A friend and fellow quilter/crafter nearby became a first-time grandmother two weeks ago. I decided I wanted to hand make a gift for the baby. The last time I used this pattern to make a gift was 40+ years ago! I remember it working up rather quickly and not being too difficult. The first part (the rosette above) looks more difficult than it was. I did have some difficulty keeping a good tension for my stitches; my hands are not as dextorous as they used to be! :)
Four audiobooks later I had the back rosette, the crown, edging, and embroidered flowers across the top done. Considering I hadn't crocheted in an eon, I'm rather happy with it! I have to say the embroidery is the most difficult part, since you are working on a limp item without a hoop; and working the embroidery floss into the bonnet's stitches without letting the floss show between the crochet stitches or leave knots on the inside that might be uncomfortable for baby was a little finicky.
I'm a firm believer in blocking needlework projects to improve finished results. I washed it in a bowl of cool water with mild soap, then I rinsed it twice. I used a large bath towel to press as much water out of it as possible. I didn't want to wring it and distort it, so I folded it in half, and just kept moving it to a dry part of the towel and pressing it flat between a top and bottom layer of towel.
When I had as much water out of it as possible using that method, I used a rather large plastic Christmas ball ornament settled into a smallish food container to stand in for a baby-sized head mannequin. I made sure that both the ball and the food container were very clean before I let the bonnet come in contact with them. I gently smoothed the bonnet over the ball, and set it under the best ceiling fan in the house overnight.
The shape tightens up in the drying process, and has a much more stable texture.
The proud nonna (my friend is Italian) texted me the sweetest photo of baby wearing the bonnet. Such an adorable sweetie pie!
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