Thirty years later....Brook's Cap--my Valentine's gift to you

Brook and I are old friends; we go back to the late 80s.  She is also a fiber fanatic; she crocheted this cranberry cap when she was in her 30s (before we met) and didn't have a pattern.  She has mentioned it over the years and I finally pinned her down and made her send the cap to me.

We lived in the same community for 20 years.  I still feel I can safely say that we have talked daily for over 30 years.  That is not an exaggeration...it seems to average out to that.

We used to even swap furniture---yes, you read that right.  She has been a widow for almost 20 years and we would find some poor unsuspecting soul (male, with muscles) and use her van or his truck and swap mostly couches, if I remember correctly.

When we tired of the furniture, we'd swap it back.  Those days still make me chuckle.

     The cranberry cap came on Thursday this week.  I grabbed what I felt was comparable thread and really went to work.  The ivory cap is the result.
 

I give the pattern to you as a Valentine's gift.  The rights are mine; please don't take credit for the pattern but you are welcome to work it up and do with as you wish.
 

    I sent it out to her with Friday's mail.  I am hopeful that it will fit; she has directives that if not, she is to send it back and I'll make it right.  She can read a pattern so I would change the pattern to fit her perfectly.

(PostScript:  She now has it and  I went back and shortened it to fit her better.  The pattern now represents that.  You can still make it longer (deeper) as the instructions explain.)

 

Brook’s Cap

copyright 2017

All rights reserved.

 

Bernat Handcraft size 5 perle thread, one 400 yd. ball

Size B crochet hook

This cap is worked from the crown down. 

Ch 5; sl st to first ch to form ring; ch 2.

Row 1:  Dc 12 dc in ring.   Sl st to first dc.  Ch 2. 

Row 2:Work 2 dc in next dc (you just sl stitched into this) and in each dc around ; sl st to first dc; (24 dc). Ch 2.

Row 3: *Work 1 dc in next dc; 2 dc in next dc….work from * around. (30 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 4: *Work 1 dc in each of next 2 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (36 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 5: *Work 1 dc in each of next 3 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (42 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 6: *Work 1 dc in each of next 4 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (48 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 7: *Work 1 dc in each of next 5 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (54 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 8: *Work 1 dc in each of next 6 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (60 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 9: *Work 1 dc in each of next 7 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (66 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 10: *Work 1 dc in each of next 8 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (72 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 11: *Work 1 dc in each of next 9 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (78 dc)  Ch 2.

Row 12: *Work 1 dc in each of next 10 dc; 2 dc in next dc…work from * around. (84 dc)  Ch 2.

This completes the crown; if you have a large head, continue on with the increases for a few more

rows.

Pattern Row 1: Work 1 dc in first dc; ch 3; *skip 3 dc; 2 dc in next dc; ch 3…work from * around.

You now have 2-dc groupings with 3-ch loops inbetween.  Sl st into first 3-ch loop.  Ch 2.

 

Pattern Row 2: Work 5 dc in each loop, skipping 2-dc groups.  Just work in loops.  Sl st to first

dc, sl st to third dc.  Ch 2.

 

Work Pattern Rows  1 and 2, six  more times.  Try cap on.  You have THREE final rows to complete; determine how “long” you want the cap to be making sure to consider the three rows you will work to finish cap.  Work additional Rows 1 and 2 if you need to for a better fit.

Row 1 on Finish: Instead of Ch 2 at end of previous Row 2 of pattern, Ch 3 (after joining round).

*Skip 2 dc; dc in next dc, ch 1; skip next dc; dc in next dc, ch 1; work from * around….join to 2^nd of Ch 3.

Row 2 on Finish: Sl st into first ch-1 loop; ch 2, dc in same loop; *ch 3, skip next loop, 2 dc in next loop…work from * around to last loop, ch 2 and sl st to first dc.  Sl st into first loop and ch 2.

 

Row 3 on Finish: Work 4 dc in loop; *5 dc in next loop….work from * around…Sl st to first dc.  Leave a tail and weave in ends.

UPDATE 3-6-17
Brook says it is a perfect fit IF it is 1" shorter.  I will make note when I make a second one so I can tell her how many pattern rows I used for the perfect fit.