I'll just start out by saying this magazine has a lot of really fun photos and cute outfits. The hat patterns have been easy but the adult hats have been sized poorly. This one was the same. The halter pattern is done with size 10 crochet thread (one strand) and the hat is done with three strands held together. They look cute together! It's hard to see but there is a crochet covered button on the hat. There are two separate gauges given; one for the halter and one for the hat. The hat is described as one size fits all and includes elastic in the last row around the head and the cute button. They say to use a size F hook for the hat and that worked perfectly to get their gauge. And yet, it was so small by the time I got to the last row that I didn't bother with the elastic or the button. Here it is compared to the other two hats. I'm giving it 2 out 5 stars. Sizing was incorrect and I'm not sure what the elastic would have accomplished. None of these hats were complicated and I could have easily adjusted this weeks hat to make it fit by doing additional increase rows and adding more to the length. I wanted to follow the pattern as much as I could though and since it would fit someone I just left it as it was. I'm glad the Good Housekeeping month is over and if I make any of the clothes in the magazine I'll have to use their gauge and math to figure out actual stitch counts to get the right measurements. Next month we're going back to Workbasket Magazine for some springy hats and one headband!
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This week we have a hat for kids. The description says, "The bands of white trim emphasize the bold main color." Even though this is described as a girl's cardigan and hat set, I think any kid could wear this. The suggested materials are Columbia-Minerva Nantuk Sweater & Afghan Yarn in two colors and a size F hook. I had some worsted weight acrylic yarn in red and white that I used. This pattern gives a gauge but I (gasp!) did not do a test swatch to make sure I could match it with my yarn and hook choice. I measured it at the end of the project though and the gauge did match. This is a really basic hat that's done with half double crochets in the back loops to give it a ridged look. The second to last row of the main color has you decreasing by four stitches and it's finished with a slip stitch. The white stripe is made separately and sewn on. I guess this adds texture but if I wanted a stripe I'd probably just change the color there. The sizing is pretty good for a kid's hat. Here it is compared to last week's hat and on my head. This gets a 4 out of 5. The pattern is pretty easy to read if you understand how to increase "evenly". The sizing is accurate this time. The lack of the 5 star is because it's just a basic hat with a sewn on stripe.
Next week we have the final hat from this magazine. It's done with crochet thread and I have no idea if it will fit. The first hat for March is this adorable hat they call a "Crocheted Head-Hugger". Spoiler alert - it really does hug your head. The suggested yarn is Columbia-Minerva Nantuk Fingering Yarn and a Boye steel crochet hook No. 2. I used a 2.25mm hook and this Berroco yarn I picked up at a Textile Center garage sale. The suggested yarn appears to be 100% acrylic and the Berocco is nylon and acrylic so I think I got pretty close on the yarn. This pattern gives a gauge of 6 stitches = 1 inch and 3 rows = 1 inch. I got the gauge exactly with the B hook. The pattern is pretty easy to follow and it's very specific for each row instead of saying something like "follow" pattern or even "repeat row." Here's how it turned out: I double checked the gauge in the finished hat to make sure it wasn't off. That was still exact. I tried to count the rows in the picture to see if they did more rows and I don't think that was the problem either. The band around the head is the same stitch count as the rest of it so I'm not sure why it looks like it's a different size in the original photo. It's a cute hat...for a kid. Again.
To get something like the photo here are the things I'd try if I was going to do it again. Once the band is done going up a hook size or two might make the top more poofy and a big enough for an adult. You could also figure out how many stitches to increase to get the diamond pattern and do an increase row before you start the top part. I had high hopes for this one but I was a little disappointed so I'm giving it three stars out of 5 for the misleading photo. March will have patterns from just one magazine; the Good Housekeeping Needlecraft Spring-Summer 1974. I found it at a used bookstore in Fergus Falls called Biffley's & Bookmark. My lovely mother-in-law bought it for me along with a few other Workbasket magazines. This magazine has so many fun 1970s projects. I pulled three crocheted hats that I'll share during the month but for now, I want to share some of the other awesome projects in the magazine. This photo has all of these items that there are directions for:
There are sewing patterns and cute crocheted kids outfits. This cute crocheted beach outfit: Knitted and crocheted swimwear: And this grouping of bazaar projects: So many fun things! I could do an entire post on just the advertisements in this magazine. This one is for American Thread yarn. Next week I'll have the first of the three crocheted hat patterns I found in the magazine. It's an adult hat that is styled in a very 70s way but if it works it's a classic hat that could be work today. |
AuthorI'm from Minnesota and have been crocheting since 2003. I inherited a box full of Workbasket Magazines from my mother-in-law and became obsessed with the vintage patterns. Archives
June 2024
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