amberblissthis Using Bliss This Earring Patterns as Appliques
The Granny Square Trucker trend has been all over my social media feeds for quite a while. I have to admit that I absolutely love them. They look retro, fun, and fashionable. So, what could I do? I had to succumb to the peer pressure and try my hand at them.
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First, I just created a simple granny square using size 3 cotton thread. Then I got a little creative with the edging of the granny square. Finally, I rampaged my craft room in order to find all the motifs I’ve made over the years. What did I discover but that many of my crochet earring patterns are just perfect for these hats! They add just enough personality and pizzazz to transform the trend into something fun, fresh, and totally Groovy Bliss!
I’m so pleased to share this tutorial on how to turn your very own trucker hat into a Groovy Bliss Hat.
Materials Needed
Hats
I tried several types of hats. I’ll share them in order from most favorite to least favorite, but, honestly, I liked all of these hats! They are fairly economical, so if you are making these to gift or sell, you only have to invest $20-35 for a pack of 4 to 6 hats!
Thread or Yarn
I tried everything from size 10 cotton thread all the way up to worsted weight cotton. My favorite is size 3 cotton, but I do think that this works well with whatever size yarn is your preference. I am partial to cotton for this project. It works up nicely, has great stitch definition, and doesn’t have the fuzz associated with acrylic yarn. Here are some threads/yarns that I think work really well.
- Curio 3
- Curio 10
- Animation
- Dishie (worsted)
- 24/7 DK (also available in worsted)
- Lizbeth Cotton Thread (available in many sizes: I like sizes 10 and 3 for this project)
Hooks
I tried both 3mm and 2.5mm hooks when working with the Curio 3 thread. I ended up liking the 2.5mm better for the tight and defined stitches. However, like I always say, use the hook that works best for you and the yarn you choose. Here’s a recommendation from me.
- Hook Set (I really love this set. Ergonomic hooks from size 0.5 to 2.75 mm. I have been using these for all my thread projects since summer!)
Additional Materials
- Needle with a sharp tip and large eye such as a Chenille, Crewel, or Darning Needles.
- Fabric Adhesive (I used PeelNStick Fabric Fuse)
- Sharp Scissors
Earring Pattern
Any number of motifs would work well for this trend. I’ve chosen out a few of my favorite earring patterns that are PERFECT for appliqueing on these hats. You can check them out in Ravelry or Etsy. Some of them are even available for free on the blog (Bluetiful, Christmas Stars, and Glowing Embers)!
Round Motifs
- Bluetiful Earrings
- Vashti Earrings
- I Believe Earrings
- Octavia Earrings
- Morgana Earrings
- Coralise Earrings
- Coralina Earrings
Square Motifs
Additional Motifs
- Christmas Star Earrings 1, 2, & 3
- Barbara Star Earrings
- Glowing Embers Earrings
- Alma Fan Earrings
- All Heart Earrings
More Ideas for Motifs
- My friend, Farrah Jane at The Crochet Fix has a ton of coaster patterns that would be ideal for this project.
- You could also try out Edie Eckman’s motif book: Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs. There are 144 motifs in this book, so plenty to choose from!
- Another idea is just to get creative! Make your own!
Groovy Bliss Hat Tutorial
Once you have gathered all your materials, the first step is to crochet your motif. You’ll want tight stitches. You may need to lightly block your design so that it looks its best before adding it to your hat. Also, make sure that your motif fits well on the front panel. Finally, be sure to leave a very long tail so that you can use it to sew the design in place. If you forget, it’s fine. You can just using matching thread/yarn to stitch the motif in place.
Cut small pieces of the fabric adhesive. Originally, I just cut large squares of the adhesive, but since the motifs are holey, I could see the adhesive through the holes. Since I’m picky, I didn’t like that! Therefore, I ended up cutting small strips or squares of the adhesive and placing them on the back of the motif. You want to make sure to not place the adhesive where you want to put your stitchs. It’s quite good adhesive, and trying to pull your needle through it will not be pleasant, not to mention how unpleasant it will be to get the adhesive off your needle. (Learn from my experience…)
Then you can peel off the paper and set it on the front panel of the hat. Adjust the motif so that it is centered and isn’t too high or too low on the panel. If your hat has eyelets, you’ll want to center the motif between them. Now, press that motif into place so that it sticks well. I just used my hands and pressed the motif onto the hat. This helps your motif not shift around while you hand-sew it in place.
Now, you’re ready to stitch the motif into place. I think it’s important that your stitches do not show on the front side of your hat. It’s much classier. I stitched around the edges of my designs and hid my sewing stitches in the crochet edgings.
When you finish the stitching, you can tie a knot on the inside of the panel and trim the excess. Now your hat is ready to wear!
What do you think? Are you going to make some of these? What trends are inspiring you right now? I’d love to know.
If you love this but just don’t have the time to invest in creating your own, I’ve got you covered! Check out the BLISS THIS BOUTIQUE listings of Groovy Bliss Hats!
