn and help it to carry up neatly.
 |
| Here I am on the last row. |
Join final stitch of Round 7 with invisible join to first stitch of same round.
 |
| Finish with invisible join. |
 |
| Almost done! |
Cut yarn; weave in ends. Admire the way the yarn carried itself neatly up the seam. : )
Ready for the last step? Let's make a marigold.
Marigold:
Leaving a 6" tail, Knotless Chain 4;
join with sl st to form ring.
Round 1:
Chain 1, then half double crochet 10 in ring.
Join with slip stitch to first half double crochet.
(Do not pull tightly on slip stitch; final stitch of next round will be made in it.)
 |
| Including slip stitch, we have 11 stitches around |
Round 2:
Chain 1, then single crochet in same stitch.
To make a picot: Chain 2, then half double crochet through top 2 strands of single crochet, inserting hook front to back.
 |
| Chain 2, then half double crochet in top of single crochet. |
 |
| Picot made. |
Single crochet in next stitch...
...then chain 2 and half double crochet in single crochet to make another picot as before.
(Single crochet in next stitch; make picot) 9 more times around = 11 picots total.
The final single crochet/picot are made in the slip stitch of previous round.
 |
| 11 picot petals on our flower |
Cut yarn and join to first single crochet with invisible join.
The photo below shows the back of the flower with the invisible join nearly complete. Join will be more secure if you pull the yarn end down through all the back loops of the final stitch.
Weave in this end only, leaving the long starting tail free.
 |
| Blue Marigold (sounds like a song by Elvis, doesn't it?) |
Use long tail to sew button to flower, and flower to band. Attach flower over band seam.
And you're done! Isn't it beautiful?
You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern.
If you have any questions (or find mistakes in the pattern - it's happened before), don't be shy. Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me in Ravelry.
Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!
Dedicated with love to the Goatmother,
and to the memory of my mom,
who was a breast cancer survivor.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Very awesome all around!!! Great pattern, superb tutorial and excellent cause!! My mom went through chemo last year and it's no fun, no way, no how!! She's doing well know, thank you God, and I would love to make some caps for her to take to her dr's office to donate to their patients!! You ladies are a treasure and my prayers are with the Goatmother!!
ReplyDeleteJust to say that here in the UK, worsted is slightly heavier than 'double knit' and H size hooks are 5mm/UK size 6.
ReplyDeleteweekend blessings!
Thanks Angela - I tend to forget the difference in hook sizes/yarn weights.
DeleteThe hats are great! Thanks for the tutorial. Please, send Goatmother best wishes from my!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, what a beautiful post. You worked so very hard to get all these instructions on here. What a great idea to make these caps. Best wishes to all who can make these for such a good cause.
ReplyDeletevery nice cap! Thank You for the tutorial.
ReplyDeletemandy
These hats are wonderful. I will have to dust up my very not so good crocheting skills.
ReplyDeleteYou are a very special person and friend to all who come here. I send prayers to everyone who is battling this awful condition. xxx,e.
Thank you so much for the pattern, I will certainly be making some and sending them to loving hands that help so many charitable causes :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful project!!!
ReplyDeleteI remember my daughter's bout with cancer, and the loss of hair and etc. She got a wig to wear to work, but pulled it off, as soon as she got in the car to come home. Not comfy.
She wore a pink baseball cap, all the rest of the time.
But a soft cap like this, would be even more comfy, it seems.
I can't do anything crafty, but she can. Perhaps she would like to make some, for the cause. Since she knows it, so well. She's been cancer free for some years, btw.
Gentle hugs...
