Lady Adventure

Why? Because I want to know if I can. That's the driving force behind much of my crochet designing. I wanted a very elegant, classic Twenties cloche hat and I couldn't find a pattern for one - so I made one up. Here you go:

Materials
You need a
3.50mm hook (a ‘E’ hook)
approx. 90g sock yarn (or fingering weight cotton)
Note: this pattern uses American terms, the British terms are in [brackets].


The crown:
Start by chaining 3 and join with a slip stitch to form a little circle.
OR: start with a magic loop (thanks to Carla for pointing it out!)
If you have never crocheted a hat before, have a look at the pattern for the SiSoYa hat HERE. This includes some photos to help you along.


Round 1: Chain one, then do a SC [DC] in the same stitch below (this counts as your first SC [DC] here and throughout), then do 9 SC (DC) into the circle. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (10 stitches in total)
Round 2: Chain one, then do 2 SC [DC] in the same stitch. 2 SC [DC] in next nine stitches. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (20 stitches in total)
Round 3: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next nineteen stitches. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (20 stitches in total)
Round 4: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch, *1 SC [DC] in next stitch, 2 SC [DC] in stitch after. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 SC [DC]. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (30 stitches in total)
Round 5: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next twenty-nine stitches. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (30 stitches in total)
Round 6: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next stitch, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch, *1 SC [DC] in next two stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 SC [DC]. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (40 stitches in total)
Round 7: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next thirty-nine stitches. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (40 stitches in total)
Round 8: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next stitch, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch, *1 SC [DC] in next three stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 SC [DC]. Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (50 stitches in total)

From this point on, you increase in every second round (the even-numbered rounds.) You increase by adding one more SC [DC] between every double SC [DC] in every round. In other words, in round 8, you do one SC [DC] in three stitches between each double SC [DC]; in round 10, you’ll do one SC [DC] in four stitches between your doubles. Every second round (the uneven-numbered rounds) will simply be a SC [DC] in each stitch.

You continue to increase like this until you have a slightly-curling circle (it will probably be like a woolly saucer) that has a diametre of a bit more than 18 cm / 7 inches. (Mine was 7.25 inches when I stopped.) If you have a big head or a lot of hair, make the crown a bit bigger. It's supposed to fit snugly but you don't want it to cut off the blood circulation to your brain.


The body of the hat:
Now keep crocheting in the round - no more increases, just one SC [DC] in every stitch, till the hat is approximately 18 cm / 7 inches from the crown of the hat to the brim (bottom edge). When you pop the hat on your head, the brim (bottom edge) ought to sit at eyebrow level.

The brim:
In order to achieve the gently-sloping brim of a Twenties-style hat, you have to increase very gradually. These values are approximate and are meant as a guideline:


BrimRd1: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next 29 stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch *1 SC [DC] in next thirty stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch. Repeat from * around. You mightn't finish neatly with 2 SC [DC] as you did when you were crocheting the crown - don't worry. If I reach the end of the round after, say, 26 SC [DC] then I do 2 SC [DC] in the last stitch. If I reach the end of the round after 10 SC [DC] then I don't. It's all about spacing your 2 SC [DC] as evenly as you can. . Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch.
BrimRd2-6: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in each stitch all round. . Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch. (= five rows of single SC [DC] )

BrimRd7: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next 39 stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch *1 SC [DC] in next forty stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch. Repeat from * around. Again, you mightn't finish neatly with a 2 SC [DC] but you can use your discretion and add a 2 SC [DC] in the last stitch if you wish. . Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch.
BrimRd8-12: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in each stitch all round. (= five rows of single SC [DC] ) Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch.

BrimRd13: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next 34 stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch *1 SC [DC] in next thirty-five stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch. Repeat from * around.
BrimRd14-16: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in each stitch all round. (= three rows of single SC [DC] )

BrimRd17: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in next 34 stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch *1 SC [DC] in next thirty-five stitches, 2 SC [DC] in next stitch. Repeat from * around. . Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch.
BrimRd18-20: Chain one, then do 1 SC [DC] in the same stitch, 1 SC [DC] in each stitch all round. (= three rows of single SC [DC] ) . Join the last stitch to the first stitch of the row with a slip stitch.

