Today’s pattern for a slouchy beanie uses alternating puff stitches to add a bit of texture. Because you’re working in the round, you don’t even have to do much work to achieve the alternating effect! This pattern is available in ten sizes, but the newborn hat pattern meets the donation requirements for Little Hats, Big Hearts, a program of the American Heart Association. This post is part of my monthly charity spotlight series, where I highlight an organization that accepts handmade donations and provide a free pattern.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.Yarn for the sample was generously provided by Premier Yarns.
January’s Featured Charity: American Heart Association’s Little Hats, Big Hearts
Every February, hospitals around the United States partner with the American Heart Association to raise awareness of congenital heart defects and heart health. Through the Little Hats, Big Hearts program, crocheters and knitters make newborn hats in red that are distributed to parents of babies born in February. The program originated in 2014 in Chicago and has since expanded to most states in the U.S.
How To Make Great Hats for Little Hats, Big Hearts
Projects should be made using easy care (that is, machine washable and dryable) cotton or acrylic yarn. And, of course, the yarn should be entirely (or mostly) red, which is the awareness color used for this program. For safety reasons, yarn tails should be securely woven in and your hat should not include bows or buttons, as these may detach and pose a choking hazard. Hats can be sized to fit babies from micro-preemie through large newborn.
Hats must be sent to the contact person for each state, rather than delivered directly to participating hospitals, so they can be counted, washed, and packaged with educational materials. Select the location nearest you using the drop down menu on this page. (Donors from outside the United States can find the shipping address for international deliveries on the Frequently Asked Questions document on the same page.)
About the Puff Stitch Slouch
I used Premier Everyday Soft Worsted Heathers yarn for my version because I loved the rich, heathered red. It’s also very soft, so even a bald baby (c’mon, you’ve seen ’em) would be comfortable in one of these hats. I used puff stitches to add texture and made it slouchy because there is so much variation in baby head sizes.
I guess great minds think alike because Katie from Salty Pearl Crochet also designed a hat for Little Hats, Big Hearts using the puff stitch. Hers is super adorable! You can get her free crochet pattern here, or by clicking on the photo below, which is shared with her permission.
If you make your own Puff Stitch Slouch, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter or Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. 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!
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Puff Stitch Slouch
Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter
This slouchy beanie features a bit of texture. The newborn size is designed to meet the donation requirements of Little Hats, Big Hearts, a program of the American Heart Association.
Finished Sizes
- Newborn (3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3-5 years, 6-10 years, Teen/Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large). Photographed sample is Newborn size.
- Newborn: 14.5” (37 cm) hat circumference x 6.5” (16.5 cm) height.
- 3 months: 16” (40.5 cm) hat circumference x 6.5” (16.5 cm) height.
- 6 months: 17” (43 cm) hat circumference x 6.75” (17 cm) height.
- 1 year: 18” (46 cm) hat circumference x 7.25” (18.5 cm) height.
- 2 years: 19” (48 cm) hat circumference x 7.5” (19 cm) height.
- 3-5 years: 20” (51 cm) hat circumference x 8” (20.5 cm) height.
- 6-10 years: 21” (53.5 cm) hat circumference x 8.5” (21.5 cm) height.
- Teen/Adult Small: 22” (56 cm) hat circumference x 8.75” (22.5 cm) height.
- Adult Medium: 23” (58.5 cm) hat circumference x 9.25” (23.5 cm) height.
- Adult Large: 24” (61 cm) hat circumference x 9.5” (24 cm) height.
Materials
- Premier Everyday Soft Worsted Heathers yarn (100% acrylic, 4 oz/113 g/203 yd/186 m) – 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein in 110-01 Red Heather, or approximately 162 yd (179 yd, 198 yd, 224 yd, 245 yd, 275 yd, 307 yd, 331 yd, 366 yd, 392 yd)/148 m (163.5 m, 181 m, 205 m, 224 m, 251.5 m, 281 m, 302.5 m, 334.5 m, 358.5 m) in any medium weight yarn.
- US Size I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge.
- Yarn needle.
Gauge
- 6 sts = 1.5” (4 cm) in pattern for band. Exact gauge is not critical for this project.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop only
- ch – chain
- ea – each
- pf – 3-repeat puff stitch – Yo, insert hook in next st, yo and draw up a loop, [yo, insert hook in same st, yo and draw up a loop] twice, yo and draw through 7 loops on hook. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for the puff stitch above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sc2tog – sc 2 stitches together – [Insert hook in next st, yo and draw up a loop] twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
- sk – skip
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- * Repeat the instructions following the asterisk or as indicated.
Pattern Note
- Hat band is crocheted flat in rows and then seamed. Stitches are picked up around edge and rest of hat is crocheted in the round.
Pattern Instructions
Hat Band
- Ch 7 (7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 15, 15, 15).
- Row 1: Turn, sk 1 ch, sc in next ch and ea ch across. – 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 14, 14, 14) sts.
- Row 2: Turn, ch 1, scBL in first st and ea st across.
- Rep Row 2 until Hat Band measures approximately 14.5” (16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20”, 21”, 22”, 23”, 24”)/37 cm (40.5 cm, 43 cm, 46 cm, 48 cm, 51 cm, 53.5 cm, 56 cm, 58.5 cm, 61 cm) long.
- Line up short edges, being careful not to twist band. Inserting hook through both layers and matching up stitches, seam closed with sl st. (You can find a tutorial for crocheting a slip stitch seam here.) Do not fasten off.
Hat
- Begin working in the round.
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, work 57 (63, 66, 72, 75, 78, 84, 87, 90, 96) sc evenly across side of rows, sl st to first sc to join.
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, starting in first st *sc in next 2 sts, pf in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to first sc.
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in first st and ea st around, join with sl st to first sc.
- Rnd 4: Rep Rnd 3.
- Rep Rnds 2-4 until hat height (from start, including hat band) measures approximately 6” (6”, 6.25”, 6.75”, 7”, 7.5”, 8”, 8.25”, 8.75”, 9”)/15 cm (15 cm, 16 cm, 17 cm, 18 cm, 19 cm, 20.5 cm, 21 cm, 22 cm, 23 cm), ending after Rnd 2.
Decrease to crown
- Rnd 5: Ch 1, starting in first st *sc2tog, sc in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to first sc2tog. – 38 (42, 44, 48, 50, 52, 56, 58, 60, 64) sts.
- Rnd 6: Ch 1, starting in first st, sc2tog around, join with sl st to first sc2tog. – 19 (21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31) sts. CONTINUE TO RND 7 AND 8 FOR SPECIFIC SIZE.
- Rnd 7: Newborn (3 months, 2 years, Teen/Adult Small) sizes ONLY: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc2tog around, join with sl st to first sc. – 10 (11, 13, 15) sts.
- Rnd 7: 6 months (1 year, 3-5 years, 6-10 years, Adult Medium, Adult Large) sizes ONLY: Rep Rnd 6. – 11 (12, 13, 14, 15, 16) sts.
- Rnd 8: Newborn (1 year, 6-10 years, Adult Large) sizes ONLY: Rep Rnd 6. – 5 (6, 7, 8) sts.
- Rnd 8: 3 months (6 months, 2 years, 3-5 years, Teen/Adult Small, Adult Medium) sizes ONLY: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc2tog around, join with sl st to first sc. – 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8) sts.
- Fasten off with long yarn tail. With yarn needle and long yarn tail, seam crown closed.
- With yarn needle, weave in ends on inside of hat.
Nice pattern.I plan to make it in the near future.