Crocheted Winter Beanie for Men and Women

Hi Folks! I'm back!  During the winter months our family welcomed a new grandchild. She is an active adorable bundle who is growing so fast that she is already too big for the newborn sweaters I made her.  We mourned the loss of a beloved sister-in-law, Cheryl.  I will miss her terribly, She was a gracious women who was one of my biggest supporters. My husband and I battled never-ending  colds from December through February.  A week in mild Florida climate helped our spirits and improved our physical conditions.  After consistent posting for two years, I just hit a writer's block During the winter months I have been crocheting and knitting up a storm,  but I was not able to translate these creative efforts into a blog posting.  Spring is just around the corner, but there are still several inches of snow in our back yard, and my husband is getting in his last cross-country skiing.  I set aside my to-do list, put away my IPad games, and hid my yarn projects.  This is it.  I am not aiming for perfection, I just have to start my writing motor going again.

Several weeks ago, I found a versatile, comfortable beanie pattern that is suitable for both men and women. The beanie is crocheted  with worsted weight yarn and is stitched from the top down. The crown is crocheted with double crochet stitches.  The sides and brim call for alternating front post double crochet alternated with back post double crochet.  For  specific directions, see:   The Lakeside Beanie is designed by Chellie Plummer of 5 Knots North.  It can be located on Ravelry or on the 5 Knots North website as a free download. 

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While the basic construction is simple, it is easy to alter the design with color blocking, and button decorations. After crocheting the basic hat,  I tried a 2 color block with a red crown and a wide black band.  For my third hat, I crocheted the crown in grey and used white and red for the color blocked band.

My favorite is the hat with the grey crown and the black and white striped sides.

This versatile patterns offers so many options. The hat is generally featured in solid colors for men.I have enjoyed playing with solids and stripes.   I crocheted the hat with both a H hook as instructed and an I hook for a looser fit.  Although the hat was originally designed for a man, the hat crocheted with a H hook was a bit snug for the two men who tried it on for me. I found this hat comfortable for me.  I wear an average women's size hat.  The hats I made with the I hook were slouchier.

I have one more hat project left for this winter. My oldest grandson likes to wear black.  I am thinking of a crocheting a hat with a black crown with one narrow grey and one narrow black stripe at the bottom.   He wants it subtle, but I need to add some creative interest.

I hope you enjoy this stylish, comfortable hat pattern.  Please post your hats and suggestions.