Thank you to Lion Brand Yarn for providing the yarn for this sample!
Last month I published the pattern for the Herringbone Buttoned Cowl, which seems to have gotten a great response!
Lots of you loved it, and I promised that I would make a slouch hat to match. Well, it’s a little later than I had planned on releasing it, but here it is!
The Yarn
For both patterns, I used the gorgeous, relatively-new Vanna’s Style (from Lion Brand), which is a DK (that’s a #3 weight) yarn. (Don’t confuse this with Vanna’s Choice, which is a #4 worsted yarn!) This yarn is stunning. It has the most beautiful stitch definition, which shows off the rows of the Herringbone stitch really nicely. It isn’t too shiny, but has just enough sheen to give it an elegant look. I haven’t found Vanna’s Style in any of my local stores yet, but you can always purchase it direct from Lion Brand.
Prefer a PDF?
This pattern is also available as an ad-free, printable PDF! And if you love PDFs, you might want to check out my All Access Pass. It’s an awesome deal! (Or, scroll down for the free version!)
HERRINGBONE SLOUCH
Difficulty:Â Easy
Finished Size: 9.5″ wide x 9.5″ tall (when laid flat)
Hook:Â G (4.25mm) & H (5.00mm)
Yarn: About 200-210 yards of Vanna’s Style DK Yarn by Lion Brand (not including optional pom pom). Vanna’s Style is a #3 light yarn.  The sample is shown in “Silver”.
Gauge:Â 16 rows of 17 HHDC = 4″ (see “Special Stitch” below for explanation of HHDC)
You’ll also need:Â Yarn needle
Abbreviations Used:
ST/STSÂ (stitches)
SL STÂ (slip stitch)
SKÂ (skip)
CHÂ (chain)
SCÂ (single crochet)
HHDCÂ (herringbone half double crochet; see “special stitch” below)
BLO (back loops only)
Special Stitch:
HHDC –Â Herringbone Half Double Crochet. Here’s how you do it:
HHDC:Â Yarn over, insert hook into stitch. Yarn over, pull loop through stitch AND through first loop on hook (this is similar to a slip stitch motion). Two loops remain on hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops.
(If you need additional help, Moogly has an excellent video tutorial here. Please note that while her video considers the CH2 at the beginning of rows as a stitch, the pattern below does not.)
Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) CH1 at the beginning of rows does not count as a stitch.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
THE PATTERN
To begin: Leaving at least a 12″ starting tail, CH33. (We’ll use the starting tail to cinch the hat at the end.)
Row 1:Â HHDC in 2nd CH from hook and in each remaining CH. (32)
Rows 2-88, or until piece measures 22″ long (just make sure you do an even number of rows): CH1, turn. HHDC in each ST across. (32)
Switch to H Hook.
Row 89: CH1, do not turn. SC evenly down the long edge, putting 1SC in each row. (88)
Ribbed Band
Next we’re going to make the band of the hat, and we will be working in vertical rows, attaching it to Row 89Â of the hat with SL STS as we go.
Ribbing Row 1: CH9. SC in 2nd CH from hook. SC in remaining 7 CHS. SL ST to the first SC of Row 89. SL ST to the next ST of that row. (8, plus the 2 SL STS at the base of the hat)
Ribbing Row 2: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS, SC in BLO of each of the first 7 STS of the previous ribbing row. SC in both loops of the last ST. (8)
Ribbing Row 3: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 7 STS. SL ST in each of the next 2 STS of Row 89. (8, plus 2 SL STS)
Ribbing Row 4: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS, SC in BLO of each of the first 7 STS of the previous ribbing row. SC in both loops of the last ST. (8)
Repeat Rows 3-4Â all the way down the edge.
Because Row 89 consisted of an even number of stitches, you should be ending with a repeat of Row 4, with your hook now at the bottom corner of the flat piece (see Figure 1, below).
Seaming & Cinching the Hat Closed
Fasten off your yarn, leaving a 24″ tail. Bring the short ends of the hat together and sew them up using your tail and a yarn needle (see Figure 2). When you reach the top, tie a knot, fasten off and weave in the end.
