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Design Story and Inspiration for This Chunky Yarn Crochet Hat Pattern
This year I am working on a series of hats for my sons’ teachers. My two older boys go to a Montessori school and between them there are 6 teachers – then you add in my youngest’s teacher at daycare and that makes 7 projects I wanted to get done by December 21st.
So far I have made three hats from my two skeins of Lion Brand Scarfie yarn and still have a lot more yarn left! The first two hats I’ve made are slouchy hats and this one is a regular beanie. The style of hat I’m making depends upon the wearer: two of the teachers are younger and like slouch hats, but the others prefer a more traditional style.
I used this modified bean stitch in the Simple Textured Cuff pattern and liked it so much I wanted to create a hat with it. I started with the ribbing, working until itwas 20″ long, then I decided not to swatch and just work as many sc as I felt like. Ha – that was a mistake!
It ended up too small and I didn’t really pay attention until I was about 10 rows in. So I had to rip it out. I measured first, though, and figured out I was 14 sts less than I needed to be. So I went back until I was at the ribbing and began again. This time it worked out really well!
What Make a Crochet Hat “Chunky”?
For a hat to be considered chunky or bulky, it must be crocheted with a yarn that uses a bulky yarn that is a category #5 in the Craft Yarn Council’s Standard Yarn Weight System.
These yarns are heavier than worsted weight yarn (category #4) but lighter than super bulky yarn (category #6). They work up very quickly and are super warm and cozy, making bulky yarn a wonderful choice for crochet hats.
Yarn Options for This Bulky Yarn Crochet Pattern
This beanie crochet pattern is warm and comfortable and is one of my favorite hats that I’ve made so far. I am really enjoying this Scarfie yarn – the color changes, the fiber content, and the amazing yardage you get out of one skein! I am easily making three hats out of each skein – that’s a great deal for the price of this yarn!
I knew when I saw this yarn that I had to make this year’s teachers gifts with it. I always love Lion Brand yarns, and this yarn gives wonderful texture with the bean stitch. Try out Scarfie – it comes in many gorgeous colors for your bulky crochet projects.
If you want to use up stash yarn, that’s totally okay, too! You can use any yarn that is a chunky weight yarn in category #5 (chunky or bulky) on the Craft Yarn Council’s Standard Yarn Weight System that gets the same gauge. If you’re not getting the right gauge with an L hook, try a different hook size. Use the one that gets the correct gauge.
What Size Should I Make My Cochet Hat?
You want the circumference of your hat to have negative ease, that is, you want it to be slighty smaller than your head. Knitted and crocheted hats are stretchy, so if you make it the same size as your head circumference you will find it to be a bit big.
Typically I make an adult beanie between 18-20″ to fit a 21″-23″ head circumference, and I find this works really well for most adult head sizes. So look for a hat pattern that has a finished size 1-3″ less than the head circumference of the person you are making it for.
Don’t know the head circumference of the person you’re making it for? Don’t worry! Use a typical size (baby, child, adult, etc) and since it does have a lot of stretch you’ll find that a hat fits a wide range of head sizes.
How Do I Measure Head Circumference?
To measure your head or someone else’s, use a soft tape measure. You want to go around the largest part of your head, usually where the band of your hat sits, so around your forehead and ears, to get the correct head measurement.
According to Wikipedia, one study in the United States shows, the average adult head circumference measurement to be 55cm (21 3⁄4 ) in females and 57cm (22 1⁄2 in) in males, so making a hat that is between 18-21″ is the norm.
Children, of course, vary a lot more by age and stature. I have a 10-year-old who has an adult head circumference (21″!) and he’s just always had a bigger head. It matches his body, though so he doesn’t look strange lol. He’s just always been a stocky kid (I guess when you’re over 10lbs at birth you’re bound to be stocky!).
How Long Does it Take to Crochet a Hat with Bulky Yarn?
Using bulky or super bulky yarn is one way to guarantee a super quick project. This hat can be completed in 2-3 hours for the average crocheter, or even less if you are a fast crocheter.
I found that the scarfie yarn plus the larger hooks made this project a breeze!
