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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Better than a Sock Bun!

I love a good sock bun, but I ran into a problem last week when I wanted to put my hair up.  White socks (which didn't show under my blonde hair) suddenly  were so obvious under my new vampire-red hair (that's the actual name on the bottle, not my name for it, btw).  I really wasn't interested in purchasing and then destroying a brand new pair of pink-red socks because I wanted to do my hair either.


That got me to thinking about what I could come up with to fix this dilemma.  I had seen a package at Target for a bun shaper that was just a foam version of a rolled up sock, but as it only came in the more traditional hair colors (blonde/brown/black) I wasn't interested.  Hmm... But maybe I could come up with something myself...

Then I did a google search for hair rats.  Uh, yeah, they used to call them hair rats.  Apparently there's all kinds of awesomeness out there for diy-ing your own hair rat (or hair shaper, if you prefer a less disgusting phrase) out of your own hair!  Rad!  Perfect match!  But that takes months, and I really needed something that I could use right now...


Crochet to the rescue!  I had a giant bag of left-over pink yarn from the Think Pink blanket, and one of them was a dark pink cotton that was a close-enough match to work for my ratty purpose!
I crocheted myself a pink bun shaper (the coolest part was that I was able to make it much larger than the shapers that are for sale right now)!  I like it even better than my previous rolled up socks, because you couldn't bobby pin the sock into place, but with a crocheted shaper you can bobby pin  right through the stitches.  It feels much more secure, which I didn't even realize I had worried about before (but duh, who would want a rolled up sock to fall out of their hair in a meeting? LOL!)

I love mine so much, I had to make one for Mims.  If you want to make one too, this is how I did it:

Better Than a Sock Bun: Crochet Bun Shaper
Supplies:
Worsted weight cotton yarn
Size G crochet hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

ch 29
R1: dc in 3rd ch from hook, dc in each ch across (27 st)
R2-16: ch 2 (counts as first dc), dc in each st across (27 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Starting at ch end, roll up the crochet piece into a long tube.  Whipstitch the tube closed so that it's nice and smooth.

I used pink yarn so that you can see where the whipstitching should go.
When you make yours please use the color that matches the bun shaper! LOL!

Now curve it around and whipstitch the tube ends together to make it into a donut shape.  Make sure the ends are really securely stitched.   Fasten off and weave in any loose ends.

See!  You can't see the whipstitching when you use matching yarn to stitch it together! 

Yippee!  Now you can use it to make your bun look amazing and huge.  Because this is the one place in a lady's life that having huge buns makes us happy!  LOL!!!

If you've never done a sock bun before, here's a quick rundown of the steps:
1. Put your hair into a ponytail
2. Pull the ponytail through the bun shaper
3. Wrap your hair around the bun shaper to cover it up
4. Bobby pin the hair into place around the bun shaper
5. Show off your awesome HUGE bun!  :D

**If you're not familliar with Sock Buns, there's a great set of instructions HERE that are crochet free and you can be out the door in 3 minutes!  

xoxo

90 comments:

  1. Wow, I had been meaning to do something like this for a while. You beat me to it. Love it and I will be making several for my hair.

    Love the way you wrap your hair. I just cut mine for my Halloween costume so the way I used to do a sock bun wouldn't work any more. (Start with the sock at the tips and roll all the way to the head) I will definitely have to try it like this.

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    1. I think this is totally a case of great minds thinking alike! I am always happy when someone else thinks it's a good idea too.

      I've seen the roll your hair up around the sock bun all over Pinterest as a great way to do overnight curls! I've got another 6 months before my hair will be long enough to do that, and I'm going to need a WAY smaller bun shaper, because this one too big for that purpose...
      xo Jaime

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  2. I love the new hair color you did. I had mine vampire red by Manic Panic in my early 20's and loved it! The hair tool you crocheted is awesome, I too made something similar to that, only instead of being for a bun it was for fake bangs, and I crocheted it from synthetic hair instead of yarn, and I made it entirely in a tubular shape, works pretty good.

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    1. The hair dohnuts you made almost look edible they are so pretty.

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    2. Okay, so now I am obsessed with what fake bangs might look like I am going to have to google search it!! Crocheting with synthetic hair is AWESOME!!! Okay, I'm going to have to do something with that idea too...

      Mims keeps pretending that she's eating hers. It really does look like a chocolate donut! LOL!

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    3. Fake bangs looks totally retro 50's, I love it, works great when you want that retro look but don't want to cut bangs, lol, there are various ways to acheive the look but the hair rat works best. lol, Some still do call it a rat, hee hee. LOL @ Mims pretending to eat her's, I would probably do the same, lol. I meant to ask you, did you bleach your hair when you colored it vampire red or did you just add the dye to your hair without bleaching. The color pay off came out great. I love the new photo in the banner with you and Mims suprise faces, lol.

