The free pattern I’m offering today is a rework of a design I’ve been using for ages! I started making these netted caps way back when I had white girl dreads, to keep my hair out of my way while traveling. After I got rid of the locks, I kept using this style of hat as a pretty way to keep damp hair out of the cold or just when I didn’t feel like messing with the tresses at all 😛 (which is always… I always feel like not messing with it lol)

This pattern is also available as a portable, printable, ad-free PDF in my pattern shops! Find it on Ravelry, Etsy, or Ko-fi, or keep scrolling to get the totally FREE instructions right here 🙂 Direct sales of PDFs are my primary income source so THANK YOU if you can & choose to support me this way <3 The next best thing is sharing my designs that you’ve made and tagging me on socials @MoraleFiber <3 <3

This pattern is remaining free on my blog, but I am also offering it now as a paid PDF with all the same features, including two different sizes (a large size for people with more hair to trap), fun and easy written instructions, and a quick finishing time to get a really useful and pretty little accessory!

Materials:

5.00 mm hook, 6.50 mm hook – (If not making the optional button & strap decoration at the brim, 6.5 mm hook is not needed)

Yarn: Any #4 weight yarn, around 200 yards –Recommended yarn is Red Heart Unforgettable (#4, 100 g / 270 yds, 100% acrylic). Lion Brand Landscapes is also an excellent choice!

Main Gauge: 3 ½” in diameter (edge to edge measured across the center) at the end of Rnd 3

Post Stitch Gauge: 6 sts = 2” in FPDC/BPDC pattern
Make sure to check your gauge and use hook size needed to obtain gauge listed.

Sizes & Finished Measurements:
This hat design has a Small size and a Large size! The brim size is the same, but the length of the back of the hat is different depending on how much hair you’d like to tuck in there 😊

Small (Somewhat Slouchy): 22” brim, 8-9” depth, 8” diameter laid flat.
Large (Very slouchy): 22” brim, 11-12” depth, 10.5” diameter laid flat.

Stitch and row counts are written with the changes for Large following the counts for Small as follows : small count/row [large count/row]. Sometimes instructions are specified for only one size as in “[Large ONLY]”
Where no changes are specified, counts and instructions apply to all sizes.

Techniques:

Chain (ch)
Double Crochet (dc)
Single Crochet (sc)
Half Double crochet (hdc)
Post Stitches: See my tutorial here.
Chain and stitch join: A technique that uses a combination of chain stitches and regular crochet stitches to form the last loop of a mesh round – more detailed instructions are available in my tutorial here.

Sizes & Finished Measurements:
This hat design has a Small size and a Large size! The brim size is the same, but the length of the back of the hat is different depending on how much hair you’d like to tuck in there 😊

Small (Slouchy): 22” brim, 8-9” depth
Large (Slouchier): 22” brim, 11-12″ depth

Instructions:

With 5.0 mm hook, Ch 5 (counts as initial chain, plus dc + ch 1)

Rnd 1: (Dc, ch 1) 11 times into the 5th ch from the hook. Join with a sl stitch in to the 3rd ch of beginning ch4. – 12 dc, 12 ch-1 sps

Rnd 2: (Sc into the next ch-1 space, ch 4) 11 times. Sc into the next ch-1 space, ch 2. Hdc into the first sc of the round. This creates a ch-4 sized loop with your hook positioned at the middle of the space. (For more instructions on how to do this type of join, check out my Chain and Stitch Join Tutorial) – 12 loops

(Pictured above: Ch-2 and final hdc form the final chain-4 sized loop of the round, leaving your hook positioned at the top of the final “loop”)

Rnd 3: Sc in the same space, ch 4. (Sc in the next ch-4 space, ch 4) 10 times. Sc in the next ch-4 space, ch 2. Hdc in the first sc of the round. – 12 loops

Rnd 4: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). Dc in the same space, ch 4. (2 dc in the next ch-4 space, ch 4) 10 times. 2 dc in the next ch-4 space, ch 2, hdc in the 3rd chain of beg ch-3. – 24 dc, 12 ch-4 sps

Rnd 5 [Large Size ONLY]: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). Dc in the same space 2 times, ch 4. (3 dc in the next ch-4 space, ch 4) 10 times. 3 dc in the next ch-4 space, ch 1, dc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-3. – 36 dc, 12 ch-4 spaces.