Thread your starting tail through the yarn needle and weave it in and out along the very top edge of the hat (see figure 3). I wove mine through every two rows. When you pull on the starting tail, you’ll start to notice the hat beginning to cinch itself up.
When you’ve gone all the way around the circle, pull the tail as tight as you can (without breaking the yarn!) and tie a couple of knots. You may want to sew across the cinch a few times to really secure it. Then, fasten off and weave in the tail. Turn your hat right-side out.
Done! Add a pom pom if you want, or leave as is.
I absolutely love this hat! What yarn would you suggest since this one is discontinued? Thanks!
Hi Sherry! I really love Yarn Bee’s Must Be Merino (Hobby Lobby), and Cascade Yarns’ Longwood Sport. Those are my current go-to yarns for #3 weight 🙂
I absolutely love this hat! But, what yarn would you suggest since the one used is discontinued? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, I’d like to try this pattern as a normal beanie (not slouchy). What would you suggest ch/height wise? Thanks, Nicky
I would probably chain 27 to get a final hat height of about 8″. That will only work if you do a gauge check, though.
Lady, your a rock star at thisa
I tried working this up with a thin 4 yarn and a smaller hook, but it ended up wonky (mostly not tall enough). Can you tell me what the measurements should be for the completed rectangle (long piece + ribbing) before it’s sewn together? I love the look and really want to rescue this project!
Probably about 9.5″ tall and 19″ wide. A gauge check will solve that problem for you.
Thanks.
Hi! Just wondering what size pom pom you used for this hat. I’m just about finished with a hat I’m making and I’m going to use your cardboard pom pom directions to make mine, but not sure what size it should be. I like the size on this hat, so I was just wondering which size was used. Thanks!
3″ 🙂
Hi there, love this pattern. However I crochet the 88 rows It was much much to big, yes I did use a G hook but I did use lion brand landscape yarn. I didn’t have any Vanna Style. Would it make that much of a difference??
Yes, it will make a significant difference. Landscapes is a #4 yarn, and Vanna’s Style is a #3. It doesn’t matter if you use the same hook, using a thicker yarn will still affect your results. It’s always important to to a gauge check on patterns that require a good fit (like hats and garments); that’s true even if you had used the exact same yarn as me, because people naturally crochet with different tensions. 🙂
Thought has much, I was taking a chance. Scaled it back some, let’s hope it’s still wearable when it’s done. Looks like I’m going to have to go yarn shopping ?
Holy cow! I love the way this hat looks! Thanks for sharing your fsntastic patterns! Now, I’m wishing I had indulged in some more yarn when I was at the craft store the other day. This hat is definitely moving to the top of my crochet list!
Hi Rebecca, I am waiting on a cowl/scarf to match the Riverbend Slouch.
Hi, I really loved the cowl pattern and now that you have a matching hat pattern to go with it, it is awesome! I will be making these sets for gifts for Christmas. Just stocked up on the Vanna’s Style DK yarn, on sale at Herrshners.com. Thanks for sharing this!
I love this pattern and going to try it, thank you.
How would this hat work up if you were using a #4 yarn? Maybe like a caron simply soft? I dont have any #3 yarn, but have plenty that would be a thinner #4 yarn?
You would need to do a gauge check to know for sure. You could also just crochet the flat piece until it is about 20″ long, then follow the instructions for the band. Your stitch counts would be slightly off but if you’re comfortable deviating from patterns, it would be easy to do in this case.
Thank you for publishing the matching hat: SO CUTE!!
Are there mitts in the future?
You know, I’ve never designed mittens before… maybe it’s something I should try to conquer 🙂
Mitts are super easy! You just have to find the right place for the thumb hole and then reverse the pattern for the other hand. I’ve made some in the past. If you need/want help, let me know!
Hi! I love this hat pattern! It’s really pretty! I was just curious as to why you used a bigger hook or the band than for the hat? Thanks!
Thank you Ashlyn! It’s because when I kept with the same hook, the band was getting way too small. Since this hat is worked in vertical rows of HDC, and the ribbing is done in vertical rows of SC, I needed to make the SCs a tad bit bigger to account for the difference in stitch size. 🙂