Loom Knit Doll Hat Project - In the Nick

I've got a goal to have knitted at least fifty doll hats within the next fifty days to sell at a huge neighborhood yard sale in the fall.  To my surprise, I found there were very few doll hat patterns available for free on the internet.  This is a pity since a doll hat is a very good project for a beginning loomer and it isn't always obvious how a full-sized hat pattern should be changed to be appropriate for a doll.  Therefore, I've decided to share my notes on creating and converting hat patterns to fit 18" dolls (such as the American Girl, Journey Girl, Our Generation, or My Life dolls).

One of my grandfathers was very fond of telling us, "Do like I say, not what I do!" In that

In the Nick -- A Christmas-themed hat

spirit, I am going to provide you with directions for what I meant to do with this little hat, not what I actually ended up doing.  Trust me, there is no need for you to have to go down that path...

If you look at the picture closely, you may notice that it looks like I used two different stitches for the red section below the "belt" and the red section above. Not so.  Actually, I started making the brim with the red yarn. About ten rows in, I began to notice that I was going to run out of yarn. "No problem," I said.  "I'll just make a fuzzy white brim out of my fuzzy white yarn instead and use what I've knitted so far as the body of this hat."  And it worked pretty well -- except for the fact that I fastened the piece in upside down and inside out.. Sigh!  

Well, as I said, this is a rocky side road I am not going to guide you down, dear reader.

Pattern Information

Knitting Loom:  Knifty Knitter 24 peg "Preemie" loom

Yarn:  
     Color A:  Lion Brand Suede "White" #5 size yarn     

     Color B:  Red Heart "Red" #4 size yarn
     Color C:  Red Heart "Black" #4 size yarn
     Color D:  Red Heart "Yellow" #4 size yarn

Skill Level: Intermediate

Abbreviations:
     k = knit
     p = purl
     ew = e-wrap

Instructions:

With Yarn Color A, cast on 24 pegs.

BRIM Row 1: knit to the end

Rows 2-20:  Repeat Row 1

When you've completed Row 20, find the first stitch (the end of your yarn should still be dangling from it). Loop the first stitch back up over Peg #1.  Continue around the loom until the entire first row is looped back up onto the loom. Knit the last row of stitches over the first row of stitches.

BODY  
Switch to Yarn Color B
Row 21: knit to the end
Row 22: e-wrap to the end

Rows 23-28:  Repeat Rows 21-22

Switch to Yarn Color C
Row 29: knit to the end 
Row 30: purl to the end

Rows 31- 38: Repeat Rows 29-32

Switch to Yarn Color B
Rows 39- 50: Repeat Rows 21-22
 
Bind off using gathered removal method.

To create a tousle: wind Yarn A around three fingers around 20 times.  Tie a short piece of yarn tightly around the middle of this bundle of yarn.  Cut the looped ends of the yarn and trim to the desired shape.  Sew to the top of your toboggan using your yarn and a tapestry needle.

To create the belt "buckle":  With Yarn Color D, follow the instructions described on this video for chain stitching  

How to make the chain stitch

My "buckle" is seven stitches wide by five stitches tall.