Witch's Hat Pincushien hy Shirley MacDonald
Witch's Hat Pincushion
Shirley MacDonald A tribute to my favourite Hogwarts teacher, I give you Professor McGonagall's Yule Ball hat, complete with 'a rather ugly wreath of thistles'.
Yarn - heavier 4-ply/fingering, sport or DK weight Hook - a size slightly smaller than that recommended for your yarn Notions - stitch marker to mark start of round (optional) wool needle for weaving in ends bunch of wired miniature thistles small amount of toy stuffing I used Coldharbour Mill Organically Farmed Merino 4ply for this and a 3.75mm hook. Tension should be tight in order to form a good dense fabric. Size will vary depending on yarn and hook size used. Item is worked in a spiral so do not join rounds. If preferred, use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of your round - I didn't have one to hand and the constant counting got rather tedious.
Hat
Start with a magic ring, ch 1. Round 1: 4 dc into magic ring (4 sts). Round 2: 1 dc in each st to end (4 sts). Round 3: 1 dc in each st to end (4 sts). Round 4: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in next st] to end (6 sts). Round 5: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts] to end (8 sts). Round 6: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 3 sts] to end (10 sts). Round 7: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 4 sts] to end (12 sts). Round 8: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 5 sts] to end (14 sts). Round 9: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 6 sts] to end (16 sts). Round 10: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 7 sts] to end (18 sts). Round 11: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 5 sts] to end (21 sts). Round 12: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 6 sts] to end (24 sts). Round 13: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 7 sts] to end (27 sts). Round 14: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 8 sts] to end (30 sts). Round 15: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 9 sts] to end (33 sts). Round 16: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 10 sts] to end (36 sts). Round 17: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 8 sts] to end (40 sts). Round 18: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 9 sts] to end (44 sts). Round 19: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 10 sts] to end (48 sts). Round 20: [2 dc in 1st st, 1 dc in each of next 11 sts] to end (52 sts). Rounds 21-24: 1 dc in each st to end (52 sts). Break yarn but do not fasten off
Base
Start with a magic ring, ch1. Round 1: 10 dc inst magic ring (10 sts). Round 2: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next st] to end (15 sts). Round 3: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts] to end (20 sts). Round 4: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 3 sts] to end (25 sts). Round 5: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 4 sts] to end (30 sts). Round 6: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 5 sts] to end (35 sts). Round 7: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 6 sts] to end (40 sts). Round 8: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 7 sts] to end (45 sts). Round 9: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 8 sts] to end (50 sts).
Join hat and base
With base closest to you, hold hat and base together so that the live stitch on each line up. Join together with a round of dc as follows; \*1 dc in next st of hat & base, [1 dc in same st of hat & next st of base], 1 dc in each of next 9 sts of both hat & base\*, repeat from \* to \* once more, [2 dc in next st of both hat & base, 1 dc in each of next 9 sts of both hat & base] twice, stuff firmly & evenly, ensuring stuffing goes all the way up into the point, [2 dc in next st of both hat & base, 1 dc in each of next 9 sts of both hat & base] once (55 sts). \* This evens out the discrepancy between the 52 stitches of the hat & the 50 stitches of the base.
Brim
Round 1: [1 htr & 1 tr in next st], 1 tr in each of next 10 sts, [2 tr in next st, 1 tr il each of next 10 sts] to end (60 sts). Round 2: [2 tr in next st, 1 tr in each of next 11 sts] to end (65 sts). Round 3: [2 tr in next st, 1 tr in each of next 12 sts] x 4, 2 tr in next st, 1 tr in each of next 10 sts, 1 htr in next st, 1 dc in next st, sl st in next st. Fasten off, weave in all ends.
Thistle wreath
Most miniature thistles come in bunches of 12, occasionally with a few leaves thrown in. Twist two together with a gap between the flowers of 1cm - 1.5cm. Snip off the shorter wire and add a third flower/leaf as you did for the first two, continuing in this fashion until you have a chain that fits around the brim of your hat. Twist the end of your final wire around the first to complete the circle.
The wire ends are sharp so to prevent any accidental poking I crocheted a round of dc that covered the entire circumference. To do this, make a slip knot on your hook, ch1 around the wire ring and simply carry on as though you were working into a magic ring. when you reach the end, join with a sl st to the first dc. Break yarn, leaving a good long tail.
Use the long tail from your wreath to stitch it firmly to the brim where it joins on to the hat. Weave in remaining ends and stick your pins in it. \*\* Please note that the copyright for this pattern belongs to me, Shirley MacDonald. You may not sell or otherwise redistribute this pattern without my express permission. However, the finished item from this pattern belongs to you - your yarn, your time, your skill - & you have my blessing to give away or to sell, for charity or profit, any items you make from it. Enjoy.
