Crocheted Bear Hood

This adorable crocheted bear hood is easy to make and incredibly cozy to wear on those chilly fall and winter days. Hoods are both stylish and warm, protecting your head and neck from the winter chill. This is one of my animal hoods for kids from my book, Crocheted Hoods and Cowls.

Tools & Materials

• 3 skeins black #6 super-bulky weight yarn. I prefer Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (80 percent acrylic/20 percent wool, 106 yards, 6 ounces per skein)
• Size M/N-13 (9 mm) crochet hook
• Yarn needle

Abbreviations

• st/sts stitch/stitches
• ch chain
• dc double crochet
• dc2tog double crochet 2 together
• hdc half double crochet
• sc single crochet

Notes

• Finished measurements: 32 inches circumference; 22 inches high from top of hood to bottom edge of cowl.
• Gauge: Approximately 1-1/2 to 2 sts in dc = 1 inch. Adjust hook size if necessary to obtain gauge.
• The ch 3 stitches at the beginning of rounds/rows count as a stitch. When joining at the ends of rounds, join to the top of the ch 3.
• The cowl section is worked in the round and joined at the end of each round.
• The hood portion is worked flat, in rows, turning at the end of each row.

Instructions

Cowl Section

1. Ch 48. Join into a circle, being careful not to twist the chains.
2. Rounds 1-6: Ch 1. Dc in same st, *dc in next st; repeat from * around. Join. (48 sts)
3. Fasten off.

Hood Section

1. You’ll now begin working in rows, turning the work after each one.
2. Beginning at the stitch that you fastened off on, count 22 sts to the right, and then attach the yarn with a slip stitch.
3. Row 1: Dc in same st, dc in next 8 sts, dc2tog, *dc in next 9 sts, dc2tog; repeat from * across until the last 4 sts. Leave the last 4 sts unworked. (40 sts)
4. Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Dc in each st across. Repeat row 2 until hood measures approximately 12 inches (or desired height).
5. Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the hood seam.
6. Using a yarn needle and the long tail left from fastening off, sew the hood seam using a basic whipstitch or a stitch of your choice.

Ears (make 2)

1. Ch 2.
2. Row 1: 8hdc in 2nd chain from hook. (8 sts)
3. Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in same st, hdc in next 2 sts, 2hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts, 2hdc in next st. (10 sts)
4. Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in same st, sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next st. (12 sts)
5. Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew ears to hood.
6. Sew the ears to the hood.

Tammy Flores owns Posh Patterns, an independent crochet and knit pattern line. This project is an excerpt from her book, Crocheted Hoods and Cowls(Stackpole Books).