I love making hats! With the arrival of each new issue of Interweave Crochet, I browse the pages for new hat patterns. And I know that I am not alone. Crocheters whip up dozens of hats.

Atomic Hat, Interweave Crochet Fall 2011

We crochet them while we are on vacation, waiting in line or at a sporting event, visiting with friends at crafty night, and relaxing at home on a quiet evening. I have been known to whip up a hat or two while sitting in a long meeting. 

Over the years of crocheting hats, I have made just about every possible mistake-from too big to too small and from too long to too short. The issue I still fight is length. My hats frequently are too short for my head.

So, what do you do if your hat is too short? Tighter than normal tension, caused by an effort to create crisp cables and not enough attention to gauge, meant that my second Atomic Hat was about an inch too short even after blocking.

I learned to create crocheted ribbing as an edging for sweaters, like the Belcarra Cardigan (below) in Interweave Crochet Winter 2010, but this technique is the perfect addition to hats as well. It allows you to add length and makes for a great snug fit. Working the crocheted ribbing in the next hook size down is also a great option if your finished hat is too big. 

I learned to create crocheted ribbing as an edging for sweaters, like the Belcarra Cardigan in Interweave Crochet Winter 2010, but this technique is the perfect addition to hats as well. It allows you to add length and makes for a great, snug fit. Working the crocheted ribbing in the next hook size down is also a great option if your finished hat is to big.

Adding ribbing to the edge of a project is an easy technique. Simply join your yarn to the edge of your project and chain the number of stitches required for the length of ribbing desired. For my ribbing, I chained seven stitches. Turn and single crochet in the back loop in each chain across. When you reach the edge of the garment again, slip-stitch in the next row-end adjacent to your join to attach the ribbing. Slip-stitch in the next row-end to begin the next row of the ribbing and single crochet in the back loop only across each stitch of the ribbing. Repeat these last two rows until you have worked the ribbing all the way to the edge of the project. I work a row of slip stitches to join the first and last rows together. 

So add a little ribbing to your finished projects-whether it is the hem of a fabulous sweater or the edge of a crocheted hat. Find great projects and learn more new tips and techniques by subscribing to Interweave Crochet today. 

Best wishes,

P.S. You can find more information on ribbing in my How to Create Crochet Ribbing blog.