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    4. I didn't bleach it specifically for the red, but I'm not a natural blonde, so the bleaching that I did for my yellow hair made the pink-red look awesome! The brown roots, which I had hoped would create an ombre effect, don't show the red at all. :(
      xo J

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  3. This is a great idea. My granddaughter has been wanting her hair in a bun (seems it is all the rage in first grade) but her hair is so thick and not too long yet that it has been a problem trying to get it in a bun and to actually stay! I think this is going to be just the ticket, you are so awesome and creative. I love your blog and ideas :)

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    1. That's my problem with Mims! This works perfectly for that! And I love you too!
      xo Jaime

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  4. How is it possible that in 54 years I have never heard of a sock bun?!?!?!?!!! I LOVE this pattern!! Guess what I'll be doing today?? <3

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    1. LOL!!!! This made me laugh so hard, Sue! The internet is a magical, educational place!
      xo Jaime

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    2. can you tell me approx. how much yarn it takes to make one bun? and what weight yarn? thx

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  5. Wow! I love sock buns and have been thinking of making something similar too! You totally beat me!! LOL. But I just cut my hair shorter too and now can't use one. I know plenty of people who still can though - great stocking stuffer idea! P.S. You are awesome. That is all.

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    1. You could always wear a wig...I do that sometimes when I want to change my hair but don't want to change it at the same time, lol. It's actually getting really hard for me to wear a wig anymore though because my hair is extremely long, all the way past my back. There are so many wigs I see and want!

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    2. You both are awesome. That is all.
      xo Jaime

      (I think the 'That is all' should be your 'Seacrest Out' catchphrase Teeni...)

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  6. Piper - you are right! I could wear a wig. The only thing is I wore a lot of them when I went through chemo and I hate to admit it, but they make me feel inadequate because the wigs always have such thick glorious hair so when I have to take them off, I'm all disappointed to have my own boring, flat, thin hair back. LOL! I may try again though. Maybe you could recommend some brands to me that you liked.

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    1. I can relate to the flat, thin hair but mine is fine mostly grey. I really like Paula Young or her sister site Wig mainly for the prices and they do have a fairly large assortment. I have a light brown/drk blond frosted, a blond and my latest fun one is a light red pageboy. It is so much easier to slip on a wig and go so I don't have to spend time trying to curl my hair and I'm lucky if it lasts an hour. Now I can spend more time learning how to crochet or just reading blogs :).
      Debbie

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  7. I've never heard of one, either, but it's a way cool idea. I cannot use one since my hair is boy short but I'll know where to get the pattern if I want to make one for a friend.

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    1. Hi Katy! I've wrote and rewrote this reply, like 3 times, because I keep wanting to suggest you grow your hair out JUST so you can use one yourself. The suggestion is so ridiculous, it cracks me up every time!! I've spent 3/4 of my life with super short hair, and I know how awesome it is.
      Hope this makes you laugh too!
      xo Jaime

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  8. jaime, i have shoulder length hair but i have fine and thin hair, how big should i make mine?

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  9. Oh i found after you wrap your hair around it slip on a clear rubber band, it helps hold it better before bobby pinning it :)

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  10. did you use red heart? i used sugar n cream and the hole was huge :(

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    1. Oh no! I used worsted weight cotton yarn for mine. Maybe that helps?

      xo Jaime

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    2. Hi! Just wanted to say this made my night...I saw these buns a few weeks ago and wanted a bun sock to try it. I went to the store and they only had blonde, but a girl in there told me and my boyfriend that we could make them out of stockings. Of course, after that my bf insisted we not purchase one from a store, and I was really loathe to tear up a pair of my stockings.

      Then I saw this. I sat down 3 hours ago and crocheted it because while sewing makes me snore, crocheting is something I understand! It is in my hair right now and it worked perfectly and I love it! Thanks for this! The internet is indeed a beautiful place :)

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    3. Awesome!! I'm so glad it worked for you!!!
      xo Jaime

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  11. I don't get step #3. gravity doesn't allow it. You're supposed to take the hair that's hanging from the ponytail and wrap it around it? Instructions are vague.

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    1. Hi! Um, okay, so what you do is take the top section of the ponytail and wrap it up and over the top of the bun shaper and then tuck it around the side (hanging down). Use bobby pins to hold it in place. Then, move to the next section (I go clockwise) and wrap the sides, tucking it down and around as you go. The idea is to cover the bun shaper with your hair so that it just looks like a bun (not that it's actually a bun, if you know what I mean). The link for the sock bun tutorial that I put at the bottom of the post might be more visually specific, if you're still confused.
      Hugs!
      xo Jaime

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    2. Mother taught me to put the hair up as described but put a rubber band around the bun then use bobby pins to hold that in place

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  12. How might I adjust the pattern for a smaller bun? I'd like to have the option of large bun, medium bun, and possibly small bun... this looks like a large! Would changing hook size or thread work?

