Father Christmas

Father Christmas

Instructions

Materials

• 4 mm crochet hook
• Double–knitting yarn in white, red and black;
• Twilley’s ‘Goldfingering’ for hanging loop. (This is a widely available 3 ply gold coloured thread);
• Fiberfil;
• Small lengths of yarn for embroidering features.

• Round 1

  8 double-crochet in 2nd chain from hook. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (8 stitches).
  

  Round 2

  Chain 1. 2 double–crochet in each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (16 stitches).
  

  Round 3

  Chain 1. (1 double–crochet in next stitch. 2 double–crochet in next stitch) 8 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (24 stitches)
  

  Rounds 4–6

  Chain 1. 1 double–crochet in each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet.
  

  Round 7

  Chain 1. (1 double–crochet in each of next 3 stitches. 2 double–crochet in next stitch) 6 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (Tip: change to black yarn with this joining slip–stitch) (30 stitches).
  

  Round 8–9 (the belt)

  With black yarn, chain 1. 1 double–crochet in each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first double-crochet. (Tip: change to red yarn with the joining slip-stitch of the 9th round.)
  

  Round 10

  With red yarn, chain 1. (1 double-crochet in each of next 3 stitches. 1 decrease) 6 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (24 stitches)
  

  Rounds 11–12

  Chain 1. 1 double–crochet in each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet.
  

  Round 13

  Chain 1. (1 double–crochet in each of next 2 stitches. 1 decrease) 8 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (18 stitches)
  

  Round 14

  Chain 1. (1 double–crochet in next stitch. 1 decrease) 6 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (Tip: change to white yarn with this joining slip–stitch.) Fill body with fibrefil. (12 stitches)
  

  Round 15 (the neck)

  With white yarn, chain 1. (1 decrease) 6 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (6 stitches)
  

  Round 16 (the head)

  Chain 1. (2 double–crochet in next stitch. 1 double–crochet in next stitch) 3 times. (9 stitches)
  

  Round 17

  Chain 1. (2 double–crochet in each of next 2 stitches. 1 double–crochet in next stitch) 3 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (15 stitches)
  

  Rounds 18–19

  Chain 1. 1 double–crochet in each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet.
  

  Round 20

  Chain 1. (1 double-crochet in next stitch. 1 decrease) 5 times. Join with a slip-stitch to first double-crochet. Fill head with fibrefil. (10 stitches)
  

  Round 21

  Chain 1. (1 decrease) 5 times. Join with a slip–stitch to first decrease.
  Cut yarn, weave tail through last five stitches, pull snugly and fasten off.
  
  

  The Hat

  Foundation chain (start at brim)

  With white yarn chain 18. Join with a slip–stitch to last chain from hook to form ring.
  

  Round 1

  Chain 1. 1 double–crochet in each chain around. Join with a slip–stitch to first double–crochet. (18 stitches)
  

  Round 2

  Chain 1. 1 double–crochet in each stitch around. Join with a red yarn slip–stitch to first double–crochet. Cut white yarn leaving tail for sewing hat to head.
  

  Round 3

  Continue with red yarn. Chain 1. 1 half–treble in back loop of each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble.
  

  Round 4

  Chain 1. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 7 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 4 stitches. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble. (16 stitches)
  

  Round 5

  Chain 1. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 6 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble. (12 stitches)
  

  Round 6

  Chain 1. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 5 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 2 stitches. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble. (12 stitches)
  

  Round 7

  Chain 1. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 4 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in next stitch. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble. (10 stitches)
  

  Round 8

  Chain 1. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease. 1 half–treble in each of next 3 stitches. 1 half–treble decrease.
  1 half–treble in each of next 2 stitches. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble. Fasten off (8 stitches) Note: the side facing you as you have been working is the inside of the hat. If you have not already done so, flip the hat inside out.
  

  Round 9 (bobble of hat)

  With white yarn join to any stitch of round 8 with a slip–stitch. (Do not darn beginning tail of white yarn yet.) Chain 1. 1 half–treble in the back loop of each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble.
  

  Round 10

  Chain 1. 1 half–treble in each stitch around. Join with a slip–stitch to first half–treble. Do not fasten off end tail.
  

  Making up

  To form bobble: weave beginning tail of white yarn tightly through rounds 8–9 and fasten off. Weave end tail of white yarn tightly around the top stitches, and fasten off. Flip first two rounds of hat up to form brim.
  
  

  The Beard

  The beard is worked directly onto the bottom of the hat

  With hat pointing downwards, join white yarn with a slip–stitch to any of the back loops of round 2.
  

  Row 1

  (Tip: The slip–stitches of the beard can be worked loosely.) Chain 35. Skip next 8 back loops of brim and slip–stitch into next back loop (i.e. the opposite side of the brim). Turn (you will now be working back along the beard chain). (Skip next four chains of beard and slip–stitch into next chain) 7 times. Slip–stitch into next back loop on brim.
  

  Row 2

  Chain 45. Skip next 7 back loops of brim and slip–stitch into next back loop. Turn. (Skip next four chains of beard and slip–stitch into the next chain) 9 times. Slip–stitch into the next back loop on brim.
  

  Row 3

  Chain 55. Skip next 6 back loops of brim and slip–stitch into next back loop. (Skip next four chain of beard and slip–stitch into the next chain) 11 times. Slip–stitch into the next back loop on brim. Fasten off.
  

  Making up

  Embroider features onto head (or improvise features with felt, etc).
  Thread a length of 3 ply gold thread up through the hat to form a hanging thread.
  Ease hat onto head by pushing head up through the aperture at the back of the beard. Let beard fall onto body.
  Using tail from hat brim sew hat to back of head with over–stitches.