Crocheting Animal Hats, Round Two

My first bunch of animal hats were so enchanting that I could not resist trying out the many patterns and pictures from print and interest sources. Like the hats from my last posting, they were based on several basic hat styles:  plain beanie, ribbed beanie, and beanie with ear flaps. The charm and unique appearance come from the add-ons.  Basic hat design and other information can be in last week's post.  http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/crocheting-animal-and-character-hats








Teddy hats are among my favorites.    I will definitely crochet this critter in a variety of designs and color combinations.

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Owl photos and patterns are an an abundant source of inspiration.  Two of my favorites are:



While the faces can be crocheted in a solid color, I like to crochet the ears and the top third in one color and the rest of the hat in a complementary or contrasting color.  I repeat the top color in the bottom cuff or trim.  The many different eye patterns change the expression.  I know that I will be making more of these playful critters in the months to come.for instructions and design, see:

•   https://www.stitches.becray.com/home/hoot-the-newborn-crochet-hat-pattern
• https://cre8tioncrochet.com/2013/02/free-crochet-owl-hat-pattern-oh-boy-oh-boy-owl
  

The sock monkey hat is quite versatile. The traditional colors are gender neutral. I posted that hat in last week's article.  However with clever substitution and of stripes and facial tones,  you can make a cheerful hat that is specific for a boy or girl.
The original design was crafted by www.repeatcrafterme.com/2013/11/crochet-sock-monkey.  The designer is Sarah.   I have also seen this scheme as a bunny hat.

The panda has a universal appeal.  I delivered my first panda to a smiling grandmother yesterday.  Since I had not thought to photograph first, I was faced with making another for this article.  My hat featured a beanie with a crocheted rib.  It is a paid pattern.  https://crochetdreamz.blogspot.com/2016/10/panda-animal-hat-crochet-pattern.html#.WixxvktrxGx The hat can also be made with ear flaps.  http://littleyarnfriends.com/post/76229526287/crochet-pattern

My hippo hat has a purple face with pink accents ,just like the picture from One and Two company.  The pattern comes in 3 sizes from infant to child.  Instructions and photos make this piece easy to execute.
I found this hat on  Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/710302172450986866/

I almost sold the penguin last night to the friend who ordered the panda.  However when we looked at the beanie, I thought it was too small for the infant boy. The hat was made from a general beanie design.  See posts from last week for info. I combined a variety of eyes with a beak to crochet the face.  I made a few small hats this week so that I could try out the designs.  I will make a larger penguin and hippo for next year's fairs.  If I get my act together, I will try an online store while the weather is still cold.

This is my first kitty hat from my cat hat collection.  The hat can also be made with ear flaps.
http://www.clipzine.me/u/clip/13533765445035707057

 The zebra hat has the most personality. the pink accents with the black and white stripes are sure to appeal to any young girl.  The mohawk hair and crocheted features made this piece quite time consuming, but it was time well spent.  This is another design by Repeat Crafter Me. The designer, Sarah, is generous to share her free pattern with fellow crocheters. www.repeatcrafterme.com/2013/06/crochet-zebra-hat-pattern

A customer who had previously ordered a crocheted baby blanket fell in love with the teddy hats.  She ordered the red teddy model from the previous post for her now 8 month old granddaughter.  For her older sister, I transposed the colors so that there was a white background  with red and black features.  I delivered the hats today, in time to wrap and send for the holidays.  By the way, she fell in love with the zebra, and so I let her trade the white teddy hat for tthe zebra.  Good will is worth it.  She is a repeat customer.  I am sure that I will sell this hat, and I will probably make another red hat to sell with the white  hat as a pair.

Today after I  delivered my hats, I squeezed in a visit with my granddaughter.  My daughter got to go to the gym.  My husband, Bert and I got to play with our little one.  Another bonus is that I worked in another modeling session.

Keep on the lookout for additional members of my animal and character hat family.  In the next few weeks, I will definitely add to my teddy bears and cats.  I want to try a rabbit and a dinosaur.  The owl and monkey hats will look great in different color combinations.