Crocheting a Basic Brim-Up Hat

"Uh, Evie... you live in Arizona now... a hat pattern? Really?"

Yes, really. Let me tell you something: when you go from May to October, with days averaging 102 degrees in those six months, and then it drops (quite suddenly sometimes) to fifty something degrees... yeah, it's cold in the desert.

Materials

• 1 crochet hook*
• yarn
• a cold head

* You don't need a particular size hook (though I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than an F5 or 3.75 mm hook), but be sure your yarn is a size that works with whatever hook size you do use.  For this particular post, you'll see me using a size G9 (4.00mm) and Caron Super Saver.

Directions

Step 1
Measure the head that this hat is meant for. (Should you wish to use the pattern for for charitable donation or homeless populations, as a general rule of thumb a size small is roughly 22", medium 24", large 26", etc.) For this particular hat we'll go with my head, which is 21 and one-half inches around.

Yes, I have a small head.  Shush.

You can chain stitch the foundation row, but I've found that using something called a single crochet foundation (see this how-to video for more information) works really well. Stitch until you get the length you need, then slip stitch join your row. Double check to make sure you haven't twisted it.

So in crochet speak, row 1 ended up being 85 stitches. Slip stitch to join, do not turn.

3 inches wide.

Step 2 (aka Row 2)
Use a piece of scrap yarn or a stitch marker to mark three stitches to the left of your join. This will make the brim process much easier later in this pattern.

I want to make my brim about 3" wide, so I will single crochet around until I have this width.

In crochet speak, this translates to rows 2 through 10.

Step 3/Row 11

Step 3/Row 11
Move your stitch marker to the top of your piece. At this point you are switching to a half double crochet stitch. For this row only, you are doing the stitch in the back loop only of the previous row.

Step 4/Rows 12- 17
Go back to crocheting through both loops, half double crochet. Don't slip stitch join when you come around to your stitch marker, just keep cruising on through until you are at the end of row 17.

Step 5, row 18

Step 5/Row 18
At this row, you are going to fold the piece in half, with the row where you crocheted into the back loop only being your seam at the bottom. You move that stitch marker up every row completed now. You're still doing half double crochet, but at this row, you're forming the brim. Crochet through your previous row and the edge, so four loops, two sets of edges. Crochet all around until the end of row 18.

Step 6
Try the hat on and pull it down to where you want it to sit on your ears. Measure from the top of what is done so far to the crown (top) of your head. In this particular instance with my head as the example, that's 5 inches.

Step 7/Rows 19- 24
These are the rows you do until it's time to start decreasing, which when measured will be 3 inches.

Start of Row 25, step 7

Step 8/Row 25
This is where you start decreasing. At 85 stitches, you are going to be decreasing every 5th stitch.

Step 9/Row 26
Decrease every 4th stitch.

Step 10/Row 27
Decrease every 3rd stitch.

Step 11/Row 28
Decrease every second stitch.

Step 12/Row 29
Decrease every third stitch again.

Step 13/Row 30
Decrease every second stitch.

Step 14/Row 31
Decrease every stitch.

Step 15, finishing off
Slip stitch into the next stitch. Chain 2, cut thread, pull tight. Thread a large needle or yarn needle and weave through the stitches. Pull the needle through to the inside of the hat and pull tight. Lace the tail through an inside loop and tie into a square note. Cut the excess.

Step 15, Finishing off. 

Step 16 
Plant hat on head it was made for.

And yes, I was typing this post up as I made this hat, to make sure I was getting my step counts right.

Stay toasty, my friends.