© Photography by Kindred Photo & Design

Winter is coming! Even though I can still see bright red leaves on the tree in my front yard, I just know (especially living in Michigan) that any day now, I could wake up to a few inches of snow and single-digit temperatures. Snowdrifts are a common occurrence in my part of the country, and this hat reminds me of them.

This is a pretty simple slouchy hat pattern that’s worked in rows and cinched at the end. You might even learn a new stitch – the Double Crochet Cluster Stitch! (See pattern notes.)–

The Yarn

I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in “White” for my sample. Vanna’s Choice is one of those yarns that I’ve been using since I first learned to crochet. Most craft stores stock it well, and the color choices are really nice. Click here to view the color options.

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THE SNOWDRIFT SLOUCH HAT

Level: Easy

Size:
One Size Fist Most (Preteen – Adult Woman).
Hat measures 10” across at band, and is 9.5” tall.

Materials:

• I hook (5.50mm)
• About 200 yards (<2 skeins) of Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice* (Sample color: White)
  *About Vanna’s Choice:
   Fiber Content: 100% Premium Acrylic
  Weight/Yardage: 100 g / 170 yds
  Crochet Gauge: 12 sc + 15 rows = 4″ (10 cm) on size J-10 (6 mm) hook
• Yarn Needle

Gauge:
With I hook, 7 HDC = 2″ square

Abbreviations Used:
CH (chain)
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SK (skip)
SC (single crochet)
2DCCL (2 Double Crochet Cluster Stitch – see Special Stitch, below)
SC+2DCCL (this just means to put 1 SC and 1 2DCCL in the same stitch)

Special Stitch
2DCCL – 2 Double Crochet Cluster Stitch. To complete:
(YO, insert hook, draw up a loop, YO, pull through 2 loops) twice; YO, pull through remaining 3 loops.

Notes:
(1) This hat is worked in rows and cinched at the end.
(2) This pattern is written in American Standard terms.
(3) Starting chains do not count as stitches.
(4) The band of the hat is worked in seamless rounds. Do not join or turn at the end of rounds. Use a stitch marker if needed.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

To begin:
Using I Hook, and leaving a 12″ tail, CH23. Don’t weave in the tail until instructed (we’ll use it later to cinch the hat).

Row 1:  In 3rd CH from hook, SC+2DCCL. (SK next ST, SC+2DCCL in next ST) across. (22)

Row 2: CH1, turn. SK first ST, SC+2DCCL in next ST. (SK next ST, SC+2DCCL in next ST) across. (22)

Rows 3-48: Repeat Row 2.

Next we’re going to seam the hat. Fasten off, leaving a 12″ tail. Lay the piece out flat, then fold the short sides in toward each other. Use the tail and a yarn needle to whip stitch the two short ends together, as shown.

Fasten off the tail you just used, and weave in its end.

Next, we’re going to cinch the top of the hat. Turn it inside out (whichever side has the most obvious seam should be exposed). Thread your starting tail through your yarn needle and weave it in and out around the very top of the hat. (The smaller your weave, the nicer finish the top of the hat will have.)

After cinching, it should look like this:

Pull the tail tight to draw the cinch closed, tie a couple of knots, and fasten off and weave in the end.

Band of the Hat

Now, we’re going to add a nice thick band to our slouch hat. Turn your hat right-side out and reattach your yarn at the base of the hat, at the seam. We’re doing this with the seamless method, which means we aren’t joining at the end of rounds. If you need to, you can use a stitch marker or bobby pin to mark the last SC of each round so you don’t get lost.

Round 1: CH1. SC evenly around, 3SC per ridge*. (Approx. 72, give or take a couple)
*We’re going to SC evenly around the hat, so let’s take a look at what we have to work with. The ridges on the hat will be how we keep track of our stitches. We want to put 3SC in each ridge. I chose to put the first SC in the “valley”, and the next 2 SC evenly spaced on the “hilltop”. Take a look at this photo for guidance on where your SCs should go:

Rounds 2-8: SC evenly around.

To finish, SL ST into the next 3 SCs to smooth out the round. Fasten off and weave in ends.