When my friend Diana asked me if I would make a turkey hat she’d seen online for her 11-month-old son, Jack, I admit that at first I wondered why a mom would want to dress her son up like a roast turkey. But after checking out the turkey hats on toddlers across the web, I had to agree that this idea is nothing but cute! I can just see little Jack wearing this adorable hat in his seat at the Thanksgiving table. I was on board and ready to take on the challenge of re-creating it for them. The best part of this project though is that it really wasn’t much of a challenge at all. Even beginning crocheters should have no problem.

Crochet Turkey Hat

Materials

1 ball worsted weight yarn in dark gold (Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand in Honey)
Small amount worsted weight yarn in off-white
H-8 (5.00 mm) crochet hook
Polyester Fiber-fill
Tapestry needle
Sewing pins

Gauge

3 dc sts = 1″
5 dc rows = 4″

Instructions

Hat

For the beanie itself, I recommend this pattern for a Simple Double Crochet Beanie by Rhondda of Oombawka Design. It includes sizes for preemie through adult. For 11-month-old Jack, I used the beanie pattern for a 19″ circumference head. For the turkey legs on Jack’s hat, I used an H-8 (5.00 mm) hook and worsted-weight yarn. If you are making this hat for a younger or smaller child, you may find that you need to use a smaller hook and lighter-weight yarn for the turkey legs.

Once you have your hat, follow my instructions to crochet and attach the turkey legs (AKA drumsticks).

Drumsticks

Note: These drumsticks are worked in joined rounds. Because the ch-3 counts as the first stitch, you will not work into the slst that joins the rounds at the end of each round.

Using dark gold yarn, ch 2. (Or begin with a magic loop.)

Rnd 1: 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook (or in magic loop). Join with slst to 1st sc. (5)

Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc) and dc in this same st, 2 dc in next st and in each st around. Join with slst to top of ch-3. (10)

Rnd 3: Ch 3 (counts as first dc) and dc in this same st, 2 dc in next st and in each st around. Join with slst to top of ch-3. (20)

Rnd 4: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in next st, dc2tog, * dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog, rep from * 3 more times. Join with slst to top of ch-3. (15)

Rnd 5: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog, * dc in next 3 sts, dc2tog, rep from * 1 more time. Join with slst to top of ch-3. (12)

Rnd 6: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in next st, dc2tog, * dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog, rep from * 1 more time. Join with slst to top of ch-3. (9)

Stuff turkey leg with fiber-fill at this point. Don’t overstuff. You’ll want the leg to lay somewhat flat against the head. Rnd 7: Ch 1 and sc in this same st, sc2tog, * sc, sc2tog, rep from * 1 more time. Join with slst to 1st st. (6)

Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same st and each st around. Join with slst to 1st st. (6) Break yarn.

Rnd 9: With white, ch 1, sc in same st and each st around. Join with slst to 1st st. (6)

Weave in ends or tie ends together and tuck inside drumstick.

Rnd 10: Ch 3 (counts as first dc) and dc in this same st, 2 dc in next st and each st around. Join with slst to top of ch-3. (12) FO, leaving a long strand to close up. Close end by threading through outer loop of each st around. Pull tight. Thread needle through the center of this circle and out at the base of the white bone. Pull tight and work in end. This creates the two bumps in the “bone” at the end of the turkey leg.

Finish Hat

If you haven’t done so already, flatten the legs a little so they won’t stick out too far from the head. Position legs on the hat and secure in place with pins. The position of the legs should be just behind the center of the hat, and the leg bone should stick up in the back a bit. Once you have the position right, whip stitch each leg to the hat.