After a successful hat sizing, I decided to undertake my first involved crochet project. Before this, I had done nothing involving switching colors, or following true patters where counting is a necessity and not a suggestion, so I was quite pleased to learn that as you continue crocheting, you can naturally progress and learn new crocheting skills. This may sound silly, but sometimes when you’re a beginner at something, it’s hard to ever see that you will progress beyond that.

HanDIY’s videos for the R2D2 Hat and Embellishments are fantastic, high-quality, very detailed tutorials. I was so pleased with the way the hat turned out, and it was finished just in time for our second snow of the winter.

I used a Turkish brand of yarn, Kartopu Zambak, which is similar in weight to Red Heart Super Saver 100% Acrylic Yarn.

While HanDIY’s tutorials are wonderful, there was no written version other than headings during the videos, so below is the transcribed tutorial, with slight changes made for the hat to fit my husband. I do not own and did not create this pattern, but it belongs to HanDIY Tutorials.

Short videos to assist with the stitches in the pattern can be found here: magic circle, sl knot and ch, dc, sl st

Hat:

5.0 mm (US H) hook

16 total rounds, including magic circle, and then ending with sl st all the way around

Round 1: Start with blue. Magic circle. Chain 3, 9dc into loop, sl st into top of chain (10)

Round 2: Chain 3, 2dc into each stitch, 1 dc into bottom of first chain, sl st into chain (20)

Round 3: Switch to silver gray by knotting onto blue free yarn close to sl st, and then looping through. Once looped through, chain 3 with gray, and then pull down on blue yarn end to hide loop. As you continue, hide yarn tails into stitches. *1 dc, 2 dc * repeat to end, ending on 1dc, then add 1 dc into the bottom of first chain, sl st into chain (30)

Round 4: Gray ch3, * blue 1dc in three stitches, 2 dc, gray 1 dc * repeat to end, ending on blue 2 dc, switch to gray, and sl st into chain. When bringing gray yarn across four blue stitches, do not pull too tight. Continue to hide yarn into stitches.

Round 5: gray ch 3 * blue 1 dc in four stitches, 2 dc, gray 1 dc * repeat to end, ending on blue 2 dc, switch to gray, and sl st into chain. Continue to hide yarn into stitches.

Round 6: gray ch 3 * blue 1 dc in five stitches, 2 dc, gray 1 dc * repeat to end, ending on blue 2 dc, switch to gray, and sl st into chain. Continue to hide yarn into stitches.

Round 7: gray ch 3, 1 dc into first 6 stitches, * 2 dc, 1 dc into next 7 stitches * repeat from * around, sl st into chain. Continue to hide yarn into stitches.

Round 8: gray ch 3, 1 dc into first 7 stitches, * 2 dc, 1 dc into next 8 stitches * repeat from * around, sl st into chain.

Round 9-12: gray ch 3, 1 dc into each stitch, sl st to join

Round 13: switch to blue, ch 3, 16 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 6 dc blue, 15 dc gray, 3 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 3 dc blue, 1 dc gray 3 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 9 dc blue to end. Continue to hide end.

Round 14: blue ch 3, 16 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 6 dc blue, 6 dc gray, 4 dc blue, 5 dc gray, 3 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 3 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 3 dc blue, 1 dc gray, 9 dc blue to end. Continue to hide ends.

Round 15: repeat previous row, round 14

Round 16: Switch to gray, ch 3, 1 dc into each stitch, sl st to join

End: Switch to blue, sc into each stitch all the way around.

Red Lens:

5.0 mm (US H) hook

Magic Circle, ch 2, 9 sc into loop, sl st to join. Pull magic circle closed very tight. Leave tail long enough to stitch in.

Large center lens:

5.0 mm (US H) hook

Round 1: Start with black yarn. Magic circle, ch 3, 9 dc into loop, sl st to join.

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 sc into each stitch all the way around. Stitch into last stitch for 20 total. Leave tail long enough to stitch in.

For glint, start with white yarn. Tie two knots on top of each other. Stitch to lens with tapestry needle, and then knot on the back and trim yarn.

Black, white, and gray lens:

5.0 mm (US H) hook

Round 1: Start with black yarn. Magic circle, ch 2, 7 sc into loop, sl st to join.

Round 2: Switch to white. Ch 2, 2 sc into each stitch all the way around, sl st to join

Round 3: Switch to gray. Sl st into each stitch around. Leave tails long enough to stitch in for each color.

Blue square:

5.0 mm (US H) hook

Start with slip knot. Ch 8. Ch 2, and then dc into 8th stitch. Make sure when dc that there are two strands on top and one on bottom. Continue with dc into each of 8 stitches. There should be 8 dc plus chain on the end. After, ch 2 and then turn work. 1 dc into each stitch, skipping the base of the ch-2. Repeat until you have four rows total. Don’t skip end chains when adding last dc of the row. Leave tail long enough to stitch in. Sl st and pull tail through.

Blue and dark gray square:

4.5 mm (US 7) hook

Start with gray. Slip knot, ch 4. Ch 1, and then sc into 4th stitch. Continue sc into each of 4 stitches. Ch 1 and turn work. Sc in each stitch, starting with base of the ch-1. Switch to blue. Ch 1, turn work, sc into each stitch. Switch back to gray. Ch 1, turn work, sc into each stitch. For two rows of gray above blue. Switch to blue again for border. Make sure to be working on the front of the square. Sc blue trim around the square. Add 2 sc into each corner. Finish with sl st and pull through. Leave tail long enough to stitch in.