Every year, I make my boys a hat for Christmas. They’ve always been various character hats like TMNT, Lion Guard, etc., but at ages 6 and 8, we’ve transitioned out of the Disney Jr phase and into a more mature (ha!) one. Pikachu and Link have replaced Mickey Mouse and Kion, and the boys reach for their simple Walmart slouchies way more often than their Lion Guard hats. (How did they get so old?)
And then there’s little Henry, who doesn’t keep a hat on long enough to make a character hat worth the time or energy. Toddlers, right!?
And then there’s the husband, who has been asking me for a hat for I’m-embarrassed-to-say-how-long. Sorry, babe.
So this year, I went in a different direction and designed a pattern that would work for all of them. It has just the right amount of slouch, and uses a very guy-friendly yarn called Jeans (from Lion Brand). This yarn is soft, heathery, and just looks really good.
Then, I did a little searching online to find some patches for the boys’ hats. The older two are super into the Zelda video game, and I was so pumped to find these Hylian Shield patches online. (Listen to me, throwing around that video game lingo like I actually know what I’m talking about. I don’t.)
I then searched for something Mario-related for little Henry, and found this adorable mushroom patch that I knew he would recognize.
I left my husband’s hat patch-free, but of course, all four of them got Mom’s Yarn + Chai tag sewn on. Gotta represent! (I get my tags from All This Wood on Etsy.)
And for those of you that like to know name origins — I ended up naming this hat the Hyland Slouch because for a while, when my boys would refer to that Hylian Shield, I thought they were saying hy-land instead of hy-lee-an and it just stuck.
Of course, despite its name, this hat isn’t just for the guys. It would make a great girls’ hat, too! (But let’s be honest, girls get a lot more dedicated patterns than guys, right?)
Prefer a PDF?
This pattern is also available as an ad-free, printable PDF, which includes sizes toddler – adult large! 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!)
Hyland Men’s Hat
Difficulty: Easy
Finished Sizes (h x w): 8″ x 8″ (toddler), 9″ x 9″ (child), 10″ x 9.5″ (teen/adult small), 10.5″ x 10″ (adult large). Width is measured at the bottom of the ribbing when the hat is laid flat, but the widest part of the hat (near the middle) will be about .5-1″ more.
Hook: J (6.0 mm) or whichever hook is needed to obtain correct gauge
Yarn: Lion Brand Jeans Yarn or similar #4 worsted weight yarn. Approximate amounts as follows: 170 yards (toddler), 210 yards (child), 240 yards (teen/adult small), 280 yards (adult large).
Gauge: 5 increase rounds of 10 HDC = 4.25″ across.
Pattern For Gauge:
Round 1: 10HDC in magic circle; join (10)
Round 2: 2HDC in each ST around; join (20)
Round 3: (2HDC in next, HDC in next) around; join (30)
Round 4: (2HDC in next, HDC in next 2) around; join (40)
Round 5: (2HDC in next, HDC in next 3) around; join (50)
Terms and Abbreviations:
Magic Circle (view my tutorial here)
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SK (skip)
CH (chain)
SC (single crochet)
YUSC (yarn under single crochet – see Special Stitches)
YUHDC (yarn under half double crochet – see Special Stitches)
Special Stitches:
Yarn Under Single Crochet (YUSC) – this is the same as a regular SC, but with one simple variation. In a regular SC, you insert your hook, yarn over, draw yarn through (2 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops. With a Yarn Under Single Crochet, you will insert your hook, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn under, draw through both loops.
Yarn Under Half Double Crochet (YUHDC) – this is the same as a regular HDC, but with one simple variation. In a regular HDC, you yarn over, insert your hook, yarn over, draw yarn through (3 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops. With a Yarn Under Half Double Crochet, you will yarn over, insert your hook, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn under, draw through all three loops.