Your brim should now have a gentle slope like this, low enough to come down over your eyes so you can flutter your peepers beguilingly at passers-by. Try it on again and again as you crochet, so you stop at the length that suits you. Mine is very low but you might prefer yours a little shorter.




Shaping:
In order to help this hat keep its shape, it's not a bad idea to stiffen it a little. I wet mine with warm water (not hot - we don't want it to felt) using a spray bottle. I then placed it on top of my Styrofoam model's head and pulled it into shape. It didn't require much shaping, mind you, as the SC [DC] and thin yarn mean that the hat already maintains its shape reasonably well. I sprayed it with some spray starch (available in the laundry section of your local supermarket) and blow-dried it using a warm setting on the hair-drier. The hat isn't stiff (I used very little starch) but it keeps its basic shape when I put it on and take it off - which is what I wanted. More information about stiffening crochet here.

If you don't have a Styrofoam head (and I admit that this is not the kind of item knocking around most households), you could look for a simple alternative. Before I had mine, I used an upside-down breakfast bowl on a candlestick or my husband's volleyball. Essentially anything with a rounded shape to allow the hat to dry on would do the trick.


Decorating:
This is the bit I like best and it's amazing how the hat changes character depending on the ribbons and embellishments you pin on it:





You may not reproduce this pattern in print or claim it as your work. You may not sell the pattern. Do not copy and paste pattern to another website, please use a link. You can make these hats for your personal use, for gifts and to sell privately (e.g. at craft fairs or markets.) I would kindly request that you give me credit for the pattern on your product tag with a link to my website - 'cause that's the decent thing to do and we crafters are decent people. And, obviously, if you make millions from making these hats, you have to give me a significant share.
 

Thank you very much for all of your kind enquiries about poorly me and poorly Mr Gingerbread. We're enjoying our state of poorliness as much as we can, drinking lots of tea and taking naps. We're getting better - aside from my taped-together toes and attention-mongering limp - and I fear we might even be getting fond of this wonderful not-quite-well-but-not-exactly-sick state and all its fringe benefits ("Sorry, we can't leave the house to spend the afternoon looking at your holiday photos: we're poorly.")

Because neither of us has to work and not much else is happening between Christmas and New Year, I can watch films and documentaries to my heart's content - and crochet till my fingers fall off. Oh, I am so in love with sock yarn. I have nothing to do but crochet, so I'm churning out a hat per day. Oh, joys (modelled, as always, by My Lovely Assistant Gladys):

 

 


















Gladys looks kind of jaunty in the bottom right-hand photo, she's sporting this hat with a kind of lopsided insouciance. You wear it, girl! (or cool words to that effect.)

Okey-dokey, artichokeys. Today we're going to make the Big Button Beret!

Just a few words first (throat clearing: ahem, ahem):
1) This is a simple beret pattern - it's not a ground-breakingly new pattern. What makes this type of hat look quite snazzy is the yarn. I've been using sock yarns with a long colour stripe, which gives this effect:


And the second thing is, of course, the button. The hat is nice without a button, but an unusual button or even a crochet flower makes the beret a bit special.

2) Posters in recent threads on crochet/knit forums have been wondering about whether or not one may sell finished items made from a particular pattern. As far as I'm concerned - go for it! In fact, I would actively encourage those of you who craft for markets and craft fairs to give it a whirl. It's a very fast pattern (you can make a hat in an evening, if you're speedy.)

Right-ho. Enough of the speeches. Let's get down to work.

Ooops. One more thing:
This is not really a pattern, more of a loose guideline. Sock yarn is thin, so you need more rounds to reach the desired diameter. A thicker yarn (DK or WW) and a bigger hooks means fewer rounds - fewer rounds mean the hat will be finished even more quickly.

Right. We're really starting this time.

This pattern uses American crochet terms. British terms are in [brackets].
ch - chain
DC - double crochet [TR - British treble crochet]
2-DC together= [2-TR together] (Yo, Insert hook in next st, yo, draw yarn through st, yo, draw yarn through 2 loops on hook) twice, yo draw yarn through 3 loops on hook.

