6th row—Work 8 stitches, turn, work back.
7th row—Work 8, and 4 more on the last long row, turn, work back.
8th row—Work 12, and 4 more, turn, work back. Work in this manner until all are raised, then work 3 more whole rows, working the 40 stitches. Repeat from the 6th row until the work lies flat on the table and meets easily. You will have to repeat it 9 more times according to some workers, perhaps more with a tight worker. When the top is finished and joined together, you work round the outside edge of the work 6 rounds of loop crochet, work round and round, and work 1 stitch on the stitch of the preceding row, always taking up the two edges of the stitch.
You now decrease for the under rim; this is not very wide, the whole depth not being more than 1 inch. If the hat is being made as a special fit, take the measure of the head, then measure the work, and decrease gradually to the exact size; 6 rows of decreasings only are required. For an ordinary hat, work for 6 rounds every 5th and 6th stitches as one. After these rounds, you work 12 rounds of plain double crochet for the head. The name of the wearer or a ship should be crocheted into the band.
The letters should be drawn out on a piece of point paper; this is divided into little squares 1-16th of an inch in size. Then you take a coloured wool; each square represents a stitch, the letters are worked in red or gold, in double crochet, by simply passing the wool used as the ground at the back of that used for the letters. It makes a better effect to work the letters by putting the needle into the stitch, pull the wool through, the wool on the needle, put the needle into the same stitch again, and draw through the wool on the needle and through all the loops on the needle. This stitch raises the work.
You must next cut the loops of wool open and trim them neatly with a sharp pair of scissors, and you have an exact imitation of fur.
The crochet work of the hat is now finished. Quilt a lining and sew in the head. Cut a piece of lining muslin, 3 doubles, for the brim (or a piece of leather), sew inside the 12 rows of crochet for the head, and add strings at the back.
A tassel of silk is made in the same way as the tuft, and placed in the middle of the crown.
No. 4.
