Blink Beanie

Sometimes after finishing a project that used a bunch of brain-power I just wanna coast a bit through my next project. It still has to be fun and exciting, mind you, but it can’t involve much thinking. This hat checks all the boxes, and best of all goes from hook to head in less than one movie. Did you hear that procrastinators? You can still make this a handmade holiday!

I had a hook and two skeins of yarn, then I blinked and I had a hat.

If you’ve ever crocheted with a super bulky yarn before, you probably know that your work can get really stiff really quick. You can avoid this problem by going up a few hook sizes for added drape… but then you have sizable holes between your stitches and HEY some of us live in Minnesota. We can’t be walking around with big holes in our hats in the wintertime! So I did a LOT of swatching to find the perfect chunky-yarn stitch pattern: the yarn-over-slip-stitch through the back loop. OMG I am so totally in looooove with this stitch. It’s stretchy, returns back to shape remarkably well, and has enough drape to make a hat- not a helmet– when worked up tightly enough to avoid the big-hole blues. YUSSSSS!

Okay I know the name of this stitch pattern has a lot going on, but I promise it’s super easy! This is an advanced-beginner level project, but for you seasoned crocheters out there: you won’t get bored. You’ll be like: oh cool, a chunky hat! Oh this is fun- a new stitch- and it really is stretchy, just like Brenda said it would be! Oh interesting- there are short rows to shape the top! And wheeeeeee! it’s done. Now I need to make another one. Because it’s that fun! (Well that was what happened to me anyway).

So here ya go- all of the directions are right here!

Materials
Approximately 88 yds of super bulky weight yarn. I used We Crochet Tuff Puff: 100% Wool, 44 yds/100g; 2 skeins per hat, shown in colors Chartreuse #28058 and Cactus Blossom #28057 (See notes regarding pom-pom yardage).

About 1 yard of embroidery floss (or thin yarn) in similar color for pom-pom tie

Tools
Size P (11.50 mm) hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Tapestry/yarn needle
3.5” piece of cardboard (for pompom)

Gauge
6 sts and 6 rows =4” in yo-sl-st blo patt.
OR: Work hat directions through Row 4. Piece measures 10” wide and 2.75” tall including foundation chain (see photos)

Finished Measurements
Hat measures 18.75 (21.25)” in circumference, and 10” tall. Chartreuse hat (21.25”) was modeled on 22” head.

Special Stitches
Working into the bottom of the chain: work under the horizontal dashes (directly opposite the “v”s that you normally work into).

Yo-sl-st: Yarn over, insert hook into next st, yo and pull up loop and then pull loop through both loops on hook (1 yo-sl-st made).Working through back loops only: Instead of working under both loops like normal, work under only the back loops (leaving the front loops free).

Working through back loops only (blo): Instead of working under both loops like normal, work under only the back loops (leaving the front loops free).

Abbreviations:
Blo= back loop only
Ch= chain
Sl st= slip stitch
St(s)= stitch(es)
Yo = yarn over
Yo-sl-st = yarn over slip stitch (see Special stitches above)

Notes:
2 skeins of Tuff Puff are enough for one hat (including pompom), however if you want a contrasting pompom, you will need 2 skeins of main color and additional yarn for the contrasting pom pom (aprox 16 yds). The larger size hat will have a slightly smaller pompom as there are fewer leftovers after making the hat. The Chartreuse hat pictured is the larger size and the Cactus Blossom hat is the smaller size. This means that the pompom made from the leftovers of the Chartreuse beanie is a bit smaller compared to the other pompom. I made 2 hats and switch-swapped the pompoms for some contrast-fun. This way the bigger pompom could be attached to the bigger hat.
This beanie is made sideways in turned rows, then slip stitched (or seamed) to form a tube. Short rows shape the crown of hat. Turning chains do not count as a stitch.

In order to check gauge, begin working hat directions, and check gauge when working Row 4. Continue to monitor gauge, and/or try on your head after working the slip stitch seam to check fit before fastening off. Adjust hook size if needed. Because the yarn is so thick, and there is a big size difference between hooks this large, you may need to crochet a bit tighter or looser than you normally would in order to match gauge and/or adjust hat size.

Directions for hat begin here:
Ch 17.
Row 1: Beginning with the 2nd ch from hook and working into the bottom of the chain, yo-sl-st into each chain -16 sts.

