As promised in my How to Crochet in the Round video, I put together a basic crochet hat pattern. What I love about this hat pattern is it provides a canvas for embellishments: cuff the brim, add a ruffly edge, sew on buttons or add crochet flowers. The choice is yours!

But however you decide to embellish the hat (or even if you aim for simplicity and leave the hat as-is) it all starts with one simple pattern.

Get your supplies here and here! Now, follow the pattern and make a hat!

This pattern may be slightly more challenging than my hot pad pattern, but I’m confident you can follow it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, follow these pointers for making this project:

• Take it slow. Don’t rush in, expecting to understand the pattern at the first glance. It looks confusing for a reason: it’s detailed. Wouldn’t it be better to spend a little time up-front to understand the pattern, than to make a mistake in your haste and spend time unraveling and re-crocheting? (Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…)
• Put one foot in front of the other. While taking it slow, make sure you only take one step at a time. It’s good to read ahead to get a general idea of the pattern, but make sure you concentrate on each step when it is time to crochet that step.
• Pay attention to repeats. The nice thing about crochet patterns is once you get partway in to it, you notice many patterns. (As in, things that follow a trend and repeat, not like crochet-pattern pattern. Why so many homonyms???) First, when you see things in parentheses or surrounded by asterisks (these guys***), it separates a part of the steps that will be repeated. So, first pay attention to what’s inside the asterisks, then just repeat!
• Count stitches!!! It is crucial when working in the round to count stitches. It is so, so, so easy for me to lose track of how many stitches I’ve already crocheted when working in the round. Try using stitch counters. Or, if you don’t have stitch counters handy, try my makeshift stitch counters.
• Have fun! I know patterns can be a challenge when you are first learning. You will make mistakes, and you will be tempted to quit. Don’t give in though! Take a break if you need to, but always try again. And, of course, if you reach a point where you are good and stuck, I’m always here to answer your questions. Comment on this article with your questions, and I’d be glad to provide clarification.

And there you have it! Your first hat!

Happy Crafting!

-Amanda