The crochet Lemon Peel Stitch makes an excellent choice for every kind of design. You can use it for bags, dishcloths or whatever you can imagine. It is also a really easy stitch to make. I came up with a slouchie/beanie hat for you: elastic and soft. My boyfriend doesn’t seem to appreciate slouchie on himself, while I can’t wear anything else. Said so, I made two version of the same hat, one slouchier than the other, so every couple like us, out there, can be happy too!

PRELIMINARY NOTE

If you are willing to make one of these, please do not steal my pattern. You can share it and sell the products of your work: just link this page in the detail! If you have Instagram (or Facebook), use @1nstayarn (or @InstaYarn in case of FB) to let me know about your work. I would so appreciate it!

QUEUE THIS PATTERN ON RAVELRY BEFORE YOU GET STARTED! :3

The Lemon Peel Stitch

Let’s see how to make this ripple effect, very similar to real lemon peels (oh yes!). Long story short, you do a single crochet over double crochet and double crochet over single crochet. Easy peasy. Ready?

• Begin with whatever number of chains you need (i prefer an even number to begin every round of a single crochet)
• Make another chain and turn your work
• 1st round: *1 single crochet in next chain, 1 double crochet in the next chain* and repeat alternating a single with a double crochet
• Make another chain and turn your work
• 2nd round and so on: *1 single crochet in next chain, 1 double crochet in the next chain* and repeat alternating a single with a double crochet. You must work every single crochet in every double crochet of the previous round and vice versa!

You can read crochet pattern? There it is!

Hat measures

We have to work a rectangle. The long side will be the head circumference while the short one will be the hat height. If you have those 2 measures you are at a good starting point. I made these hats for average adult with a medium size:

• Black Beanie: 21.5” head circumference, 9” height
• Silver Slouchie: 21” head circumference, 10.5” height

Find the right measurements for your work and let’s get to business. Keep in mind that the beginning chains will be the height of the hat so you can add or remove chains in order to get your fit.

Suggested Materials

I used a 50% acrylic and 50% wool yarn, that is washable in the washing machine at low temperatures.

We will work a rectangle with the lemon peel stitch and then we’ll just sew some parts to get the hat done. You can use the hook size you like most but do the relative math to get your measure requirements.

• Crochet Hook (I used 6/G)
• Main Color (I used about 85gr of black yarn for the beanie and 100gr of silver yarn for the slouchie)
• Contrast Color (I used less than 50gr of dark gray)
• Scissors
• Tapestry Needle
• Safety pins
• PomPom maker (optional)
• Gauge → 14 base stitches x 16 lemon peel stitch rounds = 10cm x 10cm (4” x 4”)

Do you need some supplies? These are some of my sweet advices!

BUY KIT ON AMAZON

BUY KIT ON AMAZON

BUY KIT ON AMAZON

Stitches US terms (and abb.)

• Chain Stitch (Ch)
• Single Crochet (SC)
• Half-Double Crochet (HDC)
• Double Crochet (DC)
• Slip Stitch (Sl;St)
• Stitch (st)
• Lemon Peel Stitch, intended as a row (LPS)

Beanie/Slouchie Base Rectangle

• With main color begin with 34 Ch + 1 to turn the work. Before starting leave a 12” tail that you will use to close the hat top (begin with 44 Ch + 1 to turn for the slouchie).
• 1st row: Turn. Begin with a SC followed by a DC. Alternate SC and DC until the end of the chain (last stitch will be a DC).
• from 2nd to 22nd rows: Ch 1 and turn. Just go with the LPS over the first row. One SC over a DC and one DC over a SC.
• 23rd and 24th rows: Join contrast color and just go with 2 rows of LPS.
• 25th and 26th rows: Switch back your main color and go with other 2 rounds of LPS.
• 27rd and 28th rows: Switch again to contrast color and make the last 2 rows of LPS with it. Cut contrast color.
• 29th round: Switch to main color and continue with LPS.
• Repeat last round until you get the lenght you desire for the head circumference. You need to end with an odd numbered round so you can sew the hat without cutting any yarn following the instructions below
  • I made 61 rows to get a 21” cicrumference.
• DO NOT close, DO NOT cut the yarn.

Sew the hat with the Single Crochet Join

Now you can fold your rectangle in half, facing the wrong side oh the work. Join the sides and secure them together with some pins. Take back from the last stitch you did and just add a chain stitch. Simply insert your hook in both sides, yarn over and do a single crochet. Keep going with this tecnique through the lenght of the border. When you reach the last stitch, just insert hook there again and do a slip stitch to secure the join. Add a chain stitch and prepare to continue from here to make the bottom band of the hat.

The band

We begin to work in rounds from the chain you made over the join. We will make a SC round followed by an HDC round. Use the “wholes” left by the turning chains of the rectangle to get the right distances from every stitch. Recap? Yes please!

• 1st round: make a SC round, join in the end with the first SC of the round.
• 2nd round: ch 1, do an HDC on every SC you made on the round before. Join with first HDC of the round.
• Fasten off and weave in ends.

There we go. But, wait… The hat is still open on the top!

Chinch the hat top

Remember that we left a 12” tail? Keep the work facing the wrong side. Now it’s time to take your tapestry needle: go over the border with the needle, chinching the top every 4 or 5 insertion. Follow the circumferences until the very end and then just… Pull! The hat will magically close up. Be sure to pull firmly and make 2 o 3 knots to secure the closing. Don’t worry if you don’t get a superclean work: we are working in the inside and it’s better to have firm knots than a weak neat end.

Add the pom pom (optional)

I made my big pom poms with my hands and soon I’ll update you with a videotutorial on how I do it. In the meantime if you do know how to do them (hands free or with a maker), just make one and sew it up on the top. I find it cool, especially on the slouchie version: it gives weight and the hat top will always fall good on the back.

Did you like this pattern? Please let me know if something is wrong and share with me your creations!

The Lemon Peel Slouchie/Beanie @ InstaYarn

Thanks to Ester&Cewa for giving me full support and help in this.