A Note About Changing Colors:
To keep the written pattern simple, I have written it without including color changes (since it would be different for every size). The hat can be made all one color, with 2 or 3 colors (as in my samples), or really with any number of color changes you wish. To change colors, keep the following tips in mind:
- To decide where to put your color changes, first decide how many colors you want, then take the finished height of the size you are making and divide it by the number of colors you want to use. So for instance, if I want to make a children’s hat (9″ tall) with 3 colors, I’ll divide 9 by 3 (9/3=3). I know that each color block will be about 3″, so I’ll keep a ruler handy as I work the pattern and I’ll change colors every 3″.
- I feel that the cleanest color change happens between two rounds of YUSC (as opposed to YUHDC), so I always placed my color changes at that part of the pattern, wherever it fell closest to the measurements I was going for.
Additional Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) Pattern is worked top-down, in a spiral. Do not join or chain unless instructed.
(3) Pattern is written for toddler size with additional sizes in brackets [child, teen/adult small, adult large]. So, for example, if it says “12 [13, 14, 15]”, the first number is for the toddler size, and the numbers in brackets are child, teen/adult small, and adult large instructions, respectively. If there is only one number, it applies regardless of which size you are making. If you are working from printed instructions, it helps to circle or highlight the numbers you are following before you begin.
INSTRUCTIONS
Note: The first few rounds will produce a VERY wavy circle. As you work further down the hat, the waves will smooth out. This is how we get that cinched look at the top.
To begin: Make a magic circle; CH1.
Round 1: 12 [13,14,15] SC in magic circle. (12 [13, 14, 15])
Round 2: 2YUSC in each ST around. (24 [26, 28, 30])
Round 3: 3YUSC in each ST around. (72 [78, 84, 90])
Rounds 4-5: YUSC in each ST around. (72 [78, 84, 90])
Rounds 6-8: YUHDC in each ST around. (72 [78, 84, 90])
Rounds 9-13: YUSC in each ST around. (72 [78, 84, 90])
Rounds 14 – ?: Repeat Rounds 6-13, in order (3 rounds YUHDC, 5 rounds YUSC), until hat measures 6.5 [7.5, 8.5, 9]” tall, then continue to “Base Round” (the beginning of the ribbing section). It does not matter which repeat round you end on.
Base Round: YUSC in each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the first ST of the round. (72 [78, 84, 90])
– – – – – –
Next we’re going to make the band of the hat, and we will be working in vertical rows, attaching it to the Base Round with SL STS as we go. If you need a little extra help, click here for a video tutorial on how to add ribbing at the end of a project.
– – – – – –
CH7.
Row 1: SC in 2nd chain from hook and in each of the remaining 6 chains. SL ST into the first SC from Base Round, the stitch on which your CH7 was built. SL ST into the next SC from Base Round. (6, plus the two slip stitches along Base Round)
The section we just created, built on the CH7, will hereafter be referred to as the “ribbing.”
Row 2: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS you put in Base Round, SC in BLO of each of the first 5 STS of the ribbing. SC in both loops of the last ST. (6)
Row 3: CH1, turn. SC in 1st ST. SC in BLO of each of the remaining 5 STS of the ribbing. SL ST in each of the next 2 STS of Base Round. (6, plus the 2 SL STS along Base Round)
Row 4: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS you put in Base Round, SC in BLO of each of the first 5 STS of the ribbing. SC in both loops of the last ST. (6)
Rows 5-72 [78, 84, 90]: Repeat Rows 3-4 all the way along Base Round.
Fasten off and use your tail to sew together the gap between the first and last rows of the ribbing, then weave in your ends.
Done! If you’re sharing your finished hat on social media, be sure to hashtag #hylandmenshat and tag me @yarnandchai.design. Stay warm out there!
Just completed this pattern! I’m glad I read the comments first because I was making this for an adult male and ended up using the toddler size as many readers recommended. It ended up being perfectly sized for an adult! Great pattern besides the sizing issues and very easy to follow.
Hello, I just wanted to let you know that I accidentally downloaded the PDF file of the pattern when I clicked on the picture that shows both of your children together. Maybe you linked to the wrong thing?
