Classic Slouch

I love this hat for a casual look. While any worsted weight yarn will work with this pattern, I think it looks best with a yarn that has nice drape and sheen, such as Lion Brand Heartland or Caron Simply Soft. These give such a nice slouch look and are so comfortable to wear. The ribbed brim helps keep it in place and adds some nice texture. If you want extra slouch or additional room for more hair, you can simply add more rows to the body. I will tell you when. 😉

Materials

  • Worsted weight yarn such as Lion Brand Heartland or Caron Simply Soft
  • Size J/6.00 mm crochet hook or hook needed to achieve gauge

Important Notes

  • The start of the hat uses the magic circle technique, chain (ch), single crochet (sc), and a closing slip stitch (slst).
  • The main part of the beanie is worked in double crochet (dc) and double crochet increase (dc inc). The brim is made with alternating front post double crochet (fpdc) and back post double crochet (bpdc).
  • Gauge is 6 st X 4 rows of dc is 2″ square
  • Hat is worked from the top down.
  • Each dc round is started with a ch 2 and finished with a slst into the first dc. I have found this combination creates an almost invisible seam. It’s not conventional, but I encourage you to try it out over the standard ch 3.
  • Laid flat, hat measures 11″ from top to bottom and 8″ across.

Written Instructions

  1. Create a magic circle. Ch 1, sc 11 into circle. Slst into first sc. (ch 1, 11 sc)
  2. Ch 2, dc into closing slst, work a dc inc into each sc around, slst into first dc. (ch 2, 23 dc)
  3. Ch 2, dc into closing slst, dc, *dc inc, dc* repeat from * to * around, slst into first dc (ch 2, 35 dc)
  4. Ch 2, dc into closing slst, dc 2, *dc inc, dc 2* repeat from * to * around, slst into first dc (ch 2, 47 dc)
  5. Ch 2, dc into closing slst, dc 3, *dc inc, dc 3* repeat from * to * around, slst into first dc (ch 2, 59 dc)
  6. For next 14 rounds, ch 2, dc 59, slst to first dc (ch 2, 59 dc)
    • NOTE: This is where you can add rows to increase the length of the hat for more slouch or to accommodate more hair.
  7. For next 5 rounds, ch 2, *fpdc, bpdc* repeat from * to * around, slst into first fpdc (ch 2, 59 fp/bpdc)
  8. For last round, finish hat with an invisible join into the top of the first fpdc.

The Quilt

There was this one summer growing up that my mom had foot surgery. She waited until summer break because she was a teacher and had to be on bed rest for like 6 weeks. She may have been a bit miserable recovering, but I was her nurse and it was the BEST summer of my life.

We hung out in her bed most of the day and I made us food and got whatever she needed. We watched TV—reality tv had just taken off and we were obsessed with season 1 of Big Brother and CourtTV—read books, she taught me how to crochet (you know how that’s going 😉), we talked about everything, and we planned this Millennium quilt. If you weren’t born yet or were just a baby, the changing Millennium was a HUGE deal when it happened. Everybody thought the world was going to crash. 😅

My mom drew up a sketch and we decided on 2000 2 inch squares of different fabric and I remember we thought it wouldn’t take that long… My mom did 99% of the work on this, so I can’t really take much credit other than being there for the initial design concept. This quilt has fabric from EVERYTHING—baby quilts she made for her grandkids and great-grandkids, old clothes from my late grandparents and my dad. I think there are squares from some of my formal dresses she made me, too. Basically if it was fabric and she could cut a square out of it, it got a square cut out of it. 🤣 22 years later and she finally finished it! I can’t wait to see it in person and show my own daughters! Amazing job, mom!!! I can only hope to have a summer like this with each of my own children.

The Millennium Quilt