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  13. Or would it work better to do less dc and rows?

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    1. Hi Negrlntx! Yes!! Less stitches and less rows! The bun shaper is pretty big, because I have a flair for the dramatic, but if you wanted something that looked more subtle, use less stitches and less rows.
      xo Jaime

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  14. arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg! jaime,I still cant get mine to look right :(

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    1. Okay, Renee, is it the bun or the shaper? If it's the bun, you just need more practice. I've been doing these for about 5 years now, and I still get weird, pokey-out hairs that won't go where they're supposed to. Practice is the key! But, if it's the shaper, then roll it tighter.
      xo Jaime

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  15. Jaime, on this do you roll it up loosely or tightly?

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    1. Roll it up as tight as you can! :D It will work better!
      xo!

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  16. Ok here ya go
    http://thesimplelife2015.blogspot.com/2013/01/crochet-projectbetter-than-sock-bun.html
    I put into a pony tail,pull through fold hair down,put pony tail holder on the wrap the hairs around while pinning ;)

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    1. Hi Renee! I am so sorry I didn't answer this sooner, I've been laid up for a few days with a bruised tailbone and kidney stones. (Not a combo that I would recommend, if you were wondering.)
      Your bun turned out AMAZING!!! I'm so excited! Thanks so much for posting about it! Giant, squishy eHugs to you!!!
      xo Jaime

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  17. Great Idea! Just wondering if there is supposed to be 16 rows or maybe just 6 rows. The pattern says 16.

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    1. Hi Cathy! Renee is right. It's 16 rows. :D
      xo Jaime

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  18. Cathy, there are suppose to be 16

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    1. You are so awesome Renee! Thanks for catching that one!
      xo Jaime

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  19. i have waist length hair, should i increase length and width? i made it according to the pattern. I've never used a sock bun before now, i usually braid. i did find alternative ways to use one with long hair on YouTube. i like yours because hair pins can be inserted through it. thank you so much for the pattern. I'll be making some for Christmas. good use for scrap yarn.

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    1. Hi auntyem!

      I'm not sure about this one. I think I've seen rolling techniques for sockbuns on Youtube and Pinterest for longer hair, but I'm not sure a larger "donut" would do you much good. It might become too huge to be serviceable. Sorry I don't have a better answer (but if you come across something that works, let me know!)
      xo Jaime

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    2. i think my arms just aren't long enough. sending the one i made to my granddaughter. going to make a few more for little nieces.

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    3. i would make it more narrow so that when you sew it up the hole is larger, you can then do the roll up technique and get more hair into it. The problem with anything with a small hole is you just cant get long hair wrapped into it... does it get stuck like half way or something? (I ended up using a stocking instead of a sock doing it the "sock bun" way...but less rows should do it with this i would think.) I have hair i sit on.

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  20. There is really not '16 rounds in this' I did mine in 6

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    1. Hi! The pattern in the pictures above are made with 16 rows of double crochet. I appreciate your input, but I know what I did when I made my bun shaper. I'm so glad that it worked for you with less rows, but if you want it to look just like the picture above, please use 16 rows.
      xo Jaime

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    2. That person must have a very tiny sock bun...and brain for correcting you.

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    3. Lauren, that wasn't nice at all to say someone has a tiny brain.

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  21. I can't wait to make this, along with the butterfly pins. I have officially subscribed to your page. I realized tonight, as I was surfing patterns from AFC, that the majority of the patterns that drew me were from the same site - yours! I recently made one of your awesome bowed berets to match a scarf I did for my daughter. I am a very new crocheter, so was extremely delighted that I got it right. Thanks so much for sharing your talent and your ideas!

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    1. Hi EverMom!
      Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but I am SO GLAD to have you on board! I'm so glad that my patterns are working out for you, and I love that you've embraced crochet! You're welcome so much!
      xo Jaime

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  22. How would you explain to make this to someone who does not know how to crochet?

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    1. Hi! Honestly, I'm not sure. Check out the link at the bottom of the tutorial. There's a pattern for a no-sew (no-crochet) bun shaper that might have the answer you're looking for!
      xo Jaime

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  23. I made this and wrote about it here:http://tomatoesforapples.blogspot.com/2013/02/ive-got-big-buns.html#

    My gauge was off so The bun was a bit larger than I expected, but it still worked out neat.

    Thanks for sharing your pattern!

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  24. Hi Mrsblocko!
    Your bun turned out great! And I love, love, love that you'd make two to rock it Princess Leia-style! LOL!!! If you've browsed around, I'm sure you've seen me rock my own space princess look too! :D
    Thanks for sharing!
    xo Jaime

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  25. Jaime, How do I make a smaller version?

