Chunky Swirled Beret Pattern

According to my lovely friends and family on the East Coast of the U.S., it’s officially fall weather.  Here in the DR, it’s about 90 degrees and sunny every day.  Which is nice and all, but y’know, sometimes it’s just lovely to have sweatshirt weather.  But let’s be honest – in three months when everyone else is freezing and bundled up, I’m not going to complain as I mosey out the door in my flip flops and t-shirt.  🙂

Here is the pattern for a chunky swirled beret.  You can wear it like a regular hat (as pictured), or slouchy in the back if you are so inclined.  The bulky yarn whips this hat up in less than an hour and you can have holiday gifts, birthday gifts, and just-because gifts ready in no time!

Buy it on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy or here on the website.  You can also get a fabulous combo pattern package with the uber popular chunky cloche for a discounted price, also on Ravelry or Etsy or below.  What are you waiting for??  Get crocheting today!

Swirl Beret Pattern only:

Chunky Hat Duo!:

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Foxy Wolfie Hat Pattern

Hello dear readers-

After nearly a year hiatus, the foxy wolfie hat pattern is finally here! Winter is coming, and your kiddos need hats.  I’d try to be more witty about this, but it’s 10:17 and the baby cried himself to sleep after subliminally rolling over fourteen times.  Any tips? 🙂

Buy your pattern on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy or right here.  Happy crocheting!

Crochet Little Lamb Hat Pattern

Has spring finally sprung for all of you?  When I lived in DC, I loved the cherry blossoms, but oh, my allergies would emerge like the Loch Ness Monster and I’d suffer for months on end.  Here in Beijing it’s not so bad, but they have this amazing fluffy stuff that flies from all the trees.  Urban legend has it that they planted all these pretty trees but then they turned out to be all ‘female’ and released pollen and there were no ‘male’ trees to help the pollen out. I have no idea what that means, but the “spring snow” is worth a look just so you can giggle at the non-foresight of the Beijing urban planners.  It gets stuck in my husband’s beard and he shows up at work looking like Santa Claus.

This hat is a classic that I’ve had rolling around for years.  Case in point – my lovely little model below is now something along the lines of 5 years old, with 2-year old twin brothers. Where does the time go?!

Every yarn lover has to, at some point, pay homage to the source and respect the humble little lamb whose glorious woolly coats make our hobby possible.  I love this hat because it works up super fast with the puff stitches.  I’ve also made it in boucle yarn for some fluffy texture and it’s equally fun.  Celebrate the onslaught of spring with your own fuzzy sheepy hat!

Available on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy, or buy directly from our website here. Get crafting today!

Crochet Darling Duckie Hat Pattern

I don’t know about you, but I am *seriously* ready for the weather to get nicer.  I think in the U.S. there is an abundance of snow and cold… here in Beijing there has been an abundance of smog and pollution and filth and it is time to be over!

To help inspire brighter (and warmer) days ahead, here is a simple sweet duckie hat pattern for all those darling ducklings in your life.  I’ve also used this pattern many times as the base for themed baseball hats – all you need is some felt, needle and thread!  Given the sturdy nature of this hat, you can easily machine wash it if needed.

Also, is this little nugget not the cutest baby you’ve ever seen?!  Some lucky ducks just get all the genes.  😛  I’m obsessed!

Buy your pattern on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy or right here on the website and join me in heralding in sunnier spring days ahead!

Crochet Vintage Flowered Cloche Pattern

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I am proud (and relieved) to finally present to you: the vintage flowered cloche!

This hat has been in the making for years.  Literally, years.  For those of you in the crochet ‘know’, you may recognize this hat, most likely from Anthropologie back in something like 2010.  I saw it online and began my long and arduous journey to try and recreate it myself.  The friggin cluster stitch!  That elusive brim!  Let’s just say I didn’t get very far those first few tries.

