Pillboxes Are Tops Pattern #2329

HEADSIZE 21½

Materials: Clark's O.N.T. or J. & P. Coats Pearl Cotton, size 5, 5 balls of any color.
Milward's steel crochet hook No. 8.
¾ yd. pleated pique ruching.

Gauge: 5 pattern sts make 1 inch; 5 rows make 1 inch.

Side Piece … Starting at center back, ch 17. 1st row: S c in 2nd ch from hook, s c in each ch across. Ch 3, turn. 2nd row: * Draw up a loop in 1st st, skip 1 st, draw up a loop in next st. Repeat from * until 7 loops are on hook, thread over and draw through 7 loops, ch 1 to fasten (1 pattern st); ** draw up a loop in same st as last loop, skip 1 st, draw up a loop in next st. Repeat from ** until 7 loops are on hook, thread over and draw through 7 loops, ch 1 (2nd pattern st). Repeat from ** across (8 pattern sts), ending with d c in last st. Ch 3, turn. 3rd row: * Draw up a loop between d c and 1st st, then draw up a loop between 1st and 2nd sts. Repeat from * until 7 loops are on hook, thread over and draw through 7 loops, ch 1; ** draw up a loop in same st as last loop, draw up a loop in next st. Repeat from ** until 7 loops are on hook, thread over and draw through 7 loops, ch 1. Repeat from ** across, ending with d c in turning ch. Ch 3, turn. Repeat 3rd row throughout, increasing 1 pattern st at one edge only on the 5th row and every 3rd row thereafter until there are 22 pattern sts in row—to increase 1 pattern st, * draw up a loop in same st as last loop, draw up a loop in turning ch. Repeat from * until 7 loops are on hook, thread over and draw through 7 loops, ch 1, d c in same turning ch. Work 3 rows without increasing. This brings work to center front. Do not break off, but work other half to correspond, making decreases to correspond with increases on first half—to decrease 1 pattern st, omit a pattern st 1 pattern st in from edge. Break off.

Top Piece … Make a chain 2 inches long. 1st rnd: S c in 2nd ch from hook, s c in each ch across, 3 s c in last ch. Working along opposite side of foundation chain, make s c in each ch, 3 s c in last ch. 2nd rnd: S c in s c to within center of 3-s c group, 3 s c in center s c, s c in s c across, 3 s c in last s c. Continue in this manner, increasing where necessary to keep work flat and keeping work oval in shape, until piece measures about 5¾ inches wide and 7½ inches long. Break off. Sew narrow edges of side together. Holding ruching between side and top pieces, sew through all 3 thicknesses on wrong side. If desired, sew ribbon inside lower edge to insure against stretching.