My new job at a seafood restaurant requires that I keep my hair confined. Although some just do a ponytail, it's often too warm, so I prefer to keep my hair on top of my head in a bun... But, I have trouble keeping it there and wanted to do something that was easy and quick. So, I turned to crochet and found this pattern online from Firefly Hook. I (mostly) followed the second pattern - about a third of the way down the page.
The first time I used this pattern, I used a heavier yarn and followed the directions as well as I could. I like the result and am using it at work now. But I wanted to make a slightly daintier one, so I made it again with a thinner yarn.
Note: the stitches used in the pattern are notated in American crochet. You may have to translate it in other countries.
Materials:
- 1 skein of yard in desired color/pattern
- 1 crochet hook of an appropriate size (I'm using a size J/10)
- 1 elastic hair band that is tight enough to hold your bun securely
This is after 1 round - which was simply 7 chain stitches connected with a slip stitch.
The second round entailed squaring it up with 8 double crochet stitches with a chain between each of the sets of two.
Third round doubles the number of double crochet stitches, four total in each of the chain gaps from the previous round. It sort of takes on an octagonal shape at this point.
(Except when I did it the second time - probably because I was taking pictures and it was super hot at home - I managed 10 double chains in the first round... after pulling it out a couple of times and still making the same mistake, I decided to go with it and just work with 5s/10s instead of 4s/8s.)
The fourth round adds an additional 8 double crochets (except when I did it the second time...) - by adding an extra set of 2 doubles on each of the 8 corners.
This was where I tore it out the first time - realizing I had 5 sides, rather than 4 or 8... But after the same thing happened the second time, I decided to go with it and work with the spirit of the pattern rather than the letter.
The idea is that you expand the bun cover until it's the width you need... then, come in a couple of rows not expanding, just deepening the project to cover hair... and then reducing slightly before adding the hair band.
The hair band is attached with a row of single crochet over the band, skipping every other double crochet (or gap - since that's easier to count.) A final single crochet row around to finish and it's done.
Here are the two I've made.
The second bun cover is smaller, and only just works for what I need... But it's still pretty.
I plan to make more since the hair is one of the few places I'm allowed to have color on an otherwise pure black work uniform. I'll probably make some for the holiday seasons just to add some fun... and others as I feel like it - hopefully counting correctly this time!
All work done by myself. Pictures taken on my Samsung Galaxy September 2023.
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Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
verified author on Goodreads
(Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