A year or two later, imagine my surprise when I saw the very same hat (at least, it looked the same to me) being sold at World Market for a fraction of the cost.  I should have just bought the darn thing and taken it apart, but my stingy Asian self just couldn’t pony up the $16.99, so I made my poor husband take a zillion photos of the hat in store instead.  (“Why are we doing this again?” “JUST TAKE THE PICTURE.”)  More experimenting followed.

Anyhoo, I discovered that my biggest obstacle to success was finding the right kind of yarn.  All of my regular worsted weights were just looking kind of weird.  It turns out that single ply, roving medium weight yarn is really the key to the hat here, and unsurprisingly, really. hard. to. find.  I started out with Berroco Lustra, but was reticent to sell a hat/publish a pattern that required one specific kind of (rather more expensive) yarn that wasn’t easily obtainable.  I like the fancy yarns and all, but I really also like my hats and patterns to be accessible to the ‘regular’ folk that aren’t on first name bases with their local yarn store aficionados, y’know?

Fast forward MORE years later, and finally Caron has come out with its own big-box brand!  Vickie Howell’s Sheep(ish) yarn is a great bargain substitute if you don’t have access to the Lustra (which I’ve found is often discontinued and sometimes still hard to find).  However, my snobby self has to make an appearance and say that comparing the final product of the two brands, Berroco really is sooooo nice.  Use it to make the hat for yourself and the Caron brand for your friends.  There, I said it.

Buy your pattern on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy, or this AWESOME direct link below that I just figured out how to do and get vintaging today!

Free Pattern: Crochet Valentine Heart Earflap Hat

Friends!  Happy 2014!  I hope you’ve been keeping warm this chilly season.  I hear a “polar vortex” crossed through my home country, making it the first and only time I will ever say the weather in Beijing was superior to the weather in the U.S. 🙂

I have been slacking in my pattern sharing, and it’s time to make up for it.  Here is a sweet little hat for Valentine’s Day right around the corner, although in my opinion you don’t need official holidays to bust out the love!

This hat is based off of Susan B. Anderson’s Sweetheart Hat.  Hers is a knit hat with ombre cotton yarn. I loved the striped effect but 1) I don’t really like crocheting hats in cotton, since they’re not very stretchy, 2) I couldn’t even find the particular pinky yarn the last twenty times I visited Joanns in the U.S., and 3) even if you were to crochet the hat using stripey yarn, the amount of yarn used to crochet means that the hat looks like camouflage, not like nice stripes.

Anyway, summary of story: here is a straightforward striped version. There are no fancy stitches, no tricky techniques.

MATERIALS

I used Lion Brand Pound of Love in these photos (pink and white) and a size H crochet hook.  This specific post made me a hat for about a 9-12 month old, but your gauge and yarn may make you a smaller or larger hat.  For more hat sizing options check out my free Striped Earflap Hat pattern.  As always, feel free to adjust and improvise!

Before you start, check out this post for tips on crocheting stripes in the round – it’ll save you a mound of headaches and keep your yarn nice and untangled.

PATTERN

Row 1: Using white and H hook, ch4, sl st to form loop. Ch2, 12 dc into loop. Sl st to first ch2 (12 st).

Row 2: Switch to pink.  Ch2, dc in same st, 2 dc in each ch around, sl st to last st (24 st).

Row 3: Switch back to white (you will be switching colors every round from here on out).  Ch2, dc in same st, *1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st* repeat from * around. Sl st to last st (36 st).

Row 4: Ch2, dc in same st, *1 dc in next 2 st, 2 dc in next st* repeat from * around. Sl st to last st (48 st).

Row 5: Ch2, dc in same st, *1 dc in next 4 st, 2 dc in next st* repeat from * around. 1 dc in each of last 4 st. Sl st to last st (54 st).

Row 6-12: Ch2, dc in same st, 1 dc in each st all the way around. Sl st to last st.

Row 13-15: Ch1, sc in same st, 1 sc in each st all the way around, sl st to last st.  You can switch colors one last time on the last row if desired.

