Free pattern: Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat in 10 sizes

Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat, free crochet pattern in Bernat Maker Home Dec in 10 sizes by Underground Crafter | This easy slouchy hat pattern works up quickly in bulky yarn. It’s designed to meet donation requirements for Head Huggers, an organization that provides hats to people suffering from hair loss due to illness or medical treatment.

This post contains affiliate links. Yarn for the sample was generously provided by Yarnspirations.

I continue to be amazed about how much yarn is actually contained in each skein of Bernat Maker Home Dec. Last summer, I received 6 skeins for some patterns I was working on for AllFreeCrochet. From these 6 skeins, I have made 5 patterns so far (the Face the Day Bathmat, the Two-Toned Diamonds Infinity Scarf, the Garter Rib Beanie, the Aqua Ridge Slouchy Hat, and today’s pattern) and I still have a lot of yarn left. Talk about value!

Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat, free crochet pattern in Bernat Maker Home Dec in 10 sizes by Underground Crafter | This easy slouchy hat pattern works up quickly in bulky yarn. It’s designed to meet donation requirements for Head Huggers, an organization that provides hats to people suffering from hair loss due to illness or medical treatment.

This yarn is also very soft, and that’s why I chose it for this particular project. This is part of my monthly charity spotlight series where I highlight an organization that accepts crochet or knit donations and share a free pattern, so read on for details!

January’s Featured Charity: Head Huggers

Head Huggers was founded in 2001 and their mission is to provide handmade hats to people experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy, brain surgery, burns, or other illnesses or medical treatments. Losing hair suddenly is not only traumatic, but it can also leave the head cold and make it difficult for a person to regulate body temperature.

Head Huggers accepts crochet, knit, and sewn caps. Their guidelines are simple. Hats must be new and handmade. Hats made with soft, machine washable yarns are preferred, as are those from pet- and smoke-free homes. Volunteers are welcome to mail hats to the Arizona headquarters or to contribute through one of the over 60 Head Huggers groups in the U.S. and Australia. Donors are asked to include this submission form with each hat.

Tips for Making Great “Chemo Caps”

While Head Huggers offers each crocheter a lot of freedom in creating a hat (and also shares links to many recommended patterns), most recipients will be undergoing medical treatment and will have sensitive heads. With that in mind, remember that the best “chemo caps” will be those made with soft, machine washable yarns that can be worn comfortably on naked skin and washed thoroughly after a hospital or clinic visit.

Many people undergoing medical treatment have compromised immune systems and/or are sensitive to strong odors. For that reason, avoid crocheting your hat while wearing strong-smelling lotions or perfumes, and keep your yarn and finished projects away from smoke and pet dander.

If you’re looking for more chemo cap patterns, try the Drawstring Beanie with Yarrow Flower, a free crochet pattern available in 7 sizes.

If you make your own Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter, Instragram as @ucrafter, or Twitter as @ucrafter. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and other subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!

Add the Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat to your Ravelry favorites or queue.

Underground Crafter on RavelryIf you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.

Underground Crafter on CraftsyCharity Guide

Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat

Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter

This easy slouchy hat pattern works up quickly in bulky yarn. It’s designed to meet donation requirements for Head Huggers, an organization that provides hats to people suffering from hair loss due to illness or medical treatment.

Finished Sizes

  • Newborn (3-6 months, 6-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-5 years, 6-10 years, Teen/Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large). Photographed sample is size Teen/Adult Small.
    • Newborn: 12.5” (32 cm) hat circumference, 6.25” (16 cm) length.
    • 3-6 months: 15” (38 cm) hat circumference, 7.26” (18.5 cm) length.
    • 6-12 months: 16” (40.5 cm) hat circumference, 7.5” (19 cm) length.
    • 1-2 years: 17” (43 cm) hat circumference, 8” (20.5 cm) length.
    • 2-3 years: 18” (46 cm) hat circumference, 8.25” (21 cm) length.
    • 3-5 years: 19” (48 cm) hat circumference, 8.75” (22 cm) length.
    • 6-10 years: 20” (51 cm) hat circumference, 9.25” (23.5 cm) length.
    • Teen/Adult Small: 21” (53.5 cm) hat circumference, 9.5” (24 cm) length.
    • Adult Medium: 22” (56 cm) hat circumference, 10” (25.5 cm) length.
    • Adult Large: 23” (58.5 cm) hat circumference, 10.25” (26 cm) length.

Materials

  • Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn (72% cotton/28% nylon, 8.8 oz/250 g/317 yd/290 m) – 1 skein each in 11005 Aqua (MC) and 11019 Pebble Beach (CC), or approximately 250 yd (229 m) in MC and 85 yd (78 m) in any bulky weight, cotton blend yarn.


  • US Size K-10.5/6.5 mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
  • Yarn needle.
  • Locking stitch marker or scrap yarn (optional).

