cupcakes!

Do you ever get tired of simple patterns, that costs you an arm and a leg?

Thats how I feel about the popular cupcake and owl patterns. how can you charge for something so simple? The argument is that you put thought into it, and people are not interested in putting their own brain to the task of working the pattern out. They are willing to pay for the convenience of having this pattern written out for them to use.

I honestly just want to spread the joy of knitting and crochet to the masses.

This is crocheted with two tones of Caron Simply Soft, and an I hook. You can use any yarn you want, and any hook that coordinates with it.

This is a newborn- 6 months, but you can also size it however you want, just keep expanding the pattern, until it's the size you want it.

Special stitches:

double puff: yo, insert hook in next stitch, pull loop through, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo insert hook in same stitch, yo, pull loop through, yo, pull through 2 loop son hook, yo, pull through all loops on hook, you have just made 1 puff.... sounds complicated, I promise, it isnt.

Alternative: just use regular dbl, as you would normally start a hat.

Scallop: 6dbl in 2nd st from hook, *skip 1 st, sc in next, skip 1 st, 6 dbl in next stitch* to end

Additional Materials:
about 36-50 small beads, if your yarn is too thick for your beads, you will need to find coordinating or matching thread.

This hat is made in two parts, the "cake" and the Frosting.

Cake:
Foundation: Chain 11
Row 1, hdb in back loop of 3rd chain from hook, hdb in back loop only across, chain 1
Row 2: repeat row 1 until piece measures the circumference of the head of the person you are crocheting for. Note: if this is for an older child or an adult, increase your beginning chain, the cake section should be about half the distance from the forehead edge tot he crown of the head.

When you make this long enough, sc the edges together, making sure there are no twists in the "cake" section, the part that has the ridge from the sc will be put inside.

To ease connecting the 2 pieces later, sc around edge as evenly as you can, you only need to do this on 1 edge.

Frosting:

You will either a) string the beads onto the yarn, don't cut the yarn or tie it off, just leave it on the skein, and string the beads straight onto it, or b) if the yarn is too thick, string your beads onto the thread, you will crochet the thread along with the yarn for the desired sprinkles effect. Just move the beads up to the hook as desired... confused? look up any video on youtube for "crocheting with beads"

Foundation/ Round 1: Chain 2, create 1 puff in 2nd chain from hook, chain 1, create a 2nd puff, chain 1, until you have 6 puffs, chain 1, connect to top of the start chain with a sl st.

Round 2: sl to 1st ch 1 space, chain 1, *create 1 puff, chain 1, create 2nd puff in same ch sp, chain 1* repeat between *-* to end, connect to top of start with sl st.

Round 3:  sl to next ch 1 sp. Ch 1, *create 1st puff, chain 1 create 2nd puff in same ch sp, ch 1, create 1 puff in next ch sp, ch 1* around, connect to top of start chain with sl st.

you will continue this pattern, doing 1 puff, ch 1 in each single puff from the previous row, and 2 puffs with a ch between and after them in the "v stitch" sections from the row behind. This will cause the piece to expand outward in a hexagon, stop this increase when your top is as close tot eh circumference of your base "cake", from here, you will omit the increase stitches.

Creating height: sl to next ch sp, ch 1, create puff in same stitch, ch 1, *create puff, ch 1* to end
Repeat this row until it is the same distance from row 4 to the edge as the base "cake" is from top to bottom.

Putting them together:
Lay the "cake" inside the "frosting" the seam should be against the inside of the frosting and the sc'ed edge should be against the last row of "frosting".

Using the same yarn as you used for the frosting part, sc around the 2 pieces, making sure to pick up the stitch from both pieces, this will attach them to each other, and give you a base for the scallops. when you get to the end, slip to first stitch, do not ch 1.

Scallop around edge, fasten off, weave in ends.

Note: to save time, crochet ends from "cake" by tucking it inside the stitches connecting the two pieces., then you only have 1 end to weave in in the end.

Finishing: Add a large red bead or sew a red pom pom on top for the cherry.

If this was confusing, let me know in the comments, I'll try to explain it better, or put up pictures, or something.

Ravel it... http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/with-a-cherry-on-top