Berroco Summer Festival Starter Pack Tomorrowland Crochet

Berroco Summer Festival Starter Pack Tomorrowland Crochet Hat

What is Being Made

The Tomorrowland is a structured crochet hat designed by Mel Kennelly, featuring a classic brim-and-crown construction. This intermediate-level project creates a finished hat with two size options: approximately 32 inches or 35½ inches around the brim, with corresponding head measurements of 20 inches or 23 inches, and a height of 8½ inches or 9½ inches. The hat is worked in the round from the crown downward, making it an ideal project for crocheters looking to develop their circular construction skills.

Techniques Used

This crochet hat employs several fundamental and intermediate techniques that build upon one another. The crown is constructed using a sliding loop method, a technique that creates a tight, closed center point ideal for top-down hat construction. The pattern utilizes joined rounds for the crown and side panel sections, where each round is completed and joined with a slip stitch before moving to the next round. The brim section transitions to turned, joined rounds, a technique that creates a different fabric texture and allows for shaping the brim edge. Throughout the pattern, strategic increase rounds are worked to expand the crown from the initial 12 stitches to the full circumference needed for the hat's sides. This graduated increase method ensures proper shaping and prevents bunching or distortion in the finished garment.

Stitches Used

The Tomorrowland hat relies primarily on two fundamental crochet stitches:

• Half Double Crochet (hdc): This stitch forms the main fabric of the crown and side panels. Half double crochet creates a fabric with moderate density and drape, making it suitable for hat construction. The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 14 rounds over 4 inches in half double crochet.
• Single Crochet (sc): Used in the brim section, single crochet creates a denser, more structured fabric that helps the brim hold its shape. The brim gauge is specified as 20 stitches and 24 rounds over 4 inches in single crochet.

Both stitches are worked in joined rounds using chain stitches for turning, with slip stitches used to join rounds and create seamless transitions between sections.

Materials and Tools

The Tomorrowland hat is designed to be made with Berroco Lumi yarn, a specialty fiber from Berroco, Inc. The pattern calls for 2 balls of Berroco Lumi, each weighing 50 grams, in the colorway #8111 Beach Rose. A size D / 3.25 mm crochet hook is recommended, though the pattern notes that you may adjust to a different size hook to obtain the correct gauge. Proper gauge is essential for this project, as the finished measurements depend on achieving 18 stitches and 14 rounds equaling 4 inches in half double crochet, and 20 stitches and 24 rounds equaling 4 inches in single crochet. The pattern recommends blocking the finished hat to ensure accurate measurements and professional results.

Pattern Structure and Construction Method

The hat is constructed from the crown downward, a top-down approach that allows for easy fitting adjustments and eliminates the need for seaming. The construction begins with a sliding loop and progresses through multiple increase rounds to expand the crown to full size. After the crown reaches the appropriate circumference, the side panel is worked in even rounds without increases, creating the vertical walls of the hat. Finally, the brim is worked in turned, joined rounds, which creates a distinct fabric texture and helps the brim maintain its shape. This three-part construction method—crown with increases, side panel in even rounds, and brim in a different stitch—creates a well-proportioned hat with proper shaping at the crown and a structured brim.