I liked starting with white and ending with pink but that’s just how my hat turned out – your hat may require more or less rows.  I don’t think it really matters. 🙂

Earflaps

For the earflaps, I went straight to this amazing crochet heart pattern and whipped out two in pink (thank you, Bella Dia!).  They end up being fairly large, so if you are making a smaller hat, I’d recommend ending the heart body at 15 stitches and finishing the hearts from there.  The only other modification I made was switching to white when I sc around the edge.  When you cut your last pink length, leave a long pink tail to sew the heart onto the hat.

Finishing

Weave in all the ends of the hat and two hearts.  Using the long pink tail, sew each heart on either side of the hat.  The hearts will seem kind of low on the hat, but remember, the bottoms need to cover the ears.  I like to sew one of the hearts over the back seam – this way it won’t ever end up running right down the forehead if the hat is put on ‘backwards’.

Braids

Attach two pink (or white, or pink and white, you choose, hooray!) braids to the bottoms of the hearts.  I wrote up an earflap braid tutorial separately for future reference in case you want to add braids to ALL your future hats.

Admire finished hat.  Now go spread the love – follow along with the project gallery on Ravelry!

Free Pattern: Knit Slouch Flowered Hat

Hi all! I apologize for being remiss in my blogging – I’ve had this pattern ready to go for weeks, but then suddenly allergies and hives attacked my body and I’ve been doped up on antihistamines and that’s just not the optimal blogging environment.

I have a confession: sometimes (well, a lot of times) I peruse commercial clothing sites and reverse engineer my favorite hat styles.  I even have a list entitled “hat knockoffs”, with plenty of patterns to share with all of you.  This one I found on Zappos – their yarn-based hat selection is ENDLESS!  I’m sure you’ve seen this style before – it’s all over the place on Ravelry etc., but I liked the flower and it was straightforward, so here you go. 

(Ignore the fact that it’s on a male model head – makes for a weird photo prop but whatever.)

Before I continue, I must caveat: this is a knit AND crochet project.  Sorry folks – you will have to embrace your inner ambi-yarner for this one.  Knowing how to do both really isn’t as evil as each side makes it seem.  I think they’re all just slightly jealous so they make the other side seem inferior.  I’m not going to attempt to teach knitters how to crochet or crocheters how to knit for this hat – it’s impossible to do through photos and that’s not the point of this post (or blog). Just please put up with me on this one.  🙂

I researched several grades of ‘chunky’ yarn for this hat.  It appears that the hat itself is made of a *slightly* heavier weight than your typical “size 10 needles” (based on the stitch size and number of rows), which was the vast majority of what I had on hand, but I wrote it up for 1) what I had and 2) what seems to be more readily available.

Before you commit, here’s my version.  Not quite as impressive on a round styrofoam ball but I swear it looks adorable on.  Also, second caveat: this hat isn’t really “slouchy”, as in, it doesn’t pouf out the back.  It fits nicely on the head. I just don’t know how else to describe the “in out” pattern… pancake? cupcake? not as cool, right?

MATERIALS

I used Plymouth Encore Chunky for the hat body in an indiscriminate light blue (actually, it was the free skein I pilfered from the awesome free skein giveaway of yore) and size 10 needles.  The flower was made with Vanna’s Choice (white) with a random wooden button from Joann’s.

PATTERN

With size 10 16″ circular needles, cast on 64 stitches.  Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches.  *Hint: sometimes I have issues getting the stitches to stretch around to join on the cast on round.  Usually I just knit the first row and by the time I get to the end, it’s now stretchy enough to join, and then I use the tail to sew up the bottom. It doesn’t look much different than the torture of streeeeeetching it out to join in the first round.

