Inspired by my sons' request for a shady sunhat in their favourite colours, I designed a bucket hat in crocheted V-stitch in a design that works well in one, two or many colours, with a simple flared brim. I'm really enjoying being able to spot them easily in the park! Would someone you love enjoy a new hat as a gift, or might you treat yourself? Get your copy of the pattern on Ravelry or Etsy.
You don’t have to choose brightly coloured yarn though; a subtle grey or sand toned one would look great too and you could even add one of the flowers from my blog's free Crochet Flower Garland pattern.
The hat is sized in eight versions including 4 different crown sizes each with a smaller tapered version and a roomier straight sided one. from 31 cm (12”) small baby to 61 cm (24”) large adult head.
This is a lovely, comfortable summer hat, sized child to adult, in eye-catching V stitch and cool cotton yarn. The sloped brim keeps the sun out of your eyes and two crown fit options ensure a comfortable fit. The flexibility of the V stitch makes the hat easy to wear over sunglasses and there are several finishing options to choose from in order to get a shape and style that suits each wearer. I love the scalloped edging version but both of my sons preferred the slip stitch edging.
It's a very flexible pattern though; you can make the crown just as long or as short as you like and use or omit the slip stich rounds at either ends of the crown sides to get a rounded or more cylindrical shape. That way you can get it just right to suit your face shape, hairstyle and your personal taste or the wearer's, of course, if its a gift!
I had so much fun making this. The rounds worked up so quickly and the soft cotton yarn felt good to work with on hot days when fluffier yarn can stick to the fingers. Seeing my sons' happy grins when they first tried on their hats was the best moment though. They have since made such great use of them and I love the fact that the hats can be scrunched up in their schoolbags and don't look scruffy when they are pulled out. Then I had the excitement of waiting for the testers' photos to be sent to me (and now I'm waiting to see your version!)
Speaking of testers, just look at the marvellous versions they created! I was so thrilled each time I saw a new version in progress or complete. Their yarn choices were lovely and their feedback really helped to make the pattern a lot better than it was when they were given their copy. Thank you testers; you are all amazing and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you! Tester feedback suggests that this pattern is well suited to a newish crocheter due to it’s simple nature and I have included helpful photos of the two sizes together to help you choose the best fit for your head, plus some guidance if you want to customise your hat a little. As it's a speedy make, its also a great market item for professional crochet sellers (credit the designer when selling your makes please!).
The written pattern is available in English in both UK and US crochet terms. Get your copy of the pattern on Ravelry or Etsy.