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The Beth Hat – A Chunky Hat Crochet Project
What You’ll Need
Yarn: Lion Brand Scarfie (Acrylic/Wool, each 5.3oz/150g and 312 yds/285 meters): 1 ball #209 Charcoal/Aqua (bulky weight yarn #5)
Crochet Hook: K (6.5mm) and L (8.0mm)
Notions: yarn needle/tapestry needle, pom-pom maker
Gauge: 11 sts and 12 rows = 4″ in mbs, ch 1 pattern
Finished Measurement: Approximately 20″ circumference and 8″ long (not including pom-pom)
Stitch Abbreviations:
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Special Stitches:
Modified Bean Stitch (mbs): insert hook into st and pull up a loop, yo, insert hook into same st and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), yo, pull through all loops on hook.
Modified Bean Stitch 2 Together (mbs2tog): insert hook into first mbs, pull up loop, yo, insert hook into next mbs, pull up loop (4 loops on hook), yo, draw through all loops on hook.
Pattern Notes
Leave a long yarn tail at beginning of project to seam ribbing at end.
Only turn when instructed to do so.
Stitch markers can be helpful if you are having trouble seeing the first stitch of a round.
CHUNKY YARN CROCHET PATTERN
Ribbing:
With smaller hook, ch 9.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch; turn – 8 sts.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc back loop only in each st; turn.
Repeat row 2 until piece measures 20″ from beginning. Join with slip st to first row, making a circle. Be careful not to twist ribbing.
Change to larger hook. Ch 1, sc 54 sts evenly around edge of ribbing.
Round 1: Ch 2, mbs in first st, *ch 1, sk next sc, mbs in next sc; repeat from * to last st, ch 1, skip last sc, join to first mbs with slip st; turn – 27 mbs.
Round 2: Ch 2, mbs in first mbs, *ch 1, mbs in next mbs; repeat from * to end; join to first mbs with slip st; turn.
Rounds 3-12: Repeat round 2.
Round 13: Ch 2, mbs in first mbs, (ch 1, mbs in next mbs) 6 times, *ch 1, mbs2tog, (ch 1, mbs in next mbs) 7 times, repeat from * two times, mbs2tog, ch 1, join to first mbs with slip st; turn – 24 mbs.
Round 14: Ch 2, mbs in first mbs, ch 1, mbs in next mbs, *ch 1, mbs2tog, (ch 1, mbs in next mbs) 2 times; repeat from * four times, ch1, mbs2tog, ch 1, join to first mbs with slip st; turn – 18 mbs.
Round 15: Ch 2, mbs in first mbs, ch 1, mbs2tog, *ch 1, mbs in next mbs, ch 1, mbs2tog; repeat from * to end, ch 1, join to first mbs with slip st; turn – 12 mbs.
Round 16: Ch 2, *mbs2tog, ch 1; repeat from *, join to first mbs with slip st – 6 mbs..
Round 17: Repeat round 16 – 3 mbs.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Draw tail through remaining sts and pull tightly to close.
Weave in ends.
Create yarn pom-pom and attach to top.
Like the messy bun style?
If you like this bulky beanie pattern, check out the Quick and Easy Messy Bun Hat, which I created using this pattern but left room for a bun or ponytail to peek through. I really enjoyed the texture of the stitches paired with the colors of this yarn. I hope you enjoy these free patterns.
Final Thoughts on Our Chunky Yarn Crochet Hat Pattern
I hope you’ve enjoyed this free pattern for the Beth Hat, a chunky yarn crochet hat pattern. It’s created with simple stitches in adult sizes for a fun and fast project that’s great for gift-giving (even last minute gift giving!). It’s easy enough for a beginner but also wonderful for a more experienced crocheter.
This chunky beanie was so much fun to make and you can view the messy bun beanie video here. The only difference is the very top! Both versions make wonderful projects for craft fairs and are wonderfully warm in cold weather.
Happy crocheting!
I love your patterns and have made quite a few of your baby blankets. The Duchess is a favourite 👍
Please would it be possible to say what weight of yarn to use in your patterns if not using the same yarn as you? I live in Scotland and it is not so easy to get Lion Brand, Caron, Bernet, Red Heart etc We use a different way of grading yarn but I am quit good at converting, I use US terms to crochet so patterns are no problem. But with a yarn that I’m not familiar with always means I’m off to google to find it and then determine the weight – is it a 3 or 6🤔
Thank you. Keep up the great work, I always look forward to your emails with your news and patterns.
Thanks for the feedback! I’ve been trying to remember on my new patterns to add the weight of the yarn. I’m hoping to go back and update all my older patterns, but it will take a while (there are over 150 of them). It is definitely confusing that the yarns are called different things in different countries. I would have no idea what weight a 4-ply is, for example. 🙂