This came out so well! (Much better than I could see on the phone!) Your attention to detail is so outstanding, and the tutorial is just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial. I will try the crochet hat, even though my skills are not that great. :)
ReplyDeleteHoly Spirit works again! I am working through a Bible study on Nehemiah and the questions last night focused on "what gifts do you have to share with others?" Crocheting came to mind, but I didn't see it as a gift to consider because I do it for relaxation. Your post has showed me a ministry that I didn't consider. Thanks~
ReplyDeleteI just "happened" across this site. Yes the Holy Spirit does indeed work in wonderful ways in our lives. In loving memory of my dear friend Cristy Hansen 9/4/47-8/24/11 I'll be making and donating these caps. Do use the knotless chain and the softess yarn possible. Thanks be to God I have an asthma Dr. who has helped me to be-able to use yarn again, I am allergic to formaldehyde, used in yarn etc. So now I am again able to enjoy this great craft.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much to everyone who commented.
ReplyDeletethis is great not only because of the pattern but because of the purpose!i do hope these cozy nice hats will help people to fight cancer and recover faster.
ReplyDeleteI found your lovely blog while looking for a cap pattern just like this one - thank you so much for sharing it, and especially for going to all the trouble and making the photo-tutorial! That has been immensely helpful. (Although bilingual, I'm not used to using English for needlework, so working from description only can make me feel a bit insecure whether I'm doing it right - so the photos were great for me.) :)
ReplyDelete(I just wanted to point out, though, that is seems you got a measurement or wording wrong right at the beginning: 20" diameter, I think, should either be 20" circumference or a different value for the diameter. But I don't think it's a problem, it had just got me confuddled for a second there, mostly due to my insecurity with English-language patterns and Imperial measurements. :) )
Again, thanks for your generous sharing, and I'm really enjoying following your blog. :)
Thank you! Yes, that IS a mistake. You're right - it should be "circumference". I will change it as soon as I finish typing this reply. And may I say that your English seems perfect to me? :)
DeleteBeautiful work. The knotless chain is also a help if you are doing a pattern for that starts with a certain number of chain and you find you have too many or are short a few at the end (this is where you started without the knot) therefore just take your hook out of where you are working or use another hook and use the tail of yarn before first chain to add or subtract a few chain. Works a treat.
ReplyDeleteThanks - I have found that too. :)
DeleteHola Sue; Acabo de descubrir tu blog! Me encanta hay cosas preciosas.
ReplyDeleteMe encanta esta entrada y me gustaría pedirte un favor. No entiendo muy bien
el tutorial de la flor del boton. Sería posible enviarmelo en español?
Si es dificil para ti, no te molestes
Mi correo es:
teretegui_2@hotmail.com
MUCHAS GRACIAS
Con el traductor de google no lo entiendo
ReplyDeleteOtra vez, GRACIAS
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just discover this flower pattern and love it! I will be using it in the future to all my hats. Also, have never tried the knotless chain and love that too! Thanks for sharing these great crochet tips! As the saying goes, you can teach an old dog new tricks! lol
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog. I am a cancer survivor and have been asked to crochet some chemo caps for a little eight year old girl who is going through chemo. I am going to try to make this hat and if it is a success I will make three in different colors. I have not crocheted hats before and wonder if I need to make any kind of adjustment to the size for an eight year old?
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
DeleteRegarding hat size for a child - here is what it says in the middle of the pattern (I should probably have put it nearer the beginning):
"For a child's hat, stop increasing when hat is approximately 5 1/2" - 5 3/4" across (about 1 round less than for adult hat)."
Here's a link that you may find helpful too:
http://www.woollywormhead.com/sizing/
Good luck with your project and please feel free to ask again if you have questions!
Excited about this pattern! I have a dear friend w ho is battling breast cancer and this pattern is exactly what I'm looking for! Now or r p your fingers crossed I can print this pattern. I'm on a kindle and need a print. Or download this pattern instruction! LOL. Thank You do much!
ReplyDeleteHello! I don't know if you're still reading comments on this hat pattern at this late date, but I just want to say thank you for the lovely free patterns. I knit and crochet hats, scarves, and mittens for charity all through the year (all donated in late October for a Christmas party) and am always looking for new patterns that will both delight children and keep them warm. Thank you again. Pat R.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, and thank you for donating to charity!
Delete