1971 Hippy Dippy - Jack Frost

This week we have the classic granny square hat. This particular pattern is from 1971 and is in a booklet with vests aka shrinks, a scarf and a Hipster hat.

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One of the problems with vintage patterns is figuring out the right hook size and this booklet is a good example of that. Many patterns give a gauge to help solve the hook size issue, though we seen that doesn't always produce a hat that fits. 

The Hippy Dippy hat (the yellow one in the photo) does give a hook size but it doesn't follow the letter or millimeter sizes most current patterns use. It says that the hat should use a "No. 9 Crochet Hook for the Adult size". This isn't completely outdated. Most of my older hooks still have a letter and a number on the hook. A No. 9 hook is typically the same as an I hook so that's what I used for this pattern. The child size uses a No. 8 or H hook.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn and I managed to find some in my stash that is pretty close in color to the photo. I'm using Impeccable Yarn by Loops & Threads for the yellow and maroon and the gray is Big Twist yarn.

There was no gauge given for the pattern or any pattern in this booklet but the directions were pretty easy to follow. This has you make 5 granny squares and join them with one square as the top of the hat. Then you add three rounds of single crochet at the bottom to finish it off.  

This looks like a classic granny square hat and I think I did a pretty good job of recreating the hat in the photo. Now the real question, does it fit me?

Nope. It's a little too big. If I made this again, I'd drop a hook size. I don't really love their way of joining the squares either. I think I'd use a join that doesn't give the ridge. 

I'm giving this a 3.5. It's cute, the pattern is fairly easy to follow but a gauge would have been really helpful.

Next week I'll have a vintage pattern for a bucket hat! My sister-in-law, Julia, tells me that they're "in" and I have started seeing a lot of patterns popping up for them. The pattern I have doesn't use the term bucket hat but it looks a lot like some of the other patterns I've been seeing.