Cascade Yarns W Swirls Hat Crochet Pattern

Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash® Merino Swirls Hat

What Is Being Made

This is a women's and men's crochet hat designed by Anna R. Simonsen, featuring a classic swirled construction. The hat comes in two size options: Women's (20" wide unstretched x 8" tall) and Men's (22" wide unstretched x 9" tall). The design creates a fitted, crown-to-brim structure that works well for everyday wear and provides excellent stretch and recovery thanks to the superwash merino fiber content.

Techniques Used

The Swirls Hat employs fundamental crochet techniques suitable for intermediate crafters. The pattern begins with a magic ring foundation, which allows for a seamless center crown. The construction uses circular rounds worked continuously in the round, with slip stitch joins to mark the end of each round. The hat features strategic increase rounds that shape the crown and expand the stitch count gradually from the center outward. The pattern differentiates between women's and men's sizing by varying the number of increase rounds—women's hats work increases through round 6, while men's hats continue increases through round 7. This technique ensures proper fit and head coverage for each size.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes several essential crochet stitches:

• Chain stitch (Ch) — used for turning chains and foundational chains
• Double crochet (dc) — the primary stitch throughout most of the hat, creating the main fabric
• Single crochet (sc) — included in the abbreviation list for potential finishing or edge work
• Slip stitch (sl st) — used to join rounds and create seamless transitions
• Front post double crochet (fpdc) — listed for textural variation and swirl detail
• Back post double crochet (bpdc) — listed for creating dimensional swirl patterns

The post stitches (fpdc and bpdc) are the key elements that create the "swirls" referenced in the hat's name, adding visual interest and texture to the finished piece.

Materials and Tools

This pattern requires Cascade Yarns® 220 Superwash® Merino, a 100% superwash merino wool yarn. The yarn is available in multiple colors, with the pattern sample shown in color #19 (Passion Flower). Yardage requirements are minimal: one skein (220 yards / 200 meters, 3.5 ounces / 100 grams) is needed for the women's hat, and two skeins are required for the men's hat. A US 7 (4.5mm) crochet hook is recommended, though the pattern advises adjusting hook size as needed to achieve the specified gauge. The pattern calls for a yarn needle for weaving in ends and finishing. The gauge is set at 22 stitches x 11 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in double crochet when blocked, which ensures proper fit and drape of the finished hat.