I have finally discovered a repeatable pattern to crochet kippot for my boys. Let’s see… I have made 8 of them now? So, yes, I can share this pattern. Really quick, I’m going to write it out and share. Then, I will come back over a few days, with pictures and explanations. So… If I leave out something, please ask.

This is, by the way, the larger size of kippah, but not big enough to be a hat. My hubby wants me to add a tassel thing on top and figure out how to stencil in NACHMAN. Hmmmm…

NOTES:

I don’t close my rounds. I think the crochet is smoother without that inevitable seam.

My yarn for this pattern is “I Love This Cotton” that I get from Hobby Lobby. I use an “I” hook to make the kippah, and a “J” hook on my finishing round. And I love the little plastic safety pin like stitch markers.

I alternate the placement of the increases in each round. If I always increase in the same place it makes a nifty octagon or hexagon or something, but not a smooth circle…

TO GET STARTED:

Round 1 – 8 halfdouble crochet in a ring (magic circle, or your favorite way to start a project in the round) – 8 hdc
Round 2 – 2 hdc in each stitch – 16 hdc

INCREASING ROUNDS:

Round 3 – 1 hdc in first stitch, 2 hdc in next stitch. Continue all the way around. – 24 hdc
Round 4 – 2 hdc in the first stitch, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 stitches. Continue all the way around. – 32 hdc
Round 5 – 1 hdc in the first 3 stitches, 2 hdc in the next stitch. Continue all the way around. – 40 hdc
Round 6 – 2 hdc in the first stitch, 1 hdc in each of the next 4 stitches. Continue… - 48 hdc
Round 7 – 1 hdc in the first 5 stitches, 2 hdc in the next stitch. Continue… - 56 hdc
Round 8 – 2 hdc in the first stitch, 1 hdc in the next 6 stitches. Continue – 64 hdc
Round 9 – 1 hdc in the first 7 stitches, 2 hdc in the next stitch. Continue – 72 hdc

DONE INCREASING ROUNDS. NOW FOR A PATTERN OR TEXTURE…

At this point I should have a nice round disk with a generous diameter of 5 inches. That has been a great size for my teenage boys and hubby. For larger, continue the increasing pattern. For smaller, skip a round or two.

This is also where the pattern changes, and I play with different stitches. Sometimes this leads to failure. I tried a cluster stitch of some sort which completely changed the shape of the kippah, and I had to restart. My single crochet variations have come out nicely. So, for example…

Round 10 – 1 single crochet in each stitch – 72 sc

Round 11-?? – 2 single crochet in the first stitch, skip a stitch, repeat around. – 72 sc (I think this is called a moss stitch or grit stitch.)

Or – Round 11-?? – 1 single crochet in the first stitch, chain one, skip a stitch, single crochet in the next stitch, chain one, skip a stitch… On the next rounds, put the single crochet in the chain space, chain one… repeat.

Continue your pattern rounds until the kippah is around 4 ½ inches radius. I think I usually try 6 rounds in single crochet and then see if I like the length. I always have a convenient head around here to try it on.

FINALLY, the last two finishing rounds…

Round?? – I add one last round of single crochet, one in each stitch, or one in a stitch and one in the chain space… Either way, I should end up with 72 sc, spaced evenly around the kippah.

Then, the finishing touch. The crab stitch gives a nice rim, though it’s a bit awkward to do. I always think it looks terrible, until it is done. For an easier finish, I grab my J hook, and slip stitch around. It takes the larger hook to keep that stitch from shrinking the rim.

Voila! A wearable kippah. And they have been worn well. I wash them in a laundry bag, and they handle that well too. I’m still working on fancier stitches…