If you’ve been around my blog for a while (or if you take one look at my patterns page), you’ve probably noticed that I am drawn to single-color, neutral yarns. This is totally a preference thing, and I have nothing against those of you who like variegated yarn… it’s just not what I normally reach for.
But this season, I gave myself a challenge. My challenge was to find ways to use multi-colored (a.k.a. self-striping) yarns in some of my designs, while still keeping them modern-looking. So I went to one of my yarn stores and wandered the aisles until I found my first target: Lion Brand’s Tweed Stripes in “Caramel”. Of course I was drawn to the neutral hues, so I thought that might be a good compromise for me to begin with!
I wanted to keep the pattern really simple, because in my opinion, the busier the yarn, the simpler the stitches should be. Intricate stitches tend to get lost more easily in multi-colored yarns, and even more so in tweeds. Sometimes, less really is more. So, the body of this hat is just comprised of alternating SC and HDC rounds.
I also really wanted to balance out the busyness of all of the colors, so I chose a yarn from the Vanna’s Choice line, also by Lion Brand (color: “linen”) that matched the lightest color in the tweed yarn, and used that to make the band and the pom pom. Honestly, I would not have liked my result nearly as much if I’d done the entire thing in the tweed, but I think the linen color at the top and bottom of the hat really brings it all together and makes it work.
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RIVERBED SLOUCH HAT
Level: Easyish
Size:
One Size Fits Most (Preteen – Adult Woman).
Hat measures 9.5” across at band, and is 10” tall.
Materials:
- K hook (6.50mm) and H hook (5.0mm)
- Yarn needle
- 120 yards of Yarn A: Lion Brand Tweed Stripes (sample shown in Caramel) and about 60 yards of Yarn B: Vanna’s Choice in a coordinating color (sample shown in Linen). Tweed Stripes is a Bulky #5 yarn, and Vanna’s Choice is a Worsted/Aran #4 yarn.
- Stitch marker (a bobby pin works great)
Gauge:
With larger hook, 6 rows of 7 HDC & SC (alternate each row) = 2″ square.
Abbreviations Used:
MC (magic circle) – view my tutorial here
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
CH (chain)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SC (single crochet)
HDC (half double crochet)
BLO (back loop only)
Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard terms.
(2) This hat is worked in a continuous spiral until the band. Do not join, chain or turn until instructed. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round.
(3) The pom pom is optional.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
To begin:
Using K (6.50mm) hook, with Yarn A, make a magic circle.
Round 1: 10 HDC in MC (10)
Round 2: 2 HDC in each ST around (20)
Round 3: 2 HDC in each ST around (40)
Note: At this point, it’s going to start looking wavy. You’re doing it right! The back of the hat has a faux-cinched look to it, and this is how we achieve it. Once you get to the body of the hat, it will start to straighten itself out naturally.
Round 4: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in next) around (60)
Round 5: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in each of the next 5 STS) around (70)
Round 6: SC around (70)
Round 7: HDC around (70)
Rounds 8-21: Repeat Rounds 6-7 (70)
Round 22: SC in first 69 STS (all but the last ST), SL ST in final stitch of the round (70)
Join Yarn B. Fasten off Yarn A. Switch to H (5.0mm) hook.
Round 23: CH1; SC around. Join with a SL ST to first SC. (70)
Next we’re going to make the band of the hat, and we will be working in vertical rows, attaching it to the final round of the hat with SL STS as we go. Click here to view my video tutorial for this technique.
Row 1: CH9. SC in 2nd CH from hook. SC in remaining 7 CHS. SL ST in next 2 STS of the hat. (8, plus the 2 SL STS at the base of the hat)
Row 2: CH1, turn. Skipping over the 2 SL STS, SC in BLO of each of the next 7 STS. SC in both loops of the last ST. (8)
Row 3: CH1, turn. SC in first ST. SC in BLO of each of the next 7 STS. SL ST in next 2 STS of the hat.
Repeat Rows 2-3 all the way around the hat (70 rows). Fasten off and use your tail to whip stitch the first and last rows together. Weave in all ends.
In Round 22, why is a SL ST used in the last stitch?
When you get to the end of a continuous spiral there’s always a jagged end where the last stitch is made. The slip stitch brings that jagged edge down to create a smoother finish. 🙂
Thank You for being generous & sharing your patterns, I love your pieces
Love this! I’m a beginner having just made my first hat last winter. I didn’t see the pom pom included in the pattern. In looking at the comments, it appears that it is made with a device? Is this correct? Thank you for sharing!
Yes, I use a Clover Pom Pom Maker for my pom poms now. You can find them at most craft stores or on Amazon 🙂
I would like to print pattern for personal use how can I do that?
You are welcome to copy and paste the pattern into a text editing document for personal use, or you can purchase an inexpensive PDF from my store: http://members.littlemonkeyscrochet.com/product/riverbed-slouch/
Love your patterns.
Excellent web page!
Love the Riverbend Slouch. Will you have a cowl to match? I like sets, too!
Possibly, I’ll add it to the list! 🙂
Hi so I’m not sure whats going on with my band but as I’m working on it, its not looking tight like yours.. it also looks like its fanning out and it looks rather big. Would you recommend going down a hook size?
Hi Ashlyn, I just chatted with someone yesterday having the same problem and it turned out she was slip stitching into the same stitch as she had just finished on a previous row, thinking she was slip stitching into the next one. It’s really not that easy to see… I had to be really careful myself not to do it. Hers was fanning out because she had way too many ribs. So what I would do is, count how many ribs you have right now (be sure to count every valley and peak as a separate row), and then count across the hat just above the space that your ribbing covers and see how many stitches are in that area, because they should be equal. If you have more ribbing rows than stitches covering the same length, then you are probably doing the same thing as she was and fitting in more rows of ribbing than you should be. 🙂
thank you so much! I cant believe I missed your reply 🙁
I believe that is what I was doing wrong.
Also, what size pom pom maker did you use for this and the carlyle slouch? i have three different sizes: small medium and large.
Large, I think? It was the blue one from Clover. 🙂
This is GREAT for those of us who have one or less skeins of these colors (not enough for a whole hat)!
Thank you as always Rebecca for sharing your crochet brain with us!!!!
This is very generous of you, thank you! Great hat! God Bless you for your kindness~
Thanks, Rebecca, I love Tweed Stripes. I have some in the colorway you used for the new slouch and I even have a little Vanna’s Choice in Linen left too from a previous project. Hope it is enough.
Thank you for sharing you interesting patterns and the helpful comments to go along with them.
JILL
So cute– Thank you for the pattern
Thank you. I’m a beginner and this was easy for me to follow, love it.
Such a cute hat, I can’t wait to make it! Lover he colors, and I love the name you chose for it as well.
I love your rationale for the color choices, and it works beautifully. Thanks for sharing.
Love it. My niece is going to love it too, and it will nibble away at my stash. Will post a photo of it and her wearing it with her currently blue hair. LoL