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I want to be a hat person. I really do. I’ve tried to wear hats off and on my whole life but I never really feel comfortable. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I feel like they draw too much attention to me and I never know if I’m “pulling it off”. I’ve especially always liked the big sun hats people wear in the summer. I’ve made little girl ones before but not a full, big-brimmed one for myself.  I had been thinking about it for a while and wanting to try one with some wire in the brim so that it would hold it’s shape a little better and be less floppy. 

We were heading down to the river for a float trip with my family and I thought it would be the perfect time to try to work up my own sun hat. I picked up some Bernat Handicrafter Cotton yarn and pipe cleaners from JoAnn on the way out of town and started crocheting the night before our float. I made a couple of mistakes on the brim and had to pull it out (bummer) but I still finished it in time. And it was fabulous on the river! It kept my face from getting a sunburn (unlike my legs) and was comfortably cute! I’m still not sure that I’m a hat person or how many times I will wear it. It’s nice to have though! 

I hope you are a hat person (or know one) and can give this a try! The wire in the brim lets you shape it so that it flops on the sides and not in your face. Or in your face, I guess, if you want to take a nap or ignore people around you! 🙂

Supplies Needed:

Bernat Handicrafter, Medium Worsted Weight 4 (100% Cotton, 710 yds, 14 oz) any color, 1 skein

J/10 6.0mm Hook

I/9 5.5 mm Hook

Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Pipe Cleaners in a matching color, or craft wire. (optional for brim strength)

Stitches Used:

Ch- Chain

Sl st- Slip Stitch

DC- Double Crochet

2DC- Double Crochet Increase, do 2 DC in same stitch to increase

HDC- Half Double Crochet

2HDC-Half Double Crochet Increase, do 2 HDC in same stitch to increase

SC- Single Crochet

FPSC- Front Post Single Crochet

Note:

This hat is worked in joined rounds. Each round begins with a Ch 2, and ends with a sl st to the top of the first stitch. (Unless otherwise noted) Chains do not count as stitches.

1) Using Magic Ring technique (OR Ch 3 and join with sl st to first ch to form ring) DC 10. (10)

2) 2DC in each around. (20)

3) *DC in next, 2DC* Repeat from * to * around. (30)

4) *DC in next 2, 2DC* Repeat from * to * around. (40)

5) *DC in next 3, 2DC* Repeat from * to * around. (50)

6) *DC in next 4, 2DC* Repeat from * to * around. (60)

7) *DC, Ch 1, Skip 1* Repeat from * to * around. (30 DC, 30 CH spaces)

8) DC in each around (One in top of DC, one in Ch 1 space). (60)

9) Repeat Round 7

10) Repeat Round 8

11) Repeat Round 7

12) Repeat Round 8

Switch to I Hook

(here you will also switch to beginning the remaining rounds with a Ch 1)

13) FPSC in each around. (60)

14) *HDC in next 2, 2HDC* Repeat from * to * around. (80)

15) *HDC in next 2, 2HDC* Repeat from * to * around, HDC in last 2. (106)

16) *HDC in next 3, 2HDC* Repeat from * to * around, HDC in last 2. (132)

17) HDC in each around. (132)

18) *HDC in next 5, 2HDC* Repeat from * to * around. (154)

19) HDC in each around. (154)

20) *HDC in next 8, 2HDC* Repeat from * to * around. (171)

21) HDC in each around. (171)

Here you’ll be single crocheting around the pipe cleaner. You could also use some plain coated craft wire, or leave it out entirely. I wanted to have some more hold in the brim and be able to shape it a little too.

22) SC in each around, going over the pipe cleaner or wire. Leave an inch or two of wire at the beginning of the round so that you can attach the ends together when you are done. I learned the hard way that you should twist the ends together rather than folding them over. I used about 5 and half standard sized pipe cleaners. (171)

23) SC over Round 22 (into Round 21). (171) This makes the brim a little stiffer.

Finish Off. Weave in ends.