Elephant Parade Sun Hat

It’s finally finished! I’ve been working on these elephants for weeks! Here is my elephant parade sun hat!

My idea for this hat started out as wanting to try the elephant blanket trim I’d seen around. Wanting to make something other than a blanket, I thought they’d look great in sun hats for my boys.

***This post contains affiliate links – I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my site and free pattern production***

So first I had to learn to make the elephants, I found a few tutorials on this but the best one was in Spanish, I don’t speak Spanish so I did my best to follow along and it took a lot of trial and error to get it right, or at least something that looked right.

Then the elephants were too big for what I wanted with big gaps in between – I didn’t want huge holes in my hat so I experimented a lot to make them smaller and got them down to only 8 stitches each – a good number to work with when it came to writing the pattern to include other sizes.

Next I got to work on the top border. None of the elephants I saw had a border; since they were blanket trims, so I was completely on my own in making one up. The rest of the hat was designed around the elephants band.

My first prototype I made for my little one, see photo, I thought turned out well except for the brim – I wrote a whole blog post about the design process – check it out HERE.

I’ve also made a downloadable PDF for this pattern which you can buy now via Ravelry. For a small fee, you get to enjoy an ad-free, printer friendly copy with more detail and lots of photos.

This pattern starts out with a foundation chain – use the size chart and select your size then chain the corresponding number. Follow the pattern to make the brim of your hat. Next we add the elephants to the top of the brim. I’ve included a video to show you in detail how to make the elephants and add the top border to them.

Next you will need to make the top section of the hat – the pattern includes all sizes so you will need to stop increasing when your hat is the correct size.

When the top section is complete, the two pieces are joined together. Lastly the decoration is added – I’ve included a video to help you add the surface slip stitch rows above and below the elephants. Then it’s a row of backward single crochet to finish off the brim.

Pattern Difficulty: Intermediate

Yarn: Red Heart It’s a Wrap (super fine weight; 50% cotton 50% acrylic, 1100 yards per 7oz), 1 skein of Comedy or any other of the 3 in 1 skeins.

This hat would also look great in Documentary, Western, or Action,

Comedy contains blue, green and pink. This pattern uses blue (main color) and green (contrasting color).

Hook: D/3 – 3.25mm

Gauge: 24sc x 15r = 4”

Hat Sizes

Age	Head Size	Start Ch	Elephants
0-3m	14.6″	88	11
3-6m	16″	96	12
6-24m	17.3″	104	13
2-5y	18.6″	112	14
5-12y	20″	120	15
Teen/Small	21.3″	128	16
Medium	22.6″	136	17
Large	24″	144	18

Wow, look at this sparkly elephant

Bottom of hat (section under elephants down to edge of brim)

Using main color, chain number according to size chart (start ch) and sl st to join.

Rnd 1 Working along the bottom of the foundation chain, Ch1, hdc in each chain around. Sl st to join in top of first hdc.

Rnd 2 Ch 1, hdc in each around. Sl st in top of first hdc to join.

Rnd 3 Ch 1, Working in front loops only, sc in each around.

Rnd 4 Ch 1, sc in same space and each of next 3. [2 sc in next, 1 in each of next 3] around. Sl st to join. (total stitches = start number + 2(elephants))

Rnds 5-7 Ch 1, sc in each around. Sl st to join. Set hat down on table. When edges start to turn up a little move on to next increase round (you may need a different number of rounds here)

Rnd 8 Ch 1, sc in same space and each of next 4. [2 sc in next, 1 in each of next 4] around. Sl st to join. (stitches = end rnd 4 + 2(elephants))

Rnds 9-12 Ch 1, sc in each around. Sl st to join. Check for brim turning up again.

Rnd 13 Ch 1, sc in same space and each of next 5. [2 sc in next, 1 in each of next 5] around. Sl st to join. (stitches = end rnd 8 + 2(elephants))

Rnds 14-17 Ch 1, sc in each around. Sl st to join. Fasten off at end of last round. Brim need to be not quite turning up on this last round since the edging (see finishing section) will pull it upward slightly.

If you prefer a wider brim, carry on increasing in the same way.

