Brrrrr!

I can already feel the weather changing here in Michigan. Soon we’ll be bundling ourselves up like eskimos to go outside. What better way to finish off your cold-weather ensemble than a cute polar bear hat?

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POLAR BEAR HAT (SIZE 6-12 MONTHS)

Finished Size: Approximately 8.25″ wide x 5.75″ tall
Stitches Used: Ch, Sl St, SC, HDC, SC2TOG, HDC2TOG
Yarn: Medium, worsted weight yarn, 1 skein of white (such as RED HEART With Love), and bulky fur-like yarn, 1 skein of white (such as RED HEART Buttercup)
Hooks: Size I (5.50mm) for base, and size H (5.00mm) for features
Notes: Pattern is written in American standard terms.
Gauge: With 5.5mm (US I-9) hook, 4 rounds = 3.5 in (9 cm). CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

The Ch1 at the beginning of rounds DOES NOT count as a stitch.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

BASE (WORKED IN CONTINUOUS ROUNDS; USE STITCH MARKER TO MARK BEGINNING OF ROUNDS)

With I HOOK, begin with a Magic Circle (MC).

Round 1: Ch 1; 10 HDC in MC. (10)
Round 2: (2 HDC in next St) around. (20)
Round 3: (2 HDC in next St, HDC in next St) around. (30)
Round 4: (2 HDC in next St, HDC in next 2 Sts) around. (40)
Round 5: (2 HDC in next St, HDC in next 3 Sts) around. (50)
Rounds 6-15: HDC around. (50)

DO NOT fasten off; continue to “Earflaps” instructions.

EARFLAPS (WORKED IN ROWS)

With I HOOK,

Row 1: Sl St to next St. Ch 1, SC in same St and in next 8 Sts; Ch 1, turn. (9)
Row 2: SC across; Ch 1, turn. (9)
Row 3: SC across; Ch 1, turn. (9)
Row 4: SC2TOG, SC in next 5 Sts, SC2TOG; Ch 1, turn. (7)
Row 5: SC across; Ch 1, turn. (7)
Row 6: SC2TOG, SC in next 3 Sts, SC2TOG; Ch 1, turn. (5)
Row 7: HDC2TOG, DC, HDC2TOG (3)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

To complete 2^nd earflap, beginning at the base of the first earflap (the opposite side from which you started), and continuing on across the front of the hat, count over 19 Sts. Attach yarn. Ch 1, SC in same St and in next 8 Sts; Ch 1, turn. Repeat Rows 2-7 above.

DO NOT fasten off; continue on to “Edging” instructions.

EDGING (WORKED IN JOINED ROUNDS)

With I HOOK,

Round 1: Ch 1. SC in same St and in each St around, working evenly along sides of earflaps, and including an extra SC at the tip of each earflap. Join with a Sl St into the first SC. Fasten off; weave in ends.
Round 2: Switch to FUR YARN. Attach yarn to a St at the back of the hat; Ch1. SC in same St and in each St around, adding an extra SC at the tip of each earflap. Join with a Sl St into the first SC. Fasten off; weave in ends.

EARS (MAKE 2; WORKED IN CONTINUOUS ROUNDS)

With H HOOK, begin with a Magic Circle (MC).

Round 1: Ch 1; 6 HDC in MC. (6)
Round 2: (2 HDC in next St) around. (12)
Round 3: (2 HDC in next St, HDC in next St) around. (18)
Round 4: (2 HDC in next St, HDC in next 2 Sts) around. (24)
Round 5: HDC around. (24)
Round 6: HDC2TOG around. (12)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for attaching to hat.

SNOUT

With H HOOK, begin with a Magic Circle (MC).

Round 1: Ch 1; 8 SC in MC. (8)
Round 2: (2 SC in next St) around. (16)
Round 3: (2 SC in next St, SC in next St) around. (24)
Rounds 4-5: SC around. (24)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for attaching to hat.

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Nose: Cut a rounded triangle nose from black felt. (Templates available with full pattern purchase.) Sew to snout using black thread (or attach with washable fabric glue), placing the bottom point of the nose on the center of the snout.

Snout: Using long tail, begin to sew the snout to the hat, placing the bottom of the snout just above the fur edging. (Tip: Use a pin to hold the top of the snout centered in place so your snout doesn’t end up off-centered.) Stuff it with a small amount of polyester fiberfill before closing it up completely.

Ears: Flatten hat. Using long tail, sew ears to either side of hat. The top of the ears should attach at Round 5. (The photos below are only to help you understand how to fold the ears. The size shown below is not 6-12m, so do not depend on it for feature placement.)

Eyes: Using thread and a sewing needle, attach two ½ inch buttons just above the snout, using the photo as a guide.

Tassels (optional): For each tassel, use 6 pieces of white yarn and 3 pieces of fur yarn.