siberian crochet hats

i learned this stitch from a pinterest link.   

pinterest!   yah!

this my first try with this stitch.   it it is lots of experimenting.    it ended up a little more coned at the top that i wanted but at this point, i wasn't worried about it.   it's a really nice thick stitch and has a little stretch to it, i thought it would be stiffer than it turned out.   i like the way it makes this see through of the other color.   my blonde curls likes to choose which color is out every day.

my tomboy princess wanted a ear warmer since she always has some crazy hair do and they don't usually fit in a hat.   she chose a thicker, variegated yarn for hers.   the variegated turned out really nice.   it was a little harder to keep track of at first but i got used to it in the first couple of rows.   it doesn't show the joins as much though.

here's the videos i used to learn the basics.   it might help to watch the vids first so you understand my pics.    then you can follow how i made this potholder into a hat.
http://siberianstitch.com/tutorial.html

i'm going to assume you have watched the video.
the stitch around the hat, the basic rows are like the video.   this is just to show how to change colors and continue in a circle instead of turning with a straight pot holder. 

i am pretty much referring to the colors i'm using because it's just easier to keep track of.
comment if i need to clarify something

i wanted a two color hat so i made my base row with both colors.   then i went around with the fisrt color.   here's where i had to get creative.   at the end of the first row, end your last stitch by reaching through the first stitch and pull through all three like the next pictures.

now, your going to pull the other color, (blue) through this loop (this color change is simple because you don't have blue row yet.)    

go the opposite direction around your base row.  

this is what it looks like if you don't go the opposite direction each time

after you finish going around your base with the second color, change colors again.

end your row as before.   reach through the outside of the last stitch, yarn over and pull through.   reach over and grab your other color, pull through and start with the opposite color.

your going to go around through the inside loops of both colors.   still pretty much doing like the video.   

at the end of this first time going through both colors, you get to change colors in a really specific way.   if you don't. it really shows.

 now, see the last stitch from the other color?    reach down through the inside of that last stitch and grab your other color, (blue here).  

 pull through the blue and orange and pull the orange, (color your leaving) tight.   

now, reach down through the inside of the first stitch you made of the other (orange) color and the stitch below it of the color your going to (blue), this should be the same loop you pulled the blue though to change colors.
 just remember to go the opposite direction as the row before it.   it kind of switches itself since your going down opposite sides.   once you get the hang of it, it's really easy.   

to close the hat off, just do some decreases, two stitches into one.   i did several rows and just put it on blonde curls head to see where i was.   then i decreased every 10 stitches for a couple of rows and then every eight until i got closer to the top and then i decreased every stitch . 

 i am working on a black and gray one now.   it's a thinner yarn so we'll see how well it works.      the darker color is harder to work with.  
i hope this made sense.   may your head and ears be warm.