After reviewing Drew Emborsky’s book called Hug It Out, I was ready to try a project and selected the baby hat project since I am in the middle of running a donation drive for a local Healthy Start chapter. I love how it turned out, and I started hat number 2, which I hope to finish this weekend.

Not only was this super easy to make and used medium weight yarn (so it works up pretty quickly), it has a really unusual texture to it, sort of like a basket weave. I’m not sure if you can see that from the photos or not. It is all made using single crochet and chain stitch, and by skipping some of the single crochet stitches and doing a chain instead, it creates a wonderful texture to the finished hat.

Since this uses two stitches that most beginners tackle first,  this is a great beginner project. In fact, you don’t make it in the round like most hats. You make a square (again very beginner friendly), then whip stitch up the ends (directions for this are in the back of the book), and then sew up the top draw string style.

The hat pictured is using the largest size hat measurements provided in the pattern. The second one I am making is going to be a little smaller (the large size 8×5 inches). This way I can donate an assortment of sizes. The hook size is I, and I used Vanna’s Baby for my hat in a color called Bluebell, which to me kind of has a purple tone to it.