This past Friday (November 25) I got an email from a close friend asking if I had a small hat or blanket she could include as part of a gift for an expectant friend whose baby shower is scheduled for December 4.

I was thrilled to have been asked to help out, and while I had nothing already made, I did have a project on my want-to-do list that I was itching to try.

My first question was whether the parents-to-be knew the sex of the child. It turned out they did and the baby (due around St. Valentine’s Day) is a girl.

Sorting through the many skeins of yarn to choose from for November’s 2011 stash down challenge, I settled on the pink I used in the sushi roll scarf:

and a soft, coral orange.

Using the two colors, an 5.0 mm hook, and the Crochet Munchkin Hat pattern courtesy of the crochet/knit designer known as Neanner, I got to work, and in short order (and with a few modifications due to the fact I was running out of some of the yarn more quickly than I was running out of pattern), I had completed my first Crochet Munchkin hat.

Here is a view of the seam side of the hat:

And here is a view of the front:

Because I ran out of yarn, I eliminated the pom-pom and the last row of single crochet stitches. This was further complicated by a shortage of the pink yarn, which prompted me to change the striping pattern to better accommodate the yarn I had.

The directions in the pattern were impeccable, and in the process of making the hat, I learned a new method that makes the joining seam much straighter than other methods I have employed.

This is a completely worthwhile project and a delightful way to spend an afternoon.