Crocheted hats are gaining popularity, head hugger styles, berets, ball caps, slouch hats, beanies, lace caps and ski caps. They are a wonderful accessory that you can add to any wardrobe, color match to your favorite outfit, you can crochet a hat in your sports team colors, and they are a must have for chemo patients. They make a wonderful personalized gift, too.
So, you’re asking how to crochet a hat, well before you begin you’ll need a few supplies: Crochet hook, yarn or crochet thread, yarn needle and a pattern.
Crochet hooks come in many sizes, small hooks for crocheting fine doilies, tablecloths, etc are numbered the finest being size 00. For yarn crocheting the hooks are a bit larger and sized from A to K for yarns from fine baby yarn to chunky yarns. Even larger hooks are available for crocheting loose Afghans, and rag rugs. The size crochet hook will be determined by the pattern and by the gauge of the crochet sample. You also have many material options in hook materials. Steel, plastic, bamboo, comfort handles, glow in the dark hooks, lighted hooks… and if you can find one they come in whale bone too.
The yarn weight and amount needed will be determined by the pattern, if you are not using the yarn specified by the pattern, you may want to speak with the sales clerk at your yarn store about converting the pattern.
Yarn needles need only have an eye large enough to thread your yarn through, can be found in both metal and plastic.
Before you begin your project check your gauge. Gauge is a measurement requirement to insure that the finished crocheted piece will be the correct size when it is completed. On most patterns if you crochet a 6 inch square of double crochet (dc) you will be able to verify your crochet work. But it is always wise to check your specific pattern. If your gauge piece doesn’t match the pattern gauge, increase or decrease the hook size to find the correct gauge.
Crochet terms you’ll need to know:
- Chain – ch
- Single crochet – sc
- Double crochet – dc
- Treble crochet – tc
- Slip Stitch – sl st
- Stitch – st
- Decrease – dec
- Stitches together – sts tog
- Main Color (yarn) – mc
Don’t know how to crochet, for easy to learn crocheting basics go to crochet.about.com/library/blbeginners.htm for step by step photo tutorial. You can also find free crochet hat patterns on these websites:
www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/hats.php the is a ‘Lovely Lace Hat’ on this site that would be stunning done in a metallic yarn for evening wear.
www.allcrafts.net/crochet/crochethats.htm 400+ patterns, including retro patterns from the 1917 to 1940. Also a good source for quick crochet patterns.
www.headhuggers.org/patterns/patterns.htm this site has a some very attractive patterns
www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/index.shtml this site has not only hat patterns, but patterns for just about anything else you could want to crochet
Now that you know how to crochet a hat! Lets get crocheting!
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