The Jewel hat falls under the categories of both knitting and crochet as it contains both techniques and it really does have the best of both worlds. You can mix crochet and knitting with the Jewel hat pattern and crochet this slouchy beanie with a crochet body and knit brim. Get the best of both worlds in one pattern. I'll talk you through how it's made and what skills and tools you'll need to make it.
What is the Jewel hat? Why is it so special?
I've been a fan of both knitting and crochet for over a decade. I learned both at the same time and loved both for their different qualities. I had the idea to design thi9s hat when I was looking for a quick beanie that mixed crochet and knitting in a stylish way. I also wanted to create something that a knitter could learn to make if they had any interest in crochet but weren't sure where to start. I get really tired of crochet prejudice and stereotypes in the yarn world so I was determined to design something that was beautiful as well as easy to make. It's a slouch beanie with a knit brim and a crochet body. If you're feeling cute, you could also add a pom pom.
Why knitting and crochet can be mixed for mega benefits.
Mixing knitting and crochet for this pattern is a lot of fun as you get the benefits of the stretchy knit brim with the speed of the crochet granny stitch clusters. Even though wonderful knit look methods and rib methods do exist for crochet, I don't feel that any of them beat the K1 P1 rib. It's really stretchy and doesn't eat up as much yarn as crochet does. This means the hat is mostly doable with just one ball of yarn.
I made my adult medium sample in Cynet Boho Spirit (Colourway Chic). It used less than 1 whole ball.
The crochet body is so quick that you could make this hat in an evening. You're not working into stitches for the most part, just the chain space!
What size does the Jewel hat come in?
I designed the hat in 5 sizes:
- Baby- 19 inches/48cm.
- Child- 20 inches/51cm
- Adult small (or tween)- 21 inches/ 53cm
- Adult medium- 22 in/55cm
- Adult large- 24 in/60cm
It's such a fun hat and makes an excellent last minute gift as it works up so quickly. When I first introduced the Jewel hat, knitters were curious as to how it worked and whether they could crochet well enough to pull it off. You absolutely can! The pattern not only has clear instructions with a glossary of terms and stitches but there are plenty of photos and even an instructional video showing you how to make it. With all of these added extras, you really can't go wrong.
Worried you can't crochet well enough to make this hat?
You really don't need to be a crochet expert to make this cute hat. All you need is to know how to make a chain, make a double crochet stitch (UK treble) and decrease stitches. You will also need to know what a chain space is but don't worry, I explain all of these things in relevant blog posts as well as the youtube tutorial that shows you how to make the Jewel hat.
If you'd like to get started with crochet or brush up on your crochet skills, I have a list of excellent resources here for beginners.
On my youtube channel, you will find the crochet playlist for absolute beginners. I cover everything from making a slipknot to working your first crochet stitches.
In my pattern store, I have a crochet stitch guide for beginners. This is a guide that compliments your learning when watching tutorials or reading patterns. There are the UK and US terms for all of the stitches in there as well as instructions and detailed photographs of the stitches.
On my knit and crochet blog, I have a series of blog posts showing you what certain crochet terms or methods involve. A really useful one for the Jewel hat is "What is a chain space?"
Tools required to make this easy slouchy beanie.
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3.75mm needles, either DPN or 80cm circular for magic loop.
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4.5mm crochet hook or size required for gauge.
Please do make sure you do a swatch as I have quite loose tension. You may need to go up a size or 2 for yours!
Gauge: 1x1 rib 6 sts per 1in 2.5cm
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Jewel hat tutorial on Youtube
The Jewel hat pattern is available here and if you use the code Jewel at checkout on Ravelry or germandercottagecrafts.com, you get 20% off.