Punkin Face

Before the twins were born, I decided not to make them any pumpkins. They weren’t due until late November, after all, and I thought that if I made pumpkiny things they wouldn’t get to wear them. (Or worse, that it would jinx them and they’d be born in time for Halloween.) Of course, they did end up being born in mid-October, and while they were in the NICU I quickly made up a pair of tiny pumpkin hats. You remember:

My poor little babies!

Aww. My poor, tiny little babies! Anyway, I had multiple requests for the pumpkin hat pattern as soon as I got it together. Which has been, you know, almost three months. It’s been fun, though – getting things together again, finishing projects, publishing patterns…these are all things I used to do, before. It’s refreshing. But – to the pattern!

Materials

  • Vanna’s Choice, (100% Acrylic, 170 yds per 100g skein) 40 yds Rust, 10 yds olive
  •  H/8 (5.00mm) hook

Gauge: 7 sts x 6 rows = 2 inches in BLO sc

Size: to fit 13″ head (large preemie, small newborn)

Directions:

Row 1: With Rust, ch 19. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each across. (18 sc) Turn.

Row 2: Ch 1; working in BLO (back loop only), sc in each st across. (18 sc) Turn.

Repeat row 2 until piece measures 11″ in length. (To adjust for large newborn, add 2 more inches here.) Sl st first row and last row together through back loops. Finish off.

Bottom Border:  With Olive, join at edge. Ch 1, sc in each row around. Join rnd, finish off.

Top: With Olive, join at edge. Sl st one st in each row around, join. Ch 1, sc dec around, join.  Continue decreasing around until top is almost completely closed.

Stem:  Ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook and each across. (3 sc) Sl st into crown of hat. Ch 21; skip first ch from hook, sc inc into each chain across.  (40 sc) Sl st into crown, finish off. Weave in all ends.

I hope you enjoy the pattern, and please let me know if you have any questions or problems.

23 comments

  1. Annette says:

    What beautiful babes! Thanks for the pattern. I do most of my crochet for a local Pregnancy Ministry Charity–so lots of easy baby items. Will definitely put this to use.

  2. Melissa says:

    You have beautiful babies!! I’m new to crochet, but hope to give your pattern a try before October, so I can have my (soon to be 3 yr old) baby be a punkin face too..lol. Good luck with your babies!!

  3. bezzie says:

    Look how big they’ve gotten! Have you found their “pause” buttons yet???

    Love that pattern. Almost makes me wanna go out and have a Halloween baby to complement my Thanksgiving and Christmas boys! LOL!

  4. Abi says:

    Such a cute hat! I’ll have to make a bigger one for my baby this October. Hmmm, she’ll be about 21 months by then, what do you recommend to make the hat bigger?

      • Melissa says:

        To make the hat bigger, make your chain longer (it goes from brim to crown) and work it for more rows (until you can pull it around their head. Just remember that hats need negative ease, so make it a little bit smaller than the circumference of the head.

        I think the rest of the pattern should be good, although you may want to make the stem or vine longer to adjust for scale.

    • Nell Shimek says:

      I am excited to see this pattern and was looking fror another, I even have a picture of this. I need a pattern for a Dallas Cowboy(colors could always be changed)crochet helmet for an infant (3 months)If you email me I can send a picture of it. Than

  5. Ann Majors says:

    I’d love to make one for my grand daughter now 1yr old.. Sized for her head and how many stiches and rows are needed… also would like the cap to have ties to keep her from just pulling it off.. Want to have matching mittens with connecting rope to keep from loosing the mittens.. do you know what I mean?? Ann Majors

  6. Leighann Barney says:

    Love these hats i also have twins i carried them till 38 weeks and they are now going to be three in feb anyways cannot wait to try to make this hat so adorable wish i would have found this when i was pregnant.

  7. Kathy says:

    I’m having a problem on the stem I ch 4 and sc 3 and them sl st in crown once ???? or do I sl st all of the small stem then ch 21 I’m confused?? Please help
    Kathy

  8. Donna Littlefield says:

    Hi Melissa,
    First I hope your boys are doing excellent these days. I too am LDS. One of my children was a preemie too…our only son. We had some scary moments as I am sure you did. We are significantly older than you in that the son spoken of is now almost 28 and a recently returned sailor from Iraq. I wanted to thank you for this pattern as I have been making for the last 3 years baby hats for the babies in the NICU at a local hospital. I designed my own pattern because there really aren’t to many preemie patterns available. Most of them really are to big for the little 6 pound or less baby. I will be borrowing your pattern for this next Halloween for the Preemies at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa.

    Thank you so much hun

  9. Kim Lunsford says:

    I just wanted to say there is a mistake on the stem. It says to chain 21 and then sc into each ch across for a total of 40 sc. But that would be 2sc in each chain across,just saying. Thanks for sharing this pattern I made one today and it turned out so cute!

    • Melissa says:

      Hi Kim! It actually says to ‘sc inc’ across, or sc increase, which is two sts in each st. I’m glad you were able to figure it out anyway! (That’s one reason I try to always include stitch counts.)

  10. tina says:

    Hi, I made your hat but i am stuck on the top. you say to slip stitch does that mean folding it together and slip stitching front and back or slip stiching all along the edge?

  11. mary j says:

    Hello Hello – downloaded the “punkin face” a couple of years ago and now want to make another hat…………regarding the stem: can’t remember if these direction include the stem and the twirly vine – so cute and ready to crochet !

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