Free preview · full pattern in the Vintage Crochet Hats, Bags & Accessories
Bicycling or Patrol Cap (1890): vintage crochet pattern
A flat round cap crocheted over a fine cord for a raised, ribbed look: a double crochet crown increased for 15 rounds, a head-band drawn in by tightening the cord, and a covered button framed by a crocheted rosette in the centre.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Advanced |
| Yarn weight | Super fine (#1) |
| Yardage | no quantity is given for the wool or the cord. (as printed; yardage not given) |
| Hook | 2.5 mm |
| Gauge | Not given. |
| Finished size | Size not printed; crown 15 rounds, head-band 9 rounds plus 2 rounds of sc. |
| Time | about 4 hours |
Materials
- Superfine (CYC #1) fine wool (approximate equivalent of the original Andalusian wool); quantity not printed
- A skein of fine mohair cord or very fine black bobbin cord, to crochet over
- Crochet hook (original: fine bone crochet hook, size not printed)
- Black linen for lining, a strip of leather for the band, a button to cover
- Hook: Hook size not printed ("a fine bone crochet hook"); start with about 2.5 mm (US B-1/C-2) for fine wool and adjust so the crown lies flat over the cord
Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 350 yards of weight #1 yarn. Select a suggested yarn to see required skeins and estimated cost:
Knit Picks Stroll Sock · 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon
231 yds per skein · Durable stitch definition, machine washable
2 skeins required
approx. $$13.98 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- single crochet
- double crochet
- treble crochet
- double treble crochet
- slip stitch
- stitch
- stitches
- round
- repeat
- increase
- loop
Notes before you start
- Source: "Bicycling or Patrol Cap (No. 5)" (No. 5), The Book of Hats and Caps, Faudel, Phillips & Sons, 1890. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: Andalusian wool, and a fine bone crochet hook; a knot of fine mohair cord, or very fine black bobbin cord; the former is the best for use. Gauge: Not given.
- Modernisation note: Victorian British stitch names converted to modern US terms. The book defines "single crochet" (in No. 4, the Dundee Bonnet: "the needle in the next stitch, draw the wool through and through the loop on the hook"), which is a modern slip stitch, so "single crochet" and "single" are written as sl st. The book gives no definition for "double crochet" or "treble", so the standard UK→US conversion is applied: UK double crochet = US single crochet (sc); UK treble = US double crochet (dc).
- Modernisation note: Period wording modernised: "wool" written as "yarn"; "needle" (meaning the crochet hook) written as "hook"; "unite" written as "join with a sl st"; "plain" rounds (no increasing) written as "work even"; "the wool on the needle" written as "yo"; "rows" written as "rounds" where the work is in rounds; "receipt" written as "pattern".
- Modernisation note: Hook numbers are on a period British gauge. A No. 12 wool hook is commonly tabulated as about 2.5 mm on the old UK scale, but Victorian numbering varied between makers, and no stitch gauge is printed — the suggested metric size is a starting point only; work to the printed measurements.
- Modernisation note: Period yarn names (Peacock Fingering, Eider, Andalusian, Japanese silk, netting/purse silk) have no exact modern equivalent; the modern yarn weight given is an approximation based on how these yarns were described at the time.
- Modernisation note: No stitch gauge is printed; the book sizes its caps by measurement (diameter or head size) instead.
- Modernisation note: Long printed paragraphs split into one row, round or step per line; stitch order unchanged.
- Modernisation note: UK "double crochet" written as sc and UK "treble" as dc. The rosette's final "single" written as sl st, following the book's definition of single crochet in No. 4.
- Modernisation note: Check: the rosette uses "long" and "double long" stitches, which the book does not define. They are converted by their position in the petal (taller than a treble) and by the usual Victorian meaning: "long" (long treble) = US tr, "double long" (double long treble) = US dtr. Check against the illustration.
- Modernisation note: Check: "5 treble on the 2 treble" (rosette Rnd 3) spreads 5 dc over 2 sts; the book does not say how they are divided. Kept as printed.
- Modernisation note: Check: the rosette rounds are printed as 1st–4th, then 6th; no 5th round is printed. Kept as printed with the printed numbers.
- Modernisation note: Check: the increase rate for Rnds 4–15 and the stitch used for the 9 head-band rounds are not printed (presumably dc, as in the crown). The size of the cap is not printed.
- Modernisation note: Check: "a knot of fine mohair cord" presumably means a skein (knot) of cord; the cover for the centre button ("a small round of crochet") is not described further.
- Modernisation note: Round numbers for the crown, band and rosette's first round added where the book says "4th and successive rounds", "9 rounds" and "finish with 2 of double crochet".
Row progress: 0 of 5 done (0%)
Crown
0 of 5 done- Note: The whole cap is worked over the cord, which gives a raised appearance and shapes the work. Throughout, hold the cord in place with the finger and thumb of the left hand, keeping it at the edge of the round, underneath and behind the hook.Mark row complete
- Rnd 1: Ch 4, join with a sl st; draw the cord through the chain, loop it securely over the cord and chain; work 8 sc.Mark row complete
- Rnd 2: In the 8 sc work 16 dc. Take up all the sts through both loops, or the work will not have its ribbed appearance.Mark row complete
- Rnd 3: Work 2 dc in every st.Mark row complete
- Rnds 4–15: Work round and round, increasing to keep the work flat, until you have 15 rounds.Mark row complete
Working on:
Note: The whole cap is worked over the cord, which gives a raised appearance and shapes the work. Throughout, hold the cord in place with the finger and thumb of the left hand, keeping it at the edge of the round, underneath and behind the hook.
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Bicycling or Patrol Cap (1890) pattern is in the Vintage Crochet Hats, Bags & Accessories
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Head-band
- Rosette
- Finishing
Included with 202 patterns for $12 — $0.06 per pattern.
Errata
No corrections have been published for this pattern. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will log the fix here with a date.
Your notes on this pattern
Keep track of the yarn, hook and changes you used. Saved in this browser only — nobody else can see it.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Bicycling or Patrol Cap (No. 5) pattern from?
It was published as "Bicycling or Patrol Cap (No. 5)" in The Book of Hats and Caps by Faudel, Phillips & Sons in 1890. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the Bicycling or Patrol Cap (No. 5)?
super fine (#1) yarn. Not printed — no quantity is given for the wool or the cord.
What hook should I use?
Hook size not printed ("a fine bone crochet hook"); start with about 2.5 mm (US B-1/C-2) for fine wool and adjust so the crown lies flat over the cord Gauge: Not given.