Ooo… Cute light up Elephant. This looks like a fun night light for kids. Hmm… not so sure about the ‘do NOT wash it’ notice though. What if it gets grubby or the kid throws up on it?

Never mind!

On with the HAT!

Elephants

Using contrasting color and working in opposite side of foundation chain.

Join with sl st and ch 1, *sc in next, ch 1, dc in next, ch 2, skip 1, dc in each of next 2.

Ch 3 and turn. Dc in next, 2 dc in ch sp, dc in next and dc in ch 1.

Ch 4, sc in 1st sc (or 1st ch 1 of first elephant).

Turn. 4 sc in ch sp. Sc in dc. Dc in each of next 4. Dc in 3rd ch. Ch 4 and sc in same sp.

Ch 2 and turn, skip chain, 7 dc around dc post. Ch 1, sc in sp between chain and next dc post.

Work 7 dc around chain. Ch 4, sc in 1st ch. Ch 1, skip 2 and sc in foundation ch.

Rep from * around. Finish last elephant with sl st into 1st ch at start of elephants in place of the sc into foundation ch.
Number of elephants is dependent on hat size. See chart. Elephants are an 8 stitch repeat.

Ooo… Elephant Balloons! Too cute!

Top border of elephants

Using main color. Find 1st dc on elephant back. Working in the back loops only, join with sl st and ch 1. *Sc in each of next 2. Sc in back-back loop of 1st dc of head, and each of next 2. Next elephant – find 1st dc, count back 3. Working in back loops only, dc2tog, hdc in next, sc in next. Rep from * around. Join with sl st into top of 1st sc. (total stitches equal to initial foundation chain)

Ch 1 hdc in each around. Sl st to join and fasten off.

Top of hat

Stop increasing when your total number of stitches is equal to the foundation chain at the beginning of this project.

Using main color, start with a magic ring.

Rnd 1 Ch 1, 7 hdc in ring, sl st to join. (8)

Rnd 2 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 2 hdc in each around, sl st to join. (16)

Rnd 3 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in next [2 in next, 1 in next] around, sl st to join. (24)

Rnd 4 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 2 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 2] around, sl st to join (32)

Rnd 5 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 3 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 3] around, sl st to join (40)

Rnd 6 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 4 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 4] around, sl st to join (48)

Rnd 7 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 5 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 5] around, sl st to join (56)

Rnd 8 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 6 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 6] around, sl st to join (64)

Rnd 9 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 7 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 7] around, sl st to join (72)

Oh, here’s a cuddly elephant you can wash

Rnd 10 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 8 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 8] around, sl st to join (80)

Rnd 11 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 9 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 9] around, sl st to join (88)

Rnd 12 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 10 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 10] around, sl st to join (96)

Rnd 13 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 11 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 11] around, sl st to join (104)

Rnd 14 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 12 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 12] around, sl st to join (112)

Rnd 15 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 13 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 13] around, sl st to join (120)

Rnd 16 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 14 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 14] around, sl st to join (128)

Rnd 17 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 15 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 15] around, sl st to join (136)

Rnd 18 Ch 1, hdc in same space, 1 in each of next 16 [2 in next, 1 in each of next 16] around, sl st to join (144)

When you have reached the required number of stitches:

8 Rounds Ch 1, hdc in each around, sl st to join. If the hat is too short or long adjust the number of rounds here.

Assembly Ch 1 and turn. Hold the two pieces of the hat together so they are facing each other. Working in back loops of elephant piece and front loops of top of hat (the loops closest to one another), sc in each around to join the two pieces together. Sl st to join and fasten off.

Ooo… Fancy elephant gift wrap…

Finishing

Using contrasting color, surface slip stitch around 2nd row on each side of elephants to create the border. Be careful not to work too tight. You may find it helpful to use an embroidery tension hoop.

Use contrasting color to sc backwards around edge of brim to finish.

If you’d like to feature this pattern on your website, you have my permission to use 1 photo as long as you provide a link back to my site.

Tagged baby, crochet, elephant, elephant parade, fashion, free pattern, style, summer, sun hat, toddler