Crocheted Horns

Me again!

Last week I was asked to make a crocheted Viking Hat for a snow holiday. I had no problems finding instructions on crochet beanies or even beards, but for the life of me I couldn't find a simple method for creating curved horns. A lot of places led me here but I couldn't get to grips with the the pattern, as the horn kept twisting no matter how many times I tried it. Eventually I came up with a (much) simpler solution, starting from the bottom up to the point. This means you're guaranteed to get the width you want. After that, you can pretty much tailor the length and how much it curves to what you want.

The main thing to understand is that decreasing stitches will cause the horn to 'lean' inwards, towards the centre, increasing stitches causes it to lean outwards, allowing you to play with the shape. 

Here's the method that I used for the Viking Hat.

You'll need: wool/yarn in the horn colour, some form of stitch marker (I don't have any at the moment, so I just use alternately coloured wool with a knot tied at one end) and a crochet hook.

First off, start by chaining a circle to the desired width, being careful not to twist it. I made 24 chains (stitches?), leaving it about 1 inch in diameter:

Round 1: Place the stitch marker and sc once around. Reposition the marker after each new round.

Rounds 2-4: Sc to the last two stitches and sc2tog. (You should have made a total of three decreases by the end of the fourth round).

Rounds 5-7: Sc2tog, sc to halfway, M1 (increase 1 st by sc twice into one stitch). Sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog.

At this point you should be able to see the horn start to 'lean' when placed on a flat surface.

Round 8: Sc2tog, sc to halfway, M2 (increase by 2 sts). Sc to last 3 sts, sc2tog x3 (you should end up going past the stitch marker, a few stitches into the next round).

Round 9: Sc to halfway, M2. Sc to last 3 sts, sc2tog x3.

Round 10:  Sc to halfway, M1. Sc to last 2 sts, sc2tog.

Round 8 is where the curve begins to happen

Round 11 to end: Sc2tog, sc to halfway, M1, sc to last two sts, sc2tog.

When you get to the last few rounds stop increasing. When you have about 4 sts left (depending on stitch gauge), chain the stitches across the gap to close it up, then fasten off.

This is what I ended up with!

You can make the horn longer or shorter depending on how quickly you decrease the overall amount of stitches. If you are increasing and decreasing at the same rate, the horn will be longer, but not curve as much. When you've got the horn to the size and shape that you want, lightly stuff it with either polyester filling or scraps of wool. If you stuff it too much the stuffing tends to poke through, and it becomes harder to shape.

Hopefully this helps with any problems you might have had!

Gabgar