Rows 1-10: k2, p2 in rib (or for about 2″)

Rows 11-14: purl all the way around

Rows 15-18: knit all the way around

Rows 19-22: purl all the way around

Rows 23-26: knit all the way around

Rows 27-30: purl all the way around

Begin decrease: *k7, k2 tog*, repeat around

*k6, k2tog*, rep around (at some point you will have to switch to DPNs)

Continue decreasing by one stitch every round (k5, k2tog, k4, k2tog, etc.) until k1, k2tog.  Then k2tog on last round.  Cut off a tail to draw through remaining stitches and fasten off. It’s a bit of a quick decrease so you have a very obvious spiral across the crown of the hat.

FLOWER

Time for the flower.  It’s pretty much my basic crochet flower pattern, with a few additional petals.  There are some tips on that page on keeping the flower flat, how to best sew onto a hat, etc.  I won’t repeat them here but feel free to take a look. I used pink here, cause white on white just doesn’t work.

With worsted weight yarn and H (or I, whatever you prefer) hook, ch4 and sl st to form a loop.  Ch6, dc into loop.  *Ch4, dc into loop*, repeat 3 times. You should have six posts at this point. Sl st to the third ch of your original ch6. You should have a wheel-esque looking contraption, above.

Sl st into the first ‘spoke’. Into each ‘spoke’ of the wheel: *ch1, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, ch1, sl st*. Sl st into next spoke, and repeat.

Turn flower over.  This is the trickiest step, not because it’s difficult at all, but simply because you’re going to be creating eight petals out of a six petal flower.  Basically, you will: *ch4, insert hook, sl st into the back of the petal* and repeat until you have a total of eight loops.  I don’t have any magical methods of making this even – I ended up doing it a few times and ripping it out until the loops were evenly spaced across the back of the flower.  They don’t *have* to be perfectly even if you don’t care – it is a flower, after all, not a dodecahedron.

Turn flower back to the front again.  Repeat the petal row, except increase the number of dc: Into each ‘spoke’ of the wheel: *ch1, hdc, 4 dc, hdc, ch1, sl st*. Sl st into next spoke, and repeat.  You can do 5 dc or whatever you want that will make your flower as big and pretty as you’d like.  Sometimes I increase my hook size for the second row to make the petals bigger as well.  When you’re done, fasten off and leave a long tail to sew flower onto hat.

Sew flower onto hat, sew button to middle of flower, put hat on head, and feel very proud of yourself for completing an ambi-yarning project.  YES!!

Free Pattern: Crochet Women’s Swirly Brimmed Hat

Hello friends.  I’m ready to share a confession with you.  We’re in a safe place (the whole wide Internet), right…?  Sometimes (well, a lot of times) I peruse commercial clothing sites and reverse engineer my favorite hat styles.  I even have a list entitled “hat knockoffs”, with plenty of patterns-in-progress to share with all of you.

Today’s pattern is based off of this hat I found on REI.

  

When I saw this, my first thought was, this is easy.  This is just a slight modification to the world famous crocheted Divine Hat by Rheatheylia.  If you have ever looked up ‘free crochet hat pattern’ online, you have most likely seen this hat.  So please, know that I am NOT trying to publish my own pattern, or a “brand new pattern” here.  I am taking a perennial crochet favorite and updating it with chunky yarn and adding a brim.  The end.

Before we start, here is my version:

In retrospect I think my yarn is a weeeee bit chunkier than the one in the photo, but it gets the point across.  You’ll need to know how to do a front post double crochet (FPDC) – here’s a tutorial to get you going.

MATERIALS

I used Bernat Roving yarn in “Squashed”, I believe (it was in the $2 bin at A.C. Moore, I couldn’t pass it up) and a K hook.  Obviously you can add an additional contrasting color for the brim – nothing I had matched Squashed so here’s my monochromatic hat.

PATTERN

Row 1: Using K hook, ch4, sl st to form a loop.  11 dc into circle. Sl st to first ch2 (11 dc).

Row 2:  Ch2, *fpdc in first dc of previous row, dc into top of first dc from previous row*, repeat with remaining stitches around.  On last dc, fpdc into dc and sl st to first st.  The ch2 will act as ‘dc’ in the last st. (11 dc, 11 fpdc).

