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"A Little Mouse" - Crocheted Hat and Diaper Cover

An acquaintance of mine asked me if I would knit a "mouse" hat and a diaper cover for her new born to be photographed in it. She provided an image with an idea and I designed my own version.
The requirements for the hat and soaker (diaper cover) were - they should look as simple and classy as possible (no pointy nose with whiskers on front of the hat). They should be in a mousy color, should have ears, and the soaker should have a little tail (I yet have to add this little tail to the back of the soaker).

We went to a local yarn store to pick out a yarn together. Her first baby was petite, and she thinks her second baby will be petite as well, so we decided to concentrate on "dk" thickness of the yarn. We picked out a beautiful wool that has cashmere-merino-silk content, in a mousy brown color, and is an Italian import. The yarn is designed for babies. It is very soft, and very easy to work with.

My design is fairly easy and pretty much straight forward, so it should be "do-able" even for an advanced beginner, or any talented beginner.

You need to know how to crochet these stitches: single crochet stitch, double crochet stitch, triple crochet stitch, half double crochet stitch, and you need to know how to do double crochet decrease. 

This pattern is for personal use only. However, if you use this pattern for making (crocheting) baby hat and diaper cover, you may sell the hand made product.

Size: Newborn

Measurements:

  • hat circumference 12.5"
  • hat height 5"
  • soakers height 6"
  • soakers width 14"-15" (can stretch up to 16")


Material:
  • 2 skeins of Sublime, baby cashmere merino silk dk, shade 0275 (127 yards each skein),  or any dk yarn of your choice
  • hook size E/4 (US)
  • scissors

Abreviations:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
st(s) - stitch(es)
tr - triple crochet
hdc - half double crochet
RS - Right Side
WS - Wrong Side
dc dec - double crochet decrease

Step-by-step instructions:

Hat

Row 1          ch6, join
Rnd 2           ch1, 9 sc, join
Rnd 3           ch3, 1 dc into ch3 base, *[ 2 dc into next st]* - repeat from * to *; join ( total 20 sts = 19 dc + initial ch3)
Rnd 4           ch3, *[ 2 dc into next st, 1 dc into next st]* - repeat from * to *, finish with 2 dc into last st; join ( total 30 sts = 29 dc + initial ch3)
Rnd 5           ch3, 1 dc into next st, *[2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of the next two sts]* - repeat from * to *, finish with 2 dc into last st; join ( total 40 sts = 39 dc + initial ch3)
Rnd 6           ch3, 1 dc into each of the next two sts, *[2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of the next three sts]* - repeat from * to *, finish with 2 dc into last st; join ( total 50 sts = 49 dc + initial ch3)
Rnd 7           ch3, 1 dc into each of the next three sts, *[2 dc into next st, 1 dc into each of the next four sts]* - repeat from * to *, finish with 2 dc into last st; join (total 60 sts = 59 dc + initial ch3)
Rnd 8-14      ch3, 1 dc into each of the 59 sts, join (total 60 sts = 59 dc + initial ch3)

Finish by crocheting an edge around your hat. I chose a back single crochet stitch, but you can crochet around a regular single crochet stitch, or even a picot stitch. Make sure you do not crochet around the edge too tight. When finished, weave in all your ends.


Ears
  • Left Ear
Fold the hat in half, with back seem (a vertical line of "ch3" above each other) in the middle and with front facing you semi-sideways, with the hat's top toward the the left.

Row 1
Insert hook into a spot between Rnds 5 & 6 and make ch4, then attach "the ch4" with sl st to one of the dc in the Rnd 7. Make 11 tr in the same spot where you started ch4 (total 12 st = 11 tr + ch4) and sl st last tr into one of the dc in the Rnd 4. Turn your hat so the back of the hat is facing you.

Row 2
Crochet into each st as follows: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 tr, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, sl st into dc

  • Right Ear - this will be a mirror image of the left ear 
Fold the hat in half, with back seem (a vertical line of "ch3" above each other) in the middle and with front facing you semi-sideways, with the hat's top toward the right).

Row 1
Insert hook into a spot between Rnds 5 & 6 and make ch4, then attach the ch4 with sl st to one of the dc in the Rnd 4. Make 11 tr in the same spot where you started ch4 (total 12 st = 11 tr + ch4) and sl st last tr into one of the dc in the Rnd 7. Turn your hat so the back of the hat is facing you.

Row 2
Crochet into each st as follows: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 tr, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, sl st into dc

When finished with the ears, pull both ends inside, tie them and weave them in.


Diaper Cover, or so called Soaker

Row 1           ch82
Row 2           (RS) sc into 2nd ch from end, 1 sc into each st (total 80 sc)
Row 3-7        ch3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc into each st (total 79 dc + ch3)
Row 8           (RS) ch1, 1 sc into each st (total 80 st), sl st and cut of the yarn

Row 9           (WS) skip 18 st then start crocheting: ch3, 1 dc into each st from prev. row - total 43 dc (you will have left 18 sts at the end), turn your item to crochet on RS
Row 10         (RS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)

Row 11         (WS) ch3, 1 dc into each st from prev. row (total 41 dc + ch3)
Row 12         (RS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)

Row 13         (WS) ch3, 1 dc into each st from prev. row (total 39 dc + ch3)
Row 14         (RS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)

Row 15         (WS) ch3, 1 dc into each st from prev. row (total 37 dc + ch3)
Row 16         (RS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)

Row 17         (WS) ch3, 1 dc into each st from prev. row (total 35 dc + ch3)
Row 18         (RS) (RS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)

Row 19         (RS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)
Row 20         (WS) ch3, 1 dc dec, 1 dc into each st from prev. row until last three sts, 1 dc dec , 1 dc into last st (you decreased by two sts)
Row 21-32    ch3, 1 dc into each st from prev. row (total 29 dc + ch3)

Finish by crocheting an edge around your diaper cover. I chose a back single crochet stitch, but you can crochet around a regular single crochet stitch, or even a picot stitch. Make sure you do not crochet around the edge too tight. Sew on three little buttons. When finished, weave in all your ends.