Photo above shows where to begin working into bottom of chain.

This shows the first yo-st-st in process: all that remains is to continue pulling through the other two loops on hook.

After the first row is complete it should look like this.

Stylus shows where to insert hook at beginning of Row 2 (into the back loop).

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, yo-sl-st blo in next 12 sts leaving last 4 sts un-worked- 12 sts.

After Row 2 is completed (leave last 4 sts un-worked).

Row 3: Ch 1, turn, yo-sl-st blo in next 12 sts- 12 sts.
Row 4: Ch 1, turn, yo-sl-st blo in next 12 sts, modified yo-sl-st blo (this joins the end of short row to working row below to make short row end less noticeable-see photos further down the page), yo-sl-st blo in next 3 sts of row below -16 sts.

Checking row gauge during Row 4- just before working the modified yo-sl-st.

Checking stitch gauge during Row 4- just before working the modified yo-sl-st.

To make the modified yo-sl-st blo, see photos below.

Insert hook through row below as indicated here by stylus. Yo, then pull up loop…

then insert hook through back loop of stitch from 2 rows below, yo…

and pull through all loops on hook.
(One modified yo-sl-st blo made.)

After completing Row 4 piece should look like this.

Row 5: Ch 1, turn, yo-sl-st blo in next 16 sts.
Rows 6-25 (6-29): Repeat Rows 2-5 five (six) more times.
Rows 26-28 (30-32): Repeat Rows 2-4 once again, ending at top of hat.

There are two options to seam the hat: crocheting a slip stitch seam OR hand sewing with a whip-stitch. Crocheting is faster and creates less of a gap between ridges of stitch pattern, however it does create a little bit of an indentation along the seaming line. Hand sewing makes a flatter seam, however it takes longer and there is a slightly wider gap between ridges in hat.

The above photo allows you to compare seaming techniques. The chartreuse hat has a slip-stitch crocheted seam, whereas the Cactus Blossom hat has a hand stitched seam.

Crocheted Seam:
Ch 1, turn as if to work another row.
Fold hat so that foundation chain is directly behind last row worked. Working through the blo of the row in front (last row worked) and the flo of the row behind (foundation chain), Sl st through both edges at the same time to seam hat.
Fasten off. Turn hat so that sl st seam in on the inside of hat.

Photo shows beginning of crocheted seam.

Hand-Sewing the Seam:
Fasten off leaving long tail for sewing. The last row you worked is a Right Side row. With Right Side facing, butt up foundation edge to edge of last row worked. Using Yarn tail and yarn needle, whip stitch edges together as shown in photo below.

Closing top of hat:
Thread a yarn needle with a new piece of yarn and weave needle through the top edge of hat, catching each of the “v’s” and also catching a stitch between each of the “v’s” as shown in the photo below. Pull tight to close top of hat.

Showing the closing of the top of the hat. Notice how needle goes through one leg of each of the “v’s” and also catches the stitches between the “v’s”.

Finishing
Weave in all ends. It is best to use yarn needle to split through the yarn strands when weaving tails in place. Block.

Blocking tip: Wet block your hat over a balloon balanced on a mug. This creates a nice shape without crease lines. Inflate the balloon to a size smaller than your head- it shouldn’t stretch the hat at all.

Re-shaping the top of hat: squish it and pat it into place while it is still wet to reduce the appearance of holes near short row ends.

Pompom
Cut 2 pieces of embroidery floss or thin yarn to 18” and set aside. Wrap yarn loosely around piece of 3.5” cardboard about 40-50 times (or until you run out of yarn). Before removing loops from cardboard, tie each 18” piece of floss/yarn tightly around loops near center of cardboard (one on each side of the cardboard). Carefully slide loops off cardboard and tie one of the same 2 pieces of yarn around the center of the loops, this time around both sides- make sure you tie a very tight knot. Use scissors to cut all of the loops of the pom-pom, being careful not to cut either of the two longer strands that were used to tie the pom-pom together. Fluff pom-pom, and trim ends of pom-pom into a nicely shaped ball. Using yarn needle and long strands of floss/yarn, attach pom-pom to top of hat. Weave in ends.

See? Wasn’t that fun? I thought so.