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Make this Free Crochet Pattern for a crocodile stitch baby bonnet.

It Won’t Bite! Crocodile Stitch Baby Bonnet Pattern

Hook: 5.00 (H)
Yarn: Bernat Cotton-ish (Colour Used: Cotton Gin)

Finished Dimensions: to fit a 16″ to 17″ head size, finished height 5.75″

Abbreviations: R: row/round, fsc: foundation single crochet, ch – chain, ehdc – extended half double crochet, st – stitch, sts – stitches, sl st – slip stitch, bl – back loop, fl – front loop, sc – single crochet, hdc – half double crochet, bphdc – back post half double crochet, fphdc – front post half double crochet, ch1sp – chain 1 space

Stitch Anatomy:

Special Stitches:

fsc – foundation single crochet – see Tutorials

Extended Half Double Crochet (ehdc) – Yarn over the hook, insert the hook into the next st, yarn over and pull up 1 loop (3 loops are on the hook). Yarn over and pull through 1 loop (3 loops on the hook). Yarn over and pull through the remaining 3 loops on the hook.

V-Stitch: the V-Stitch in this project is created by working (1 hdc, ch 1, 1 hdc) all in one stitch and then, skip 2 stitches

Crocodile Stitch: the Crocodile Stitch in this project is created by working 4 hdc around the post of the first hdc in the v-stitch, ch 1, work 4 hdc around the post of the 2nd hdc in the v-stitch

fphdc – Front Post Half Double Crochet: Yarn over the hook, insert your hook from the front of the stitch to the back of the stitch (around the post of the stitch) to the front of the stitch; yarn over and pull up 1 loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on hook.

bphdc – Back Post Half Double Crochet: Yarn over the hook, insert your hook from the back of the stitch to the front of the stitch (around the post of the stitch) to the back of the stitch; yarn over and pull up 1 loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on hook.

Helpful Tutorials:

Crocodile Stitch – this tutorial shows the stitch using double crochet stitches – the process is identical only remember to use half double crochet stitches for the bonnet

Whipstitch

Standing Single Crochet Stitch

Foundation Single Crochet

It Won’t Bite! Crocodile Stitch Baby Bonnet

Part 1: The Basic Bonnet

R1: 36 fsc, ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), work 1 ehdc in each st across, turn (36)

R2: ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), work 1 ehdc in each st across, turn (36)

R3-R12: repeat R2

You now have a rectangle. This rectangle should measure approximately 11″ long and 5.25″ wide.  Fold the rectangle in half and sl st up the back seam to the fold, using the bl of the top layer and fl of the bottom layer. Finish off and weave in ends.

 

Join yarn with a standing sc stitch (see tutorials) and work 50 sc stitches evenly around the base (neckline) of the bonnet. Finish off and weave in ends.

Part 2: Crocodile Stitch Band

V-Stitch: 1 hdc, ch 1, 1 hdc all in the same stitch
Crocodile Stitch: 4 hdc around the post of the first hdc in the v-stitch, ch 1, work 4 hdc around the post of the 2nd hdc in the v-stitch

R1: ch 50

R2: ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook, [skip 2 sts, V-Stitch] 15 times, skip 2 sts, 2 hdc in the last st, turn. (15 V-Stitches)

R3: ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), 1 hdc in the next st.

Now you will be working in the v-stitches across the row:

(Crocodile Stitch in the 1st V-Stitch), (Work 1 sl st in the next ch1sp, Crocodile Stitch in the next V-Stitch) 7 times, 1 hdc in the next st, 1 hdc in the top of the ch 2. Turn.

R4: ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), 1 hdc in the next st.

You will now be working in each ch1sp from R2. When doing this you work in the ch1sp in the centre of each crocodile stitch and then around both the sl st from R3 and the ch1sp from R2 between each set of scales.

Work 1 V-Stitch (1 hdc, ch 1, 1 hdc) in each ch1sp from R2 making sure to work around both the ch1 and the sl st in between each scale. Work 1 hdc in the last st and 1 hdc in the top of the ch 2, turn. (15 V-Stitches)

R5:  ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), 1 hdc in the next st. (Work 1 sl st in the next ch1sp, work 1 Crocodile Stitch in the next V-Stitch) 7 times; 1 hdc in the last hdc, 1 hdc in the turning ch, turn

R6: ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), 1 hdc in the next st.

You will now be working in the ch1sp from R4 in each scale and the around the ch1sp and sl st in between each set of scales.

Work 1 V-Stitch (1 hdc, ch 1, 1 hdc) in each ch 1 space from R4 making sure to work around both the ch 1 and sl st in between each scale. Work 1 hdc in the last st and 1 hdc in the top of the ch 2. Turn. (15 v stitches)

R7: ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), 1 hdc in the next st.  (Work 1 Crocodile Stitch in the 1st V-Stitch), (1 sl st in the next ch1sp, 1 Crocodile Stitch in the next V-Stitch) 7 times; 1 hdc in the next st, 1 hdc in the top of the ch 2. Turn.

R8: ch 1, 1 sc in each of the first 2 sts,

You will now be working in the ch1sp from R6 in each scale and around the ch1sp and sl st in between each set of scales.

Work 2 sc in each ch1sp from R6 making sure to work around both the ch 1 and sl st in between each scale. (You will have 30 sc stitches), work 1 sc in the next st and 1 sc in the top of the ch 2. Finish off and weave in ends.

Finishing:

Joining the Crocodile Stitch Band

Now line up your crocodile stitch band to the front of the bonnet. You will be attaching the band to the bonnet using single crochet stitches worked through both layers.

Step 1: Ch 50.

Step 2: Find the front corner of the bonnet and the band. Insert your hook through both layers (the band and the bonnet) and work 1 sc stitch.

Step 3: Work 1 sc through both layers all the way around the front of the bonnet.

Step 4: Chain 50 additional stitches. Finish off and weave in ends.

Using a whip-stitch (see tutorials) join the other three edges of the Crocodile Stitch Band to the bonnet. Finish off and weave in ends.

Finishing the Neckline

Step 5: Next, join your yarn with a sl st to the first sc of the neckline after the crocodile stitch edging. Work (1 fphdc in the 1st st, 1 bphdc in the next st) around the neckline to the last sc before the crocodile stitch edging on the other side. Work 1 sl st in the last sc. Ch 1, turn.

Work 1 fphdc around each fphdc and 1 bphdc around each bphdc to the last sl st. Work 1 sl st in the sl st. Finish off and weave in ends.

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