Row 3: Ch2, *fpdc in first fpdc of previous row, 2 dc into top of first dc from previous row*, repeat around. On last fpdc, 1 dc into top of first dc.  Sl st to first st.

Row 4: Ch2, *fpdc in first fpdc of previous row, 3 dc into top of first dc from previous row*, repeat around. On last fpdc, 2 dc into top of first dc.  Sl st to first st.

Row 5-11: Repeat row 4. (Your gauge might only need ten rows – I have a massive head so I used 11).

Row 12-13: Ch1, 1 sc in each st around. Sl st to first st.

Brim

Row 1: Ch1, 1 sc in the next 20 st.

Row 2: Ch1, turn. Sc dec across first 2 stitches (tutorial here). *1 sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next st*.  Repeat * across, making sure to sc dec in the last two st of the row.

Row 3: Ch1, turn. Sc dec across first 2 stitches.  1 sc in each st across, making sure to sc dec in the last two st.  DO NOT TURN.

Row 4: At the end of row 3, sc down the side of the brim and continue ALL THE WAY around the hat, 1 sc in each st (you’ll be making another row of sc around the bottom of the hat).  Sc back up the right side of your brim, sc dec across the first 2 st, and 1 sc in each st across the brim.  Fasten off at the end of the brim on the left side.  Your brim should have four rows total.

Note: if you want the contrasting brim, switch colors for row 12-13 of the body of the hat. (I’d another row of sc).  Then for the brim, do NOT crochet row 4.  Instead, ch1, turn, and repeat row 3.  Fasten off and weave in ends.

Huzzah! Comfy cozy swirly brimmed hats and most likely you did not have to pay over $30 USD to get one.  =D  Thank you again, Rheatheylia for such a wonderful design.  It’s one of the first ones I ever made, it’s by far one of the most popular ever on Ravelry, your legend will live on forever!

Follow along with the project gallery on Ravelry!

Crochet Dapper Dino Hat Pattern

Folks.  Halloween is four weeks away (yay!), fall is firmly in the air, or at least technically arrived via western calendar, and it’s time to rev up your hat making!  Here’s the pattern for our perennially popular dinosaur/dragon hat pattern.  It’ll have your little dino roaring in no time!

This was one of my first designs, back in the day when I was still experimenting with what styles I liked best.  I used to haaaate making it because the spikes were really tedious to make and sew on.  They still are, but the marginal rewards of all the happy little dino kids that have received this hat, along with the fact that they’re so secure this is one hat I would feel confident chucking in the washing machine, makes this design a super rewarding one to make.

Quick dino story: I was selling at a craft show a few years ago.  Mother + 2-ish year old son walks into booth.  She starts trying hats on his head to see what he likes.  First up: owl.  Son’s face – a mixture between “I am in physical pain” and “I can’t believe you just made me eat kimchi up my nose.” Second: pig.  Mother: “ummmm he’s kind of got a chubby head already, I really don’t want to accent the look by putting him in a pig hat.”  Finally, dino.  It goes on his head, we show him a mirror, and this slow smile spread across his face that just absolutely makes all the effort and blisters of sewing on spikes worth every moment.  He growled, roared, and basically turned into a ferocious monster.  Currency was exchanged.  All parties left very happy.

Moral of story: buy your dino hat today!  (Ravelry, Etsy, or Craftsy)

Y’know, for that little dino gal in your life.

Crochet Awesome Acorn Hat Pattern

Happy fall, all!  To commemorate all those squirrels hiding away their winter victuals (is it victuals or vittles?  Apparently urbandictionary says they mean the same thing), here’s an awesome acorn hat pattern for that little nut in your life!

This hat uses puff stitches (detailed photo instructions included in pattern) and a cute wittle leaf embellishment (with more detailed photo instructions).  As always, if you have any questions or run into any problems, I am always available at classycrochet@gmail.com

Get yours on Ravelry, Etsy, or Craftsy today and hurry up and go enjoy that fabulous fall weather!