Where you’ve written, “with a Yarn Under Single Crochet, you will insert your hook, yarn over, draw yarn through the stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn under, draw through both loops.” But that’s incorrect… With a Yarn under…, you insert your hook, YARN UNDER, draw through stitch then YARN UNDER and drow through booth loops. This creates a MUCH Tighter weave, so I’m wondering if that’s why all the hats are turning out larger. It also creates an X-stitch when you yarn under. If you meant to say Yo/draw thru and /YU you made up your own stitch! lol
This is the worst pattern!!! I’ve wasted so much yarn doing it 3x already. It’s curly like a flower at the beginning not just wavy. I’ve used J hook, H. Tried the toddler size like someone suggested. Still looks terrible. 😳
Hello I am trying to make this for my brother for Christmas and have had to take it out several times as it ends up so huge and more bell out shaped rather than coming down. My gage matches yours. Any tips on how to make it work? Thank you! I love this hat!
I do NOT understand how to do your Yarn-under stitches. Is there a video tutorial to follow somewhere?
Thank you. .
What is the other color on the Hyland men’s hat
I couldn’t find the Jeans yarn, so I tried it with the Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn (Michael’s house brand) which is a similar weight and size to the Jeans yarn. And I don’t know if its the pattern or the yarn, but this seems to work up very stiff and tight. Frogged it without completing a whole hat. I might try it again with a smaller yarn, like a sport weight or sock yarn.
Help! While working this, I missed that row 4 and 5 were the same, so I only did that for row 4. So essentially I’m missing a row. Just ignore it and keep going? With my row 7?
Hi Rebecca, I found the YUSC to be quite difficult and time consuming, and so I made the beanie just using the regular SC stitch, will there be a difference in the finished beanie? I couldn’t find the yarn you used for the Hyland beanie at Michaels Canada, so I am using Red Heart Soft essentials which is a #5 yarn with a 6.00mm hook, I have only just started. I love all your crochet patterns, you explain everything thoroughly, thank you very much for sharing
After the first try with the adult pattern which was huge, I made it following the teen pattern. However, throughtout the length I decresed it 6 stitches and made it a bit shorter. It worked!
I am with the others here – I have made 3 of these hats now and they are HUGE!!! All of my gauge patterns have been bang on yet the pattern turns out a full 2 inches larger. I had the same issue with the Malia beanie. I love these patterns but am hugely frustrated that I have now made 6 beanies, none of which are suitable for wear.
so i checked my count and it is still on, but my ribbing is fanning away from the hat…what did i do wrong?
I really tried but I just couldnt get the sizing right with this pattern. I used a 5.75 needle and got the exact guage size, but the hat itself was way too large. I did 3/4 of the pattern before i knew it wasnt going to work out and i took it all down and started again trying for a smaller size and i just got frustrated and quit about 1/2 way through. The way i crochet must be so vastly different that I cant use your patterns at all. Your website is going on the “wont work for me” list. Considering how many people are commenting the same, i would recommend you find a pattern tester.
Love it. 90 stiches with a small yarn (Yarn Bee Caterina) and size H, 5mm hook made a hat that fit my grown son and his sister wants one just like it! It allows room for her hair bun.
Great design, and I appreciate the warning about the very wavy circle to start. I will add my voice to the others mentioning sizing: these hats are simply enormous as designed. After first making the adult large size with a 6.0 J hook (with worsted weight yarn), it was almost 26″ in circumference. I then tried again using a 4.5 G hook just for giggles–it was STILL huge, and was also such a tight weave it had no slouch whatsoever. I did a gauge check and your measurements (while slightly tighter than mine) are in line with what I would have expected, but the hats are far too large.
The toddler size, using a 6.0 J hook, came out perfectly for an adult male. It might be helpful to have a note suggesting that unless corcheters have exceptionally tight stitches, they will want to go down a size (or two or three)? This is a very cool looking hat, but since you can’t use the standard magic circle measurement because of the waviness you have to crochet an awful lot of hat before finding out it is Jamiroquai sized.
Jamiroquai sized!!! That made me laugh!! But thanks for the tip. I want to try this hat for an adult man and I will definitely be crocheting the toddler size, as you suggested. My gauge is always too big to begin with so I would have made a ginormous hat for sure!
I’m really glad you commented that it came out to 26 inches circumference bc that is literally how big I need it to be for my brother. Thanks!