by Helen M. Rose

I Crocodile is a slouchy hat inspired by Fred Marcellino’s “I, Crocodile”, a popular book with my children. The vibrant, scale-like watercolor image inside the back cover instantly brought to mind the colors of NORO yarn and this hat pattern was soon to follow.

The hat is worked top-down and stranded in a worsted weight, so it knits up quickly. The colorwork doesn’t follow the rules, but the wonkiness that results only adds to the character of the hat. The wearer is definitely in for a good time! The brim is unusual, with its use of seed stitch. Included in the pattern is both an adult’s size and a child’s size, each showing off the unique NORO vibrance.

This pattern makes for a wonderful introduction to self-striping yarn. Even better, it’s a great way to use up that stash of leftover NORO. 

SIZE
Child [Adult]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 18[20] inches
Height: 8[9.5] inches
Note: Measurements taken after blocking.

Adult's Hat
[MC] Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair [30% mohair, 70% wool; 140yd/128m per 57g skein]; color: Day Lily; 1 skein
[CC] Noro Taiyo [40% cotton, 30% silk, 15% wool, 15% nylon; 220yd/201m per 100g skein]; color: #11; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #9/5.5 mm double-point needles
16-inch US #9/5.5 mm circular needle
16-inch US #7/4.5 mm circular needle

Notions
Stitch marker
Yarn needle

GAUGE
18 sts/24 rows = 4" in stockinette st using larger needles, after blocking

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]



Seed Stitch (Worked in the round over an odd number of sts):
Round 1: [K1, p1] to last st, k1.
Round 2: [P1, k1] to last st, p1.
Repeat these 2 rounds for Seed Stitch.

Seed Stitch Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 10 sts):
Round 1: [P1, k1, p1, k1, k6] to end of round.
Round 2: [K1, p1, k1, p1, k6] to end of round.
Repeat these 2 rounds for Seed Stitch Rib.

DIRECTIONS

Child's Hat Only:
Work 3 rounds Seed Stitch, decreasing 1 st at end of last round. 70 sts.

All Sizes:
Work in Seed Stitch Rib until work measures 1[1.5] inches.

Switching to larger circular needle, shape hat body as follows:
Next Round: *K3[4], kfb, k2[3], kfb; repeat from * nine times more. 90[110] sts.

Work all rounds of Hat Body Chart; 10 sts of chart pattern will be worked 9[11] times in each round.

Switching to double-point needles, work all rounds of Crown Shaping Chart. 9[11] sts remain.

Adult's Hat Only:
Next Round: [K2tog] five times, k1. 6 sts remain.

All Sizes:
Break both strands of yarn. Draw CC yarn tail through remaining sts and pull tight.

FINISHING
Weave in ends and block as desired.

Helen Rose is a pediatrician, wife, and mother of four who lives in New Jersey. For the past nine years, she has been knitting garments for her children. She expanded her focus to include knitted hats a few years ago. Now that every known relative owns a hand knitted hat, Helen recently decided to turn her attention to design. She has catalogued innumerable  design ideas over the years and has finally launched her own knitting brand, NEED, as a platform to develop them. NEED focuses on what Helen knows best;  children's apparel, baby garments, and hats.

When Helen is not working, caring for her children, or knitting, she is usually
sleeping.

Her patterns are available at NEED on Ravelry and in her Etsy store, NEEDdesign. She blogs about yarn, her kids, yarn, and life here.