Scallop Edging and Hat: Free Pattern and New Technique

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.”  Henry Ford

     One of my goals for 2014 is to learn new crochet stitches and techniques.  One of the things that makes amigurumi easy to learn is that it only uses a limited number of stitches, mostly single or half double crochet stitches.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m part of a group at church that makes newborn hats to donate to the maternity wards of a couple of local hospitals.  To keep things interesting, since I pretty much have the world’s shortest attention span, I’ve decided to try to incorporate some new stitches into my hats.  This week, I did a little research on the scallop or shell edging.
This edging is pretty basic; it works up using the slip stitch and double crochet stitch.

1. First make a foundation chain.  The number of stitches in the foundation chain should be a multiple of four + one extra stitch.  For example 17, 21, 25, 29, etc.
2. Then chain one more to turn and single crochet one in each of the chain stitches across.
3. Chain one to turn.  Slip stitch in the first single crochet. *Skip the next stitch; then work 7 double crochets in the next stitch.  Skip a stitch again and then slip stitch in the next.* Repeat until  the end of the row.
You now have a nice row of scallops along the edge of your project.  If you want the scallops to be shorter or wider, you can make several different adjustments.  Skip two stitches instead of one each time to make the scallop wider.  You can also experiment with using fewer stitches in each cluster of stitches or using a shorter stitch such as a half double crochet instead of a double crochet.
Keep in mind also that the number of the stitches in your foundation chain will need to be adjusted if you’re crochet something in a round.  You will just need a multiple of four single crochets because the last stitch and the first stitch will overlap.

Scallop Baby Hat Crochet Pattern

Designed by Dusti Rose Hendricks

Sheep Of Delight Crochet

I used the scallop edging to dress up a basic baby hat and then added a scallop flower.  The hat is a very basic shape worked in half double crochets; if you want to edge a hat of a different pattern, just make sure your final row has a multiple of four stitches.

Skill Level-Easy
Gauge- 4 hdc stitches per inch
Finished Measurements- 4 3/4” tall x 14” around
Worsted Weight Yarn Colors-
1 oz Simply Soft Yarn in light green
.05 oz Simply Soft Yarn in pink
Materials-
H/8 (5.00 MM) crochet hook
Yarn or tapestry needle
Scissors
Stitchmarkers

Special stitches-Scallop or Shell Edging stitch
Abbreviations-
Rnd…Round Sc…..Single Crochet
Ch….Chain St(s)..Stitch(es)
Inc….Increase Dec…Decrease
Rep…Repeat Sl St..Slip Stitch
Dc…..Double Crochet
Hat
Use light green yarn.
Rnd 1: Hdc 8 in magic ring OR Ch 2, Hdc 8 in 2nd ch from hook
Rnd 2: Inc 8 (Remember to use Hdc’s to increase). (16 sts)
Rnd 3: (Inc, Hdc) rep 8 times (24 sts)
Rnd 4: (Inc, Hdc 2) rep 8 times (36 sts)
Rnd 5: (Inc, Hdc 3) rep 8 times (40 sts)
Rnd 6: (Inc, Hdc 4) rep 8 times (48 sts)
Rnds 7-13: Hdc 48 (48 sts)
Rnd 14:  Work a shell edging around.  Sl st.  *Skip the next st.  7 Dc in the next stitch.  Skip the next st.  Sl st in the next st.*  Repeat from ** around .
Finish off with a sl st and weave in ends.
Scallop Flower
Use pink yarn.
Rnd 1: Sc 10 in magic ring OR Ch 2, Sc 10 in 2nd ch from hook
Rnd 2: Inc 10 (20 sts)
Rnd 3: Work a shell edging around.  Sl st.  *Skip the next st.  7 Dc in the next stitch.  Skip the next st.  Sl st in the next st.*  Repeat from ** around .
Finish off with a sl st and weave in ends.

Finishing-
Sew the flower firmly to the hat above the edging and make sure all your ends are woven in.