My Santa hats have been one of my best-sellers for many years, and I never wrote down what I did because it seemed too simple, but I thought you all might like it as a free pattern!
I use Lion's Brand Homespun, which is a bulky yarn with a bumpy texture. You could use other bulky or even worsted weight yarns, but your stitch counts will be different. Colors shown are Candy Apple, Deco and Pesto. I have also used white and Forest for the light color and the green. I have also made this pattern with pink and green, or just red and white, or just green and white...use whatever color suits your fancy.
The key to working with homespun yarn is not to work too tightly. If you pull to hard on this yarn, it will break. My gauge is 4 rows of DC is 3 inches, two dc across is about an inch. You may need a bigger hook to match my gauge if you don't work as loosely as I do.
Switching colors without leaving an ugly seam! This is a great technique for all sorts of stripe work. Once you get the hang of it, you will quickly be able to switch colors like a pro!
I hook (mine is Clover brand, which is nice and smooth through this somewhat difficult to crochet with yarn!) You may need a different hook to match my gauge.
Round 1: magic ring, double crochet 6 ( I start with red.) Join to first stitch, switch colors and chain 2
Rd 2: with white, dc 6, switch colors and chain 2
Rd 3: with red, dc 6, switch colors and chain 2
Rd 4-18: continue pattern, switching colors every row. I typically stop at 18, but if you want your tail longer or shorter, adjust as you like! This length is roughly to the middle of the back.
Next we start increasing by two every round.
Rd 19: dc 2, inc, dc 2, inc, switch colors and chain 2 (8)
Rd 20: dc 3, inc, dc 3, inch, switch colors and chain 2 (10)
Rd 21: dc 4, inc, dc 4, inc, switch colors and chain 2 (12)
Rd 22: dc 5, inc, dc 5, inc, switch colors and chain 2 (14)
Rd 23: dc 6, inc, dc 6, inc, switch colors and chain 2 (16)
Continue pattern, adding one to the dc count and inc around.
Newborn: Stop increasing at 30 dc (or until piece is 5 1/2 inches wide when laid flat) and go to Brim.
0-3 months: Stop increasing at 32 dc (or until piece is 6 inches wide when laid flat) and go to Brim.
3-6 months: Stop increasing at 34 dc (or until piece is 6 1/2 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
6-9 months: Stop increasing at 36 dc (or until piece is 7 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
9-18 months: Stop increasing at 38 dc (or until piece is 7 1/2 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Toddler: Stop increasing at 40 dc (or until piece is 8 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Child: Stop increasing at 42 dc (or until piece is 8 1/2 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Adult: Stop increasing at 44 dc (or until piece is 9 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Large Adult: Stop increasing at 46 dc (or until piece is 9 1/2 inches wide when laid flat) and go to Brim.
Brim section:
If you finished with red, work a round in white even so your last round is white.
Switch to green ( or your brim color of choice.)
Rd 1: Work a round of dc.
Rd 2: Alternate front post dc and back post dc around (giving your brim a nice ribbed look.)
Rd 3: Repeat rd 2.
Rd 4: for bigger hats, repeat rd 2 again. For baby hats, stop at rd 3.
Last round, sc around to give it a nice finish and finish off.
Weave in all ends at the bottom of the hat.
Make a giant pom pom! I use the 2 inch clover pom pom maker using all three colors together, and then tie very tightly with cotton string. Homespun is very slippery, so you need to tie it extra tight so all the strands can't be pulled out. Sew to the end of the tail using both the cotton string and the tails you have from starting the hat tail.
Newborn: Stop increasing at 30 dc (or until piece is 5 1/2 inches wide when laid flat) and go to Brim.
0-3 months: Stop increasing at 32 dc (or until piece is 6 inches wide when laid flat) and go to Brim.
3-6 months: Stop increasing at 34 dc (or until piece is 6 1/2 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
6-9 months: Stop increasing at 36 dc (or until piece is 7 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
9-18 months: Stop increasing at 38 dc (or until piece is 7 1/2 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Toddler: Stop increasing at 40 dc (or until piece is 8 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Child: Stop increasing at 42 dc (or until piece is 8 1/2 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Adult: Stop increasing at 44 dc (or until piece is 9 inches wide when laid flat)and go to Brim.
Large Adult: Stop increasing at 46 dc (or until piece is 9 1/2 inches wide when laid flat) and go to Brim.
Brim section:
If you finished with red, work a round in white even so your last round is white.
Switch to green ( or your brim color of choice.)
Rd 1: Work a round of dc.
Rd 2: Alternate front post dc and back post dc around (giving your brim a nice ribbed look.)
Rd 3: Repeat rd 2.
Rd 4: for bigger hats, repeat rd 2 again. For baby hats, stop at rd 3.
Last round, sc around to give it a nice finish and finish off.
Weave in all ends at the bottom of the hat.
Make a giant pom pom! I use the 2 inch clover pom pom maker using all three colors together, and then tie very tightly with cotton string. Homespun is very slippery, so you need to tie it extra tight so all the strands can't be pulled out. Sew to the end of the tail using both the cotton string and the tails you have from starting the hat tail.
