I love teaching friends to crochet hats! They are quick projects, don't rely heavily on sizing, and are the perfect way to learn a new crochet technique or begin designing your own unique projects.

Chullo Hat by Ellen K. Gormley

The most common crochet hat construction is from the top down. These hats begin at the top of the crown and are worked to the brim.

There are three basic methods of beginning a top-down crochet hat. You can chain the designated number of stitches, usually two for single crochet and four for double crochet, and work the desired number of stitches into the first chain. You can chain a designated number of stitches and join them into a circle, working the first round of stitches into the circle you just created. Or, perhaps the most popular, you can use the magic loop which allows you to tighten the opening, almost completely eliminating the circle at the top of the crown.

	The crown of my hat after the last increase round is worked.

Okay, now that you have the first round worked, it is time to start increasing. My favorite way to work crochet hats in in the round without joining. This eliminates the visible line that can sometimes be detectable where the rounds begin and end. If you are using this method, don't forget to use a stitch marker to mark the first or last stitch of the round and move the marker up each round.

If you are working stripes or a stitch pattern that changes from round to round, such as cables, it may be necessary to work in joined rounds. If your beginning chain counts as a stitch, you can try playing with the number of chains you use. I chain loosely, so using three chains for a double crochet can leave a hole. When working hats in the round, I frequently substitute a chain two for the beginning chain three.

When crocheting a hat from the top down, increases are worked to keep the crown flat. Because you are usually working increase stitches directly above increase stitches from the row below, your piece will begin to take on the appearance of a hexagon with six visible "sides." Don't worry, when you begin crocheting the body, working even in rounds without increasing, the hat will become round again.

Boyfriend Beanie by Melissa Horozewski

And there you have it: a very basic explanation on the construction of a top-down hat. There is much more to learn-different methods of increasing, adding brims or earflaps, and sizing for infants through adults. Download this exclusive All You Need to Know to Crochet a Hat Kit today and receive a how-to eBook, video workshop download, and thirteen hat patterns!

Best wishes,

P.S. What is your best tip for crocheting hats?