It has been a rough winter in my house. Well, the weather for Ontario, Canada has overall been very mild…but with the crazy temperature fluctuations my kids have been swapping upper respiratory viruses like it is their job. And why are germs the only thing it seems that they are willing to share? So I’ve had kids stashed in various rooms of the house at varying stages of their illnesses. Some laying in bed, some flaked on the sofa. And other than needing cuddles here and there, I have found I have a bit more time on my hands than usual. So I decided last week to try my hand at designing a hat. The half double crochet stitch (hdc) is my favourite stitch out of what I call the “core workhorse stitches” (slip stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, triple crochet). So with that in mind I came up with this pattern that only uses hdcs, but in different ways in order to add some fun texture. Ok…the brim is single crochet, as is the very last row of decreases, but aside from that the only stitch you will need to know is hdc.

All was going quite well and I was furiously working away with hook and yarn flying when I heard my 6-year old scream from the bedroom “Mom, come here, I need you!”. Throwing the hat aside, my heart pounding, I ran to see what the emergency was. He looked calmly at me as I arrived out of breath and said “did you know that 1 in every 500 narwhals has TWO horns?”. I assured him I did not, thanked him for the information, and with crisis under control I went back to finishing the design. Sometimes I think I am crazy for trying to juggle everything…and do I really need to add in another element with this blog and designing my own patterns. I know one day I will have endless hours of peace and quiet to be able to focus on the task at hand….but I’m really going to miss all this craziness! Without further ado, here is that pattern that came out of the calm chaos.

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn (#4) – I mainly used Red Heart Soft and Loops and Threads Ombre Swirl
• size 6 mm crochet hook
• tapestry needle

A note on sizing: When I first started crocheting hats were my Achilles heel…no matter what I did, or how many patterns I tried, they always turned out too small. I grew up knitting and had never had any issues with sizing and gauge, but with crochet I have found that tension will be so variable person to person, and therefore so will the size of the finished piece. When I stopped following the stitch count on patterns, and instead started to go by my own measurements of my piece to guide me, I started to be able to get the sizing correct. So I will share this pattern with the stitch count I used, but I recommend you refer to a hat sizing chart and check your work as you go along. Also, keep in mind that crochet hats will stretch over time (especially in patterns like this that are worked bottom up), so you want your hat to be a bit smaller than recommended. For example, in this pattern we will start by making the band. The length of the band will be the final circumference of the hat. If you look at common hat sizing charts, they will tell you the hat should be 22 inches around for an average adult woman. If you make the band to this length, the finished hat will be too large. Instead, I make it around 17-18 inches long, so when I wear it I have a nice snug fit that doesn’t constantly slip off. The only thing to keep in mind is to have an even number of rows for your ribbing as the pattern in the body of the hat is a repeat of 2.

Stitches

sc – single crochet

sc2tog – single crochet two stitches together

hdc – half double crochet

hdc2tog – half double crochet two stitches together

BLO – back loop only

This pattern is for an adult size.

Hat Band

Chain 11.

Row 1: work 1 sc in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain after to end of row (10). Chain 1 and turn.

Row 2-54: working BLO sc across the first 9 stitches. Place 1 sc through both loops of the last stitch. (10)

At end of row 54, slip stitch in back loop to the foundation chain to form a circle. Turn band inside out (so the seam is on the inside of the band). Chain 1.

Body of Hat

Row 1: Working in the ends of the rows in the band, place 1 hdc stitch in the end of each row. Join, chain 1. (54)

Row 2: Working in the 3rd loop, hdc across. Join, chain 1. (54)

Row 3: Working in the 3rd loop, skip the first stitch, hdc in 2nd stitch. Crossing in front of the stitch you just worked, place 1 hdc stitch in the skipped stitch. *Skip the next stitch, hdc 1, cross in front of the stitch you just worked, hdc 1 in skipped stitch* repeat to end of row. Join, chain 1. (54)

Row 4: hdc in top of each stitch around. Join, chain 1. (54)

Row 5: Repeat row 2

Row 6: Repeat row 3

Row 7: Repeat row 4

Row 8: Repeat row 2

Row 9: Repeat row 3

Row 10: Repeat row 4

Row 11: Repeat row 2

Row 12: Repeat row 3

Row 13: Repeat row 4

Row 14: Working in 3rd loop *hdc2tog, hdc in next 3 stitches*. Repeat to last 4 stitches, hdc2tog, hdc in last 2 stitches, join and chain 1. (43)

Row 15: Repeat row 3, place 1 hdc in last stitch, join and chain 1. (43)

Row 16: Repeat row 4. (43)

Row 17: Working in 3rd loop *hdc2tog, hdc in next 2 stitches*. Repeat to last 3 stitches, hdc2tog, hdc in last stitch, join and chain 1. (32)

Row 18: Repeat row 3. (32)

Row 19: working in top of each stitch, *hdc2tog, hdc 1*. Repeat to last 2 stitches, hdc2tog, join and chain 1. (22)

Row 20: working in 3rd loop, *hdc2tog*. Repeat to end of row, join and chain 1. (11)

Row 21: working in 3rd loop, *sc2tog*. Repeat to last stitch, sc in last stitch, join. (6) Fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Finishing: weave tail through the last row of sc stitches, cinch closed and weave in end. Attach PomPom if desired.

I love all the colour possibilities! Please feel free to make and sell as many hats as you would like, but give me credit for the pattern. And remember to tag me in your finished photos or use the hashtags #oneknottydog or #hdcwithatwist! I cannot wait to see what you all create!

Happy making!

Britteny