I’ve got a confession. I recently purchased 2.65 miles (????!!) of my favorite yarn, Lionbrand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. I found “bonus pack” skeins from Michael’s and picked up oh, just a couple… It was too good of a sale to pass up!

I knew with all this yarn, I had to come up with a classic crochet pattern I’d like. Something that was quick to make, had texture and I wouldn’t get bored crocheting. And so after a few frogggings, the snowbird hat was born.

The hat is crocheted from the brim up. It uses half-herringbone double crochet and relies on decreasing to shape the top. It’s probably not good for beginners, but if you’ve been crocheting and are familiar with a few stitches and typical hat construction, give it a try!

Materials

85 yards of chunky yarn – I used Lionbrand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Fisherman (1 skein)

Size K (6.5mm) crochet hook

Abbreviations & Special Stitches

HDC – half double crochet. Yarn over, insert hook into stitch. Yarn over, pull through one. Yarn over, pull through 3 loops.

HHDC – half herringbone double crochet. Yarn over, insert hook into stitch. yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Yarn over, pull through 2 loops.

SC2TOG – single crochet two together. Worked across two stitches: insert hook into first stitch, yarn over, pull through one. Insert hook into second stitch, yarn over, pull through one. Yarn over, pull through 3 loops.

Directions

Brim is worked by making a long, skinny band.

To begin the brim:

Chain 5 + 2 (counts as first HDC). Work 1HDC into each of 5 stitches across. [6 HDC]

Row 2 – 26: Ch 2 (counts as first HDC), turn. Working in back loops only, HDC into each stitch across. [6 HDC). This will give it a textured “ribbed” look.

Slip stitch short ends together. This is the brim of your hat!

To begin the hat body: 

Hat is worked in the round, do not turn between Rounds.

Round 1: Chain 2 (counts as first HHDC, half herringbone double crochet). Working across long side of brim, work 39 HHDC. Join with slip stitch to top of chain 2. [40 HHDC]

Rounds 2 – 5: Chain 2, work HHDC in each stitch around. Join with slip stitch to top of chain 2.  [40 HHDC]

Round 6: Chain 2, work 7 HHDC. *SC2TOG, 8 HHDC*. Work from * to * around for 5 decreases. Join with slip stitch to top of chain 2. [35 HHDC] Note: HHDC stitches are the same height as SC so while it feels odd to use SC as a decrease  next to HHDC, it will look ok!

Rounds 7 – 9: Chain 2, work 4 HHDC. *SC2tog, 5 HHDC*. Work from * to * around. Join with slip stitch to top of chain 2.

Round 10: Chain 2, work one SC. *SC2tog, 2 HHDC*. Work from * to * around. Join with slip stitch to top of chain 2.

Round 11: To tightly close top of hat, work one slip stitch into every other stitch around.

Repeat Round 11 again if needed. About 5 stitches should be remaining.

Fasten off, leaving long tail. Sew top of hat closed. Attach a pom or leave plain – whatever you’d like!