Gauge

  • 12 sts x 8.5 rows = 4” (10 cm) in pattern for hat body. For best fit, always check your gauge.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

  • BL – back loop only
  • ch – chain
  • CC – Contrast Color
  • dc – double crochet
  • ea – each
  • MC – Main Color
  • rep – repeat
  • Rnd(s) – Round(s)
  • sc – single crochet
  • scBL2tog – single crochet 2 sts together in the back loop only – (Insert hook in BL of next st, yo and draw up a loop) twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
  • sl st – slip stitch
  • st(s) – stitch(es)
  • yo – yarn over
  • * Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.

Pattern Notes

  • Brim is crocheted flat in rows and then seamed. The rest of hat is crocheted in the round towards the crown.

Pattern Instructions

Band (All sizes)

  • With CC, ch 10, or any number of sts to measure approximately 2.5” (6.5 cm).
  • Row 1: Turn, skip 1 ch, sc in next ch and ea ch across. (9 sts)
  • Row 2: Turn, ch 1, scBL in first st and ea st across.
  • Rep Row 2 until band measures approximately 12.5 (15”, 16,” 17,” 18,” 19,” 20,” 21,” 22,” 23”)/ 32 (38, 40.5, 43, 46, 48, 51, 53.5, 56, 58.5) cm. Do not fasten off.
  • Being careful not to twist, join short edges of band with sl st seam. (You can find a photo tutorial for crocheting a sl st seam here.) Turn band right side out so seam is on inside. Fasten off.

Hat body (All sizes)

  • With MC, join with sl st at seam and begin working in the round.
  • Rnd 1: Work 48 (52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84) sc evenly around edge of band, join with sl st at top of first sc, place marker if desired and move up ea Rnd. – 48 (52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84) sts
  • Rnd 2: Ch 1, scBL in same st and ea st around, join with sl st to BL of first sc.
  • Rnd 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc, here and throughout), dcBL in next st and ea st around, join with sl st to BL at top of ch 3.
  • Rep Rnd 2 and 3 until hat measures 3.75” (4.75,” 5,” 5.5,” 5.75,” 6.25,” 6.75,” 7,” 7.5,” 7.75”)/9.5 (12, 13, 14, 14.5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 19.5) cm, or until approximately 2.5” (6.5 cm) shorter than desired finished length.

Decrease towards crown (All sizes)

  • Rnd 4: Starting in first st, ch 1, *scBL2tog, scBL in next 2 sts; rep from * around, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 36 (39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63) sts
  • Rnd 5: Rep Rnd 3.
  • Rnd 6: Starting in first st, ch 1, *scBL2tog, scBL in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 24 (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42) sts
  • Rnd 7: Rep Rnd 3.
  • Rnd 8: Starting in first st, ch 1, scBL2tog around, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 12 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21) sts

Craftsy

Newborn (6-12 months) sizes ONLY

  • Final Rnd: Starting in first st, ch 1, scBL2tog around, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 6 (7) sts
  • Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming. Continue on to finishing instructions.

3-6 months size ONLY

  • Final Rnd: Starting in first st, ch 1, scBL2tog around to last st, scBL in next st, join with sl st to BL of first sc. (7 sts)
  • Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming. Continue on to finishing instructions.

1-2 years (Teen/Adult Small) sizes ONLY

  • Rnd 9: Starting in first st, ch 1, scBL2tog around to last st, scBL in next st, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 8 (10) sts
  • Final Rnd: Rep Rnd 8. – 4 (5) sts.
  • Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming. Continue on to finishing instructions.

3-5 years (Adult Large) sizes ONLY

  • Rnd 9: Starting in first st, ch 1, scBL2tog around to last st, scBL in next st, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 9 (11) sts
  • Final Rnd: Rep Rnd 9. – 5 (6) sts.
  • Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming. Continue on to finishing instructions.

6-10 years size ONLY

  • Rnd 9: Rep Rnd 8. – 9 sts
  • Final Rnd: Starting in first st, ch 1, scBL2tog around to last st, scBL in next st, join with sl st to BL of first sc. – 5 sts
  • Fasten off with long yarn tail (approximately 12”/30.5 cm) for seaming. Continue on to finishing instructions.

Finishing

  • Thread yarn needle with yarn tail and seam crown closed. Weave in ends on inside of hat.
© 2017 by Marie Segares (Underground Crafter). This pattern is for personal use only. You may use the pattern to make unlimited items for yourself, for charity, or to give as gifts. You may sell items you personally make by hand from this pattern. Do not violate Marie’s copyright by distributing this pattern or the photos in any form, including but not limited to scanning, photocopying, emailing, or posting on a website or internet discussion group. If you want to share the pattern, point your friends to this link: http://undergroundcrafter.com/2017/01/18/free-pattern-cuddly-soft-slouchy-hat. Thanks for supporting indie designers!

If you make your own Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter, Instragram as @ucrafter, or Twitter as @ucrafter. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and other subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!

Add the Cuddly Soft Slouchy Hat to your Ravelry favorites or queue.

Underground Crafter on RavelryIf you want an easy print format, you can buy an ad-free PDF version on Craftsy.

Underground Crafter on Craftsy

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