Baby Bonnet Crochet Pattern (free!)

I picked up crochet to make Penny a sweater, and I've continued because I find it relaxing. The problem is, I'm not really a huge fan of the look of crochet. I'm really selective in what I attempt because there is some truly heinous crochet out there. Even when it's not a piece that's totally hid, the overall look is just not my style. At all. That being said, I stumbled across a pattern for a bonnet on crochetlatte.com that made my jaw drop. I NEEDED THIS BONNET I HAD TO OWN THIS BONNET. It took me hours and hours and hours to make the first one, and when I finished I told Corinne, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I made it!" The reason it took me so long was the perfect storm of A) a beginner crocheter having absolutely no idea what she was doing and B) a pattern full of mistakes. It took me making about 6 bonnets to sort it all out, and so I now present my modified version of crochetlatte's Apricot Bonnet.

 my beautiful niece (photos by my SIL Kelsey)

Worsted/medium weight yarn (I love Caron Simply Soft for this project. It's soft and drapey and sheeny.)
H/8 (5 mm) hook for up to 3 months
G/6 (4.25) hook for newborn (quite small)
Remember, it all depends on your gauge. Don't sue me if the sizing is different for you. My gauge must be tight because the original pattern says to use a 4.5 hook for up to 6 months, but the one in the pictures was made with a 5mm and is already on the verge of being too small for her 2-and-a-half-month-old head, so.

This pattern uses US crochet terms.

Beginning puff stitch: ch2. *Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over, pull through and bring yarn up to height of rest of stitches* Repeat once more. Yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.

Puff stitch: *Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through and bring yarn up to height of rest of stitches* Repeat twice more. Yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.

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Magic circle + ch 1

R1: 12 sc in magic circle. Join with sl st to first sc.

R2: Beginning puff st (see above). ch 2. *puff st in next sc. ch 2* repeat 10 times. Join with a sl st to 2nd ch at beginning (12 puff sts formed)

R3: 1 sc in top of each cluster. 2 sc in each 2 ch space. Join with a sl st to first sc. (36 sts)

R4: ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and 2 ch ) dc in same space. *skip next 2 sc. dc, ch2, dc in same sc* (to form a V stitch) repeat all the way around. Join with a sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch. (12 V sts formed)

R5: ch 3. 4 dc in each 2 ch space (ch 3 counts as your first dc). Join with a sl st to top of beginning ch. (12 fans formed)

R6: Ch 3. Dc in each of the next 36 sts. (37 total, as ch 3 counts as your first dc) Leave remaining 11 sts. TURN.

R7: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch) dc into same st. *skip next 2 dc. 5 dc in next dc. Skip next 2 dc. 1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc* repeat to end. TURN.

R8: ch 3, 2 dc in 2ch space. *skip next 2 dc. 1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc (middle of shell from previous row). Skip next 3dc. 5 dc in next 2 ch space* repeat until end, placing 3 dc in last space at end of row. TURN.

R9: ch 4, dc in same space. *skip next 3 dc. 5 dc in next 2 ch space. Skip next 2 dc. 1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc (middle of shell from previous row)* repeat to end. TURN.

*You can repeat R8 and R9 for a deeper bonnet, but I don't. That's one of the things I love most about this bonnet - the fact that it doesn't cover the head, it cups it.

R10: ch 3, 2 dc in 2 ch space. *skip 3 dc. Sc in next dc. (middle of shell) Skip 3 dc. 5 dc in next 2 ch space* repeat until you get to last 2 ch space. 3 dc in last 2 ch space. Ch 50 (or desired length) for ties. TURN.

R11: sc in 1st ch from hook and in each remaining chs. sc evenly across back of bonnet. Ch 50 when you get to the opposite corner. TURN. (I try to keep my scs along the ch 50 pretty tight, as that's what causes the ties to curl. Apparently that's not desirable in crochet, but I like it so whatever.)

R12: sc in 1st ch from hook and in each remaining chs. Sc across the front of the bonnet. Cast off. Weave in ends.

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My precioussss...