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    1. Hi Renee! The simple answer is use a smaller hook. Or start with less stitches, and then make less rows. Or use a sock... LOL!!!
      xo Jaime

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  26. Totally making this right now out of acrylic yarn because Peaches and Cream does not have my odd shade of brown.

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    1. Cute! I'm sure it'll look great, Amber!
      xo Jaime

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  27. I love the bun idea defo going to make one

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    1. Hi forgetmenots blue! That's awesome! They're really fun to wear!
      xo Jaime

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  28. Hi it's me again! I posted the link to your pattern on my crochet Tumblr! Hope that's not a problem. It wasn't the pattern, just the link to this page.

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  29. i knew id be able to find a pattern! My 5yo has to wear her short hair in a bun for her ballet recital. This is just what we need!

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    1. Hi 10nicenails! Aww! Mims took ballet lessons. There is nothing cuter than a room full of tiny ballerinas!
      xo Jaime

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  30. So I don't have to stuff the tube before sewing it closed? I thought I would have to. I have waist-length hair so if I wanted to stuff it to make my bun bigger, what would you suggest as a stuffing material?

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    1. Hi Jaime! The crochet piece is pretty big so it can be rolled up, instead of being stuffed. I didn't want any fiberfill poking out while it was in my hair. If you wanted a really big bun, just add more rows. Hope this helps!
      xo Jaime

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  31. Did you post a video in youtube..??

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  32. I was thinking there was no way there was 16 rows, you see max 8 in the pics, but then I realized, duh.. its rolled, like a jelly roll for lack of better reference, and the 'seam' is the last row joined to the roll....which is why it doesn't need to be stuffed. Hope that brings the aha moment for others. Thanks for the great pattern.

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  33. How do I make. It extra large

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  34. it look so cute I always have my hair in a bun, this will be awesome thank you so much for the pattern

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  35. AHHHHH!!! You rock my socks off!!!! <3 <3 <3 Thank you for thinking of this!!!

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  36. As the mother of 3 thick and long haired girls I am in love with this pattern. I myself have very short hair. But as I grow mine out I will have plenty of time to make many of these to stow away till I can use them :)

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  37. My completed piece collapses inward making it flat rather than round. I cannot get it to hold a donut shape. Do you have to stuff it with something to help it hold the proper shape?

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    1. Did you just join the two long sides together? I did that at first. Then I realized that I should have rolled it up like a jelly roll and then stiched the outside edge to the log. That way it creates its own stuffing. And roll it really tight so it will hold your hsir without slipping. Hope that helps!

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  38. hi!!! im obsessed with sock buns!!! i love the afteraffects they have on my hair...curls galore.....thank you sooo much for this!!!! but could you please please tell me what your hair color is...i have been trying to find the perfect red and that is it!!!!! please!!!!!

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  39. Any ideas on how to convert this pattern from crochet to knit? I taught myself how to knit this year and have yet to try crocheting. I have searched everywhere I can think of on the internet for a knit pattern and everything keeps bringing me back to this pattern. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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    1. With Worsted weight yarn size 8 needles cast on 40 stitches, knit in Stst for 7 inches, bind off and roll up and finish how Jaime says. I do both Knit and crochet and I measured with pieces I have made. Hope this helps ^_^

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  40. Love this idea and pattern! Just finished it... which took me no time at all. I modified the number if rows because my hair is long and I like my ballerina buns kind of big. Thank you sooooooo much! Happy New Year!

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  41. I foresee myself making several of these for my daughter, but I do have a question. Her hair is about halfway down her back, and thick, and this cannot be noticeable. She's in the National Guard, and they have to keep their hair up EXTREMELY securely. If it escapes, she will get smoked (in my husband's day, they called it getting "thrashed"). Not sure I'll be able to explain how she's supposed to keep it all up and in, but we're going to try it. Thanks! ~Terri

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  42. Thank you! I just recently cut my hair, after christmas. It was almost to my butt, and I'm 5'6" if that tells you anything? Well anyway about 1 to 1 1/2 feet were cut and I am loving the new hair do, I am excited to try this as my buns before were large just from my hair. With this it might be the same as it was but cuter and neater. Thank you for sharing!

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  43. I love this idea. But I am really bad at bun. Honestly, I'm about 100 times worse then the bad you're thinking of right now. Do they work with long hair too?

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  44. Hi, nice idea, I'll crochet one : ))
    I'll try if it works with very long hair, too. Perhaps you must do the hair twice or three times round the bun? Greetings from South Germany. Susan

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  45. Very clever! Definitely going to have to try this out :)

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  46. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  47. I love these I was wanting to make them to sell at flee markets,yardsales , online etc. Do I have your permission to make these to re-sell to help supplement my income ?

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  48. Just made this and it is awesome! Such an easy and effective pattern, thanks for much for sharing.

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  49. I love the way you wrote this. Love the sense of humor and the pattern. Thanks!

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