I have been a terrible blogger lately!  We had such a busy summer and have been spending time getting re-settled, re-organized and adjusting to the back-to-school routine since arriving home from Mexico.  But I hope to get back to blogging again now that life is becoming a little more predictable.

So today I am starting anew with a free crochet pattern!

The story behind this pattern:
My sister works in an NICU and made a request this summer for a crochet pattern for a preemie / newborn pumpkin hat as she and some of her co-workers were hoping to make some for all of the infants in their nursery for Halloween.   She wasn’t aware that I was already writing a pattern for a Jack-o’-Lantern / Pumpkin beanie for my shop!  I was happy to change it up a bit and add some teeny tiny sizes to the pattern and decided to post it here so that (hopefully!) many other generous souls will use it to bless the families of tiny little fighters in hospitals everywhere.

This pattern has been altered somewhat from my original pattern and does not include the Jack-o’-Lantern features or larger sizes.  If you wish to purchase the full pattern (with sizes from 0 mos right up to adults), you may do so HERE.

If you get a chance to try this pattern, please leave a comment with your feedback!  And I am always open to pattern suggestions for future blogs as well.  And, as always, if you’re able to get photos of your project in use (or not in use), I would love to see them!  Share them with me via email: BusyMomDesigns@gmail.com or on the Busy Mom Designs Facebook page.

©COPYRIGHT INFO:
Feel free to use this pattern for your own personal and charity use.
As always, you may sell items made from this pattern, but you must state that you used a free pattern from Busy Mom Designs and include a link to this original blog post.
Feel free to link this pattern to your blog or elsewhere, but pattern and photos may not be copied in any way without direct written permission from myself.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the pattern!

~~~~~~~~~~

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PUMPKIN HAT PATTERN (PDF)

~~~~~~~~~~

Preemie / Newborn Baby Pumpkin Hat

Crochet Pumpkin Hat Pattern – Preemie to Newborn

 Designed by Tricia Roberts
Busy Mom Designs 

Materials Required:

• 5mm (H/8) crochet hook for stem (preemie) and vine (all sizes)

• 5.5mm (I/9) crochet hook for preemie hat and stem of newborn hat

• 6mm (J/10) crochet hook for newborn hat

• Up to 50g worsted weight yarn – orange 

• Small amount of worsted weight yarn – brown (for stem)

• Small amount of light or worsted weight yarn – green (for vine)

• Stitch marker

• Yarn needle

  
  

Skill Level:

 Advanced beginner

Stitch Gauge:

With 5.5mm (I/9) crochet hook and working in the following stitch pattern: *hdc, hdc, fphdc*: 
6 hdc = 2"   
3 hdc rounds = 1"

Terms:

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

dc: double crochet

sl st: slip stitch

st: stitch

sts: stitches

FO: fasten off

*_*: stitches between asterisks are to be repeated

Sizes: 

Preemie 1 - 8-10" head circumference

Preemie 2 - 10-12" head circumference

Newborn – 12-14" head circumference

Notes:

• If pattern says “hdc 2″, hdc one time in the next 2 stitches. If pattern says “2hdc”, complete 2 hdc stitches in one stitch.

• To avoid an obvious seam, each hdc round begins with “ch 1, hdc in same st“. This completes your first st and counts as just one st in your final stitch count.

• If pattern says to hdc in “first” or “same” st, stitch in the same st as the beginning ch 1. If pattern says to hdc in “next” st or “following“, stitch in the following stitch.

• Instructions for scalloped or standard edging included.

• Instructions for all preemie sizes are included. For the newborn size, you will be completing the pattern by the “preemie 2″ instructions, but using a larger hook.

Special Stitches:

Front Post Half-Double Crochet (fphdc): Begin this stitch by yarning over. Insert your hook (front to back) below the top of the stitch (in between the posts of the stitch you will be working in and the previous stitch) then back again (back to front) between the posts of the current stitch and following stitch. You should now have one loop on your hook as well as the “post” of the current stitch. Yarn over and pull up a loop, (the post will no longer be on your hook). Yarn over and pull through all remaining loops on hook. (1 fphdc completed)

Working in BLO (back loop only): When crocheting a stitch, you usually insert your hook into 2 loops of a stitch on the previous row/round. When workin in BLO, instead of inserting your hook into 2 loops, you will be skipping over the front loop (the loop nearest to you) and inserting the hook only under the back loop. 

Hat Instructions (all sizes):