Lawn Gnome!

I am a big fan of the 'hat' costume: a hat so fantastic that you can just wear normal clothes and it still counts as a costume.  I am not a fan of cheapie drugstore costumes anymore, because alas, I am not a size 4 so none of them fit me right.  But a hat!  A hat costume is amazing.  You still can participate in the office costume contest (oh how clever, you say you made it yourself?!) and you can take it off when you go on your lunch break.  Now, I can't guarantee that you wont get hat-hair, but it's a small price to pay for not being dressed up as Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games at work all day...  Those eyelashes would begin to bother me after about fifteen minutes... 

Jake was a very good sport today.  He's going as the World's Tallest Lawn Gnome.  (He's 6'5" and the hat adds about 7")

Gnome Hat
Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn in Red (I used Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red - 1 skein should make 2 hats)
Size G crochet hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

R1: 8 hdc in a magic loop, pull loop tight and sl st to first hdc to close round (8 st)
R2: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (8 st)
R3: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (16 st)
R4: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (16 st)
R5: ch 1, (2 hdc in next st, hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (24 st)
R6-7: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (24 st)
R8: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 2 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (32 st)
R9-10: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (32 st)
R11: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 3 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (40 st)
R12-13: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (40 st)
R14: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 4 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (48 st)
R15-16: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (48 st)
R17: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 5 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (56 st)
R18: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (56 st)
R19: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 6 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (64 st)
R20-21: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (64 st)
R22: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 7 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (72 st)
R23-24: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (72 st)
R25: ch 1 (2 hdc in next st, 8 hdc) 8 times, sl st to first hdc to close round (80 st)
R26-27: ch 1, hdc in each st, sl st to first hdc to close round (80 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Gnome Beard
Supplies:
Small amount of worsted weight yarn (I used Red Heart Super Saver in White)
Size G crochet hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

ch 52
R1: hdc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in each chain space across (51 st)
R2: ch 2, 24 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 24 hdc (53 st)
R3: ch 1, 16 sc, 10 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 10 hdc, 16 sc (55 st)
R4: ch 1, 16 sc, 11 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 11 hdc, 16 sc (57 st)
R5: ch 1, 14 sl st, ch 2, (do not skip a stitch) 13 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 14 hdc, ch 2, turn (30 stitches + ch sp before 13 hdc = 31 st)
R6: 15 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 15 hdc (33 st)
R7: ch 1, 4 sl st, ch 2, 11 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 12 hdc, ch 2, turn (27 st)
R8: 13 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 13 hdc (29 st)
R9: ch 1, 5 sl st, ch 2, 9 hdc, 3 hdc in next st, 10 hdc
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Using red yarn, stitch beard to the sides of the hat.  I just used a simple running stitch.

This costume rocked extra, because I was able to use yarn that I already had to make it.  So basically, it was free!!  And free hat costumes are the best kind of hat costumes!

xoxo