crafting with grandma . . . Let's Make a Dinosaur Hat!

When my grandsons were younger I made hats for them each year for part of their Christmas gifts. When my oldest grandson was just three, he thought a dinosaur hat would be a good idea . . . and of course he was correct! A dinosaur hat was a wonderful idea!

I found a dinosaur hat among the free crochet patterns Red Heart had on their site and modified it a bit to work with the yarn I had. It only took a few hours to make and my grandson was quite happy to receive it. His hat - as you can see, was green with spikes, a tail and yellow spots. I always add a heart to the things I crochet for children, so of course I had to add a heart to this dino!  I used Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in green, yellow and funny prints so the hat was tremendously soft and very warm!

If you would like to make this hat for the dino fan on your gift list, you'll need a "J" crochet hook, two skeins of your main color, one for your spikes and one for the spots.

Directions -

Hat - 

• Beginning at top of hat with A, ch 4; join into a ring with slip st in first ch.
• Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), 11 dc in ring; join with a slip st in top of beginning ch 3 – 12 dc.
• Round 2: Ch 3, dc in first st, 2 dc in each dc around; join with a slip st in top of beginning ch 3 – 24 dc.
• Round 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in next dc, *dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc; repeat from * around, join with a slip st in top of beginning ch 3 – 36 dc.
• Round 4: Ch 3, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, *dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc; repeat from * around, join with a slip st in top of beginning ch 3 – 48 dc.
• Round 5: Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, *dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc; repeat from * around, join with a slip st in top of beginning ch 3 – 60 dc.
• Rounds 6-12: Ch 3, dc in each dc around, join with a slip st in top of beginning ch 3.
• Round 13: Ch 1, turn project around and sc in each stitch around, join with a slip in top of beginning ch 1, fasten off.

Scales -

• With B, ch 43.
• Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across, turn – 42 sc.
• Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next 6 sc, turn. 
• Row 3: Ch 1, sc2tog over next 2 sc, sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog over next 2 sc, turn. 
• Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. 
• Row 5: Ch 1, [sc2tog over next 2 sc] twice, turn. 
• Row 6: Ch 1, sc2tog over next 2 sc, work 4 sc evenly spaced down side of scale.
• Row 7: Sc in next 6 sc in Row 1.
• Repeat Rows 3-7 (5 times); then repeat Rows 3-6 once, turn
• Row 8: Sc in each st - 42 sc
• Repeat rows 2 - 7 six times to make spikes, then matching bottom edge of hat, sew middle of spikes to hat going up and over the crown of the hat.  
• Fold spikes and crochet spikes together - see photo for what completed hat with spikes will look like

Tail scales -

• With B, ch 26.
• Row 1: Slip st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 1, *3 dc in next ch, skip next ch, slip st in next ch**, ch 1; repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **. Fasten off. 

Tail -

• With A, ch 2.
• Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, do not join. Work in a spiral, marking beginning of each round, moving marker up as work progresses.
• Round 2: Sc in each sc around.
• Round 3: *Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 8 sc.
• Round 4: *Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 10 sc.
• Round 5: *Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 12 sc.
• Round 6: Sc in each sc around.
• Round 7: *Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 15 sc.
• Rounds 8-9: Sc in each sc around.
• Round 10: *Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 18 sc.
• Repeat rounds until your tail is the proper length for your scales. Fasten off. Sew scales to top center of tail. Sew tail to hat matching scales.

Spots -

• Large Spot (make 2) With C, ch 2.
• Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, do not join, work in a spiral as before.
• Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around – 12 sc.
• Round 3: *Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around – 18 sc.
• Round 4: *Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * 
• around – 24 sc. Fasten off, leaving long sewing length.
• Medium Spot (make 2) 
• Work same as Large Spot through Round 3. Fasten off, leaving long sewing length.

Heart -

• Ch 2
• Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook
• Row 2: ch 1, 3 sc in sc
• Row 3: ch 1, sc in each sc across
• Row 4: ch 1, 2 sc in first sc, sc, 2 sc in last sc
• Row 5: ch 1, sc in first 3 sc, turn
• Row 6: ch 1, sc two together, sc two together, turn
• Row 7: ch 1, sc two together, fasten off
• Row 8: attach yarn in the 3rd stitch in row 4 and repeat rows 5 - 7, fasten off leaving a length to sew heart to hat

This is it! Have fun making dinosaur hats for the little ones in your life!