Rnd 5 [6]: Sc in the same space, ch 5. (Sc in the next ch-4 space, ch 5, sc in the same space, ch 5. Sc in the next ch-4 space, ch 5) 5 times. Sc in the next ch-4 space, ch 5, sc in the same space, ch 2. Dc in the first sc of the round. – 18 ch-5 loops

Rnd 6 [7]: Sc in the same space, ch 5. (Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 5) 16 times. Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 2. Dc in the first sc of the round. – 18 ch-5 loops

Rnd 7-9 [Small ONLY]: Rpt Rnd 6. – 18 ch loops

Rnd 8 [Large ONLY]: Sc in the same space, ch 5. (Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 5, sc in the same space, ch 5. Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 5) 8 times. Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 5, sc in the same space, ch 2. Dc in the first sc of the round. – 27 ch-5 loops

Rnds 9-11 [Large ONLY]: Sc in the same space, ch 5. (Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 5) 25 times. Sc in the next ch-5 space, ch 2. Dc in the first sc of the round. – 27 ch loops

At the end of Rnd 8, the diameter should be about 8” for small and 9” for large.

Rnd 10 [12]: Sc in the same space, ch 4. (Sc in the next chain space, ch 4) 16 [25] times. Sc in the next chain space, ch 1, dc in the first sc of the round. – 18 [27] ch-4 loops

Rnd 11-13 [13-15]: Rpt Rnd 10 [12].

Rnd 14 [16]: Sc in the same space, ch 3. (Sc in the next chain space, ch 3) 16 [25] times. Sc in the next chain space, ch 1, hdc in the first sc of the round. – 18 [27] ch-3 loops

Rnd 15 [17]: Rpt round 14 [16].

Rnd 16 [Smalls Only]: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). Dc in the same sp. (Dc in the next sc, 3 dc in the next ch-3 space) 17 times. Dc in the next sc, 1 dc in the next chain space. Join with a sl stitch to the 3rd ch of beg ch-3. – 72 Dc

Rnd 18 [Larges Only]: Ch 3 (counts as first dc). Dc in the same sp. (3 dc in the next ch space, 2 dc in the next ch space) 13 times. 1 dc in the next ch space, the first space of the round. – 68 Dc

(See tutorial on post stitches located at the link in the Pattern Techniques for instructions on FPDC and BPDC)

Rnd 17 [19]: Ch 2 (does not count as first dc), FPDC in the same stitch. 1 FPDC in ea of the next 2 sts. (1 BPDC in ea of the next 3 sts, 1 FPDC in ea of the next 3 sts) 11 times.
[Smalls ONLY: 1 BPDC in ea of the next 3 sts.]
[Larges ONLY: 1 FPDC in ea of the next 2 sts.]
Join with a sl st in the top of the first FPDC of the round.

Rnd 18 [20]: Rpt round 17 [19].

Rnd 19 [21]: Sc in each stitch around.
Note: If the hat brim is too loose, substitute a slip stitch in place of the single crochet, or sl st as an additional row after the sc row is complete.
Cut yarn and tie off, leaving a long tail for sewing if you’re adding a button.

If making button & strap accent:
Position the button over the join stitches where the beginning and end of the last round meets and sew on using the yarn tail. Weave in all ends.

Strap:

With a 6.50 mm hook

Row 1: Join new yarn into the side of the post stitches 15 stitches away from the button. 2 dc in the side of the first stitch, 1 dc in the side of the next st, 1 dc in the side of the next st.

Rows 2-4: Ch 3, turn. Dc in the next 4 stitches.

Row 5: Ch 3, turn. Dc3tog over the next 3 sts. Dc in the last st.

Row 6: Turn without chaining, slip st in the next 2 sts.
Cut yarn and tie off. Weave in all ends.

Use the spaces between the double crochet stitches on the strap to slip over your button and tighten the hat as necessary.

 

Pictured above/below is a modified Large size, with extra rounds of chain loop stitching to accommodate all of my friend’s long dreaded hair!

I hope you find this little hat project as useful and cute as I do!

-MF