Crochetbug

Woods, Elle (as she is sometimes known) is first seen wearing this hat in the movie after her memorable appearance as a Playboy Bunny at her first law school party.

Reproduction of the Elle Woods hat with large crocheted chrysanthemum

The party is a turning point in the film because Elle comes to realize Warner will never see her as good enough for him and his future life. It is at this point that she finally determines that she will remake herself, and Elle donning a crocheted hat is one marker of the change that is to come.

Elle is first seen wearing a hat very much like this one in the same scene her classmates first see her with books. Later, the hat is more prominently featured in the scene when Elle and Paulette return to Paulette’s former home to take custody of the much issed and loved Rufus from Paulette’s former boyfriend of many years, .

Also notable is the fact that the enormous flower that decorates the hat is on the right side which signals to any interested men that Elle is officially unattached.

So, I see this as Elle’s empowerment hat.

Materials:
Red Heart Super Saver Pale Plum and Soft White (of course, any worsted weight will do)
A 5.5mm (or I) hook

Chain 4 and join with slip stitch (or use a magic ring if you prefer)
Round 1: Work 6 sc into the ch-4 ring and join with sl st to first sc made (6sc).
[Note: I do not make an additional ch 1 before making my first sc]

Round 2: Chain 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc into same stitch as joining, work 2dc into each of the next 5 stitches, join with sl st to first dc made (12dc)

Round 3: Chain 3 (counts as first dc), work another dc into same stitch as joining, work 2dc into each of the next 11 stitches, join with sl st to first dc made (24 dc).

Round 4: Chain 3 (counts as first dc), work 2 dc in next st, *dc in next stitch, 2dc in next stitch, repeat from * 10 times more, join with sl st to first dc made. (36 dc)

Round 5: Chain 3 (counts as first dc), work dc in next stitch, work2 dc in next st, *work 1 dc in each of next stitches, 2dc in next stitch, repeat from * 10 times more, join with sl st to first dc made. (48 dc).

Round 6–12: Chain 3 (counts as first dc) work 1 dc in each stitch all the way around (48 dc). Fasten off Pale Plum

Round 13: Using soft white, join with single crochet in first dc of previous round. Work 1 sc in each remaining dc. Join with sl st to first sc made (48sc)

Round 14: Continuing with the soft white, ch 1 (counts as first sc) in same stitch as joining. Sc in each remaining stitch of the previous round, join with sl to ch 1 made that the beginning and fasten off (48 sc)

Round 15: Join pale plum with sl st to first sc of round 13. Ch 3 (counts as first dc). Work dc in each remaining sc. Join with sl to to first dc made (the chain 3), and fasten off.

For the flower on my hat, I used Red Heart Super Saver Dark Orchid, a 4.00mm hook, and Lesley Stanfield’s chrysanthemum pattern from her book 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet, but any oversized, over-the-top crocheted flower will do the trick.