Getting your kiddo to bundle up this season will be a breeze when doing so turns them into a polar bear! Large pom pom ears and surface crochet complete this “beary” adorable hat.

Skill Level: Easy

Size: 21” / [53 cm] circumference x 7” / [18 cm] tall

Gauge: 12 sc sts and 12 rounds = 4” [10 cm]

Materials

Yarn:

Berroco Vintage Chunky (52% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 8% Nylon; 136 yards [125 meters]/100 grams): #6101 Mochi (1 skein)

Hook: US size K/10½ (6.5 mm), size 5 (1.90 mm) thread steel hook

Notions: Removable stitch marker, tapestry needle, black embroidery floss

Special Stitches

Magic Ring: Wrap yarn into a ring, ensuring that the tail falls behind the working yarn. Grip ring and tail firmly between middle finger and thumb. Insert hook through center of ring, yarn over (with working yarn) and draw up a loop. Work stitches of first round in the ring. After the first round of stitches is worked, pull gently, but firmly, on tail to tighten ring.

Pattern Notes

This pattern is worked in the round in a spiral method, meaning that you use a stitch marker to indicate the end of the round and do not join any stitches in the round. Simply work into the next stitch. Move stitch marker to last st at the end of every round.

Pom-pom ears are added.

Eyes and Nose of bear are worked in place using surface crochet, meaning that you crochet through the stitches of the hat.

Pattern

Hat

With larger hook and yarn create a Magic Ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, 8 sc in ring, insert stitch marker in last st. (8 sc)

Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each st around to marker. (16 sc)

Rnd 3: (Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next st) 8 times to marker. (24 sc)

Rnd 4: (Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 8 times to marker. (32 sc)

Rnd 5: (Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts) 8 times to marker. (40 sc)

Rnd 6: (Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts) 8 times to marker. (48 sc)

Rnd 7: (Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts) 8 times to marker. (56 sc)

Rnd 8: (Work 2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts) 8 times to marker. (64 sc)

Rnd 9: Sc in each st around to marker.

Rnds 10-21: Rep Rnd 9.

Rnd 22: Sc in each st around to marker, sl st in next 2 sts.

Fasten off.

Finishing

Make two 4” / [10 cm] pom-poms.

Attach pom-poms to Hat at Rnd 6, directly across from one another.

Nose

Using embroidery thread and smaller hook, working through sts of Hat.

Center template of nose on Hat and sc on Hat around edges of nose template. When the entire nose is outlined, work sc2tog over next 2 sts continuously in a spiral until no sts rem. Sc over the surface of the nose to the location of the mouth. Sc in stitches of Hat to create mouth. Fasten off.

Eyes

Using embroidery thread and smaller hook, working through sts of Hat, place the eye templates on Hat and sc on Hat around edges of templates. When the entire eye is outlined, work (sc2tog over next 2 sts) continuously in a spiral until no sts rem.

Fasten off.

Weave in all ends.