You need:

• approx 70 g sock yarn
• 3.00 mm or 3.50 mm hook (e.g. E or F hook, American size)
• 1 button

Chain 4, join with a slip stitch.
Round 1: 1 ch, then do 10 DC [TR] into the circle. Join last DC with a slip stitch to your first DC
Round 2: 1 ch, 2 DC [TR] in same stitch. 2 DC [TR] in next nine stitches. Join with slip stitch.
Round 3: 1 ch, 1 DC [TR] in same stitch, *2 DC [TR] in next stitch, 1 DC [TR] in next stitch. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 DC [TR]. Join with slip stitch.


Round 4: 1 ch, 1 DC [TR] in same stitch and 1 DC [TR] in next stitch, *2 DC [TR] in next stitch, 1 DC [TR] in next two stitches. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 DC [TR]. Join with slip stitch.

(Just a little note: see how odd the first two stitches look, the chain + 1 DC? That's actually okay. When you slip stitch the final DC in the round to the top of the first DC, the chain fills the little gap that you would otherwise have. That makes the end of the round less visible.)

Round 5: 1 ch, 1 DC [TR] in same stitch and 1 DC [TR] in next two stitches, *2 DC [TR] in next stitch, 1 DC [TR] in next three stitches. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 DC [TR]. Join with slip stitch.
Round 6: 1 ch, 1 DC [TR] in same stitch and 1 DC [TR] in next three stitches, *2 DC [TR] in next stitch, 1 DC [TR] in next four stitches. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 DC [TR]. Join with slip stitch.
Round 7: 1 ch, 1 DC [TR] in same stitch and 1 DC [TR] in next four stitches, *2 DC [TR] in next stitch, 1 DC [TR] in next five stitches. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 DC [TR]. Join with slip stitch.

Aha! Do you see what's happening here? We're creating a big, flat circle by simply increasing the number of DCs we do between each double-DC [TR] in every round. In round 8 you do 1 DC in the six stitches between the double-DC [TR], in round 9 you do 1 DC in the seven stitches between the double-DC [TR]. And so on.

But what should I do if my circle is curling?
Well, a little curling isn't a problem. It doesn't have to be completely flat. Look!

But if it's curling quite a bit, you could try one or both of the following:
a) go up a hook size. I started with a 3.00 mm hook but found I was crocheting a bit tightly and my hat was curling into a saucer shape, so I switched to 3.50 mm to adjust my tension.
b) You can repeat a round. In other words, do the round you've just done again, with the same number of DCs between each double DC. Then continue to increase by adding an extra DC between the double DCs in the rows that follow.

When your circle has a diameter of approximately 28 cm (that's 11 inches - and this is a matter of preference: you can do a bigger circle, which will make a floppier hat). My hat reaches a diameter of approximately 28-29 cms (11.5 inches)  when I've got 15 DCs between each double-DC.

Depending on the weight of your yarn and your hook size, you might reach this size with fewer or more rounds than me. At this point you stop increasing every round and you start to decrease.

Decreasing:
Round X: 1 ch, *1 DC [TR] in next ten stitches, 2-DC [2-TR] together. Repeat from * till you're back at the starting DC [TR] - and don't worry if you haven't finished after exactly 10 DCs, this is just an approximate value so that we decrease evenly thoughout. Join with a slipstitch.

This time, curling is good! Curling is desired!

You repeat round X again and again, and as you do, you see how the circumference of your hat is getting smaller. The 2-DC together basically makes one stitch out of two, and that makes the brim of the hat decrease in size as we do each additional round.


Pop the hat on your head now and again, and when it has reached the point where the brim sits snugly (but not too tight!) against your head, stop decreasing!

From now on, you just continue to crochet in the round, with one DC in each stitch.

Continue till the brim is about 10 cm (4 inches) long, which is long enough to fold it over and attach a button.


You may not reproduce this pattern in print or claim it as your work. You may not sell the pattern. Do not copy and paste pattern to another website, please use a link. And, obviously, if you make millions from making these hats, you have to give me a significant share.