Long Loop Shell Sunhat – Free Pattern!

Hey! Spring here, again, with ANOTHER free pattern! This one is for a lovely cotton sunhat, adult size. (Check back later for a toddler version!) I used Caron Cotton Cakes in white, and I really love Caron cotton yarn for all spring crochet work. I just made a tee with it, and even tho the pattern I used has puff stitches, the cotton keeps it perfectly light and airy for spring.

For this sunhat, I wanted to explore a stitch that I’d like to become my first signature stitch. I love this stitch in particular because it’s reminiscent of Broomstick Lace, but you don’t need another tool, which is great. I’m going to be working on a tee, a tote bag, a toddler hat, and a toddler skirt in this same pattern, so keep an eye out for those in the coming weeks. It’s definitely an intermediate pattern, but I’ve tried to write it in a way that if you only have experience with “easy” patterns, you can still give it a shot.

One of the reasons I decided to start off with a sunhat is for a couple of reasons:

• First, you should be able to get this hat done quickly. I designed and created it in about 5 hours. While watching a toddler. So, yeah, I believe you can crochet this hat.
• Second, it takes less than a Caron cotton cake. You can easily do a tote bag (free pattern coming soon!) and matching sunhat with the same cotton cake, and I LOVE matching accessories.
• Third, and perhaps the most important, I BURN in the sun like it’s my JOB. I’ve bought enough baseball caps and wide brimmed sunhats to last me a lifetime, but I never liked any of them as much as this one.

So, for all these reasons and more, I present to you the Long Loop Shell Sunhat:

I used Caron Cotton Cakes yarn and a 5.5mm hook, and a bit of 20-gauge craft wire (aka: artistic wire) in the brim to make it keep its shape. 16 or 18 gauge wire should also work, though may be more apt to bend. This is, again, an intermediate pattern, but I’ve tried to be as clear as possible, so someone who’s still a beginner crocheter wants to give it a shot, they should be able to!

Special Stitches:

Long Loop Stitch, topped with 4 Sc: Yarn over, insert hook in first stitch, yarn over, pull thru stitch, and PULL TALL (dc height) (3 loops on hook). **From this point on, it is helpful to keep a finger over the yarn on your hook, to make sure the tall loops do not shorten.** Yarn over, insert hook in same (first) stitch, yarn over, pull thru stitch, and PULL TALL (5 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into SECOND stitch, yarn over, pull thru stitch, and PULL TALL (7 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into same (SECOND) stitch, yarn over, pull thru stitch, and PULL TALL (9 loops on hook). Yarn over, pull. Thru 8 loops (2 loops on hook). Yarn over, pull thru two loops (1 loop on hook).  Perform 4 sc thru the center of the tall loops just created.  This is a little complicated, so heres a GREAT youtube tutorial of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMo84x12Zhs

Unless otherwise noted, ch2 or ch1 at the beginning of each round does NOT equate to a stitch, so you will make the first stitch in the same stitch. Ch4 at the beginning of a round DOES equate to a stitch, so you will slip stitch at the end of the round to the 4^th chain to close the round.

1. Magic circle. Ch1. 10 hdc, slip stitch (ss) to first hdc. (10hdc)
2. Ch1. 2 hdc in each st, ss to first hdc. (20hdc)
3. Ch1. *Hdc. 2 hdc.* Repeat to end of round, ss to first hdc. (30 hdc)
4. Ch1. *Hdc in the next two stitches. 2 hdc.* Repeat to end of round, ss to first hdc. (40 hdc)
5. Ch1. *Hdc in the next three stitches. 2 hdc.* Repeat to end of round, ss to first hdc. (50 hdc)
6. Ch1. (Hdc in the next four stitches. 2 hdc.* Repeat to end of round, ss to first hdc. (60 hdc)
7. Ch1. *Sc in next st (for first st, this is the same st as the join), ch 4, skip 3 st. Sc in next st, ch4, skip 3 st. Sc in next st, ch 2, skip 2. Sc. Hdc. Dc. 2dc. Dc. Hdc. Sc. Ch2, skip 2 st.* Repeat * to * a total of 3 times. Ss to first sc. (3, 8-st starter-shells, and 6 ch4 spaces)
8. Ss to the center of the ch4. Ch1. *Sc in next space (same space as the ch1 at the start of the round). Ch4, sc in next chain space. Ch 2. Skip sc and ch2. {Long Loop Crochet over next two stitches, topped with 4 sc. Ch1.} repeat {} a total of 4x. Ch2. Skip ch2 and sc. * Repeat * to * a total of 3 times. Ss to first sc. (12 long loop crochets)
9. Ss to center of the ch4 space. *8 tr in ch4 space (First tr of the round will be ch4). Ch2. Sc between first two long loop stitches. Ch 4. Sc between second and third long loop stitches. Ch4. Sc between third and fourth long loop stitches. Ch 2.* Repeat * to * a total of 3 times. Ss to top of the ch4 (which counted as the first tr).  (Three 8-tr shells, and 6 ch4 spaces)
10. Ch2. *{Long Loop Stitch over the next two stitches (the first stitch being in the join), topped with 4 sc. Ch1.} repeat {} a total of 4x. Ch1 more, sc in ch4 space. Ch 4. Sc in next ch sp. Ch 2. Skip ch2 and sc. * Repeat * to * a total of 3 times. SS to the first sc in the top of the first Long Loop Stitch. (12 Long Loops)
11. Slip stitch across to the ch1 at the end of the first long loop.  Ch1. *Sc between first and second long loop stitches (same space as the first ch1). Ch4. Sc between second and third long loop stitches. Ch4. Sc between third and fourth long loop stitches. Ch 2. 8 tr in ch 4 space. Ch 2. * Repeat * to * a total of 3 times. Ss to first sc. (Three 8-tr shells, and 6 ch4 spaces)
12. Repeat Row 8
13. Repeat Row 9
14.  Ch1. *Sc in each tr (including the join), 2 sc in ch 2 space, sc in sc, 3 sc in ch4 space, sc in sc, 3 sc in ch4 space, sc in sc, 2 sc in ch2 space.* Repeat * to * a total of 3 times (63 sc)
15. Ch1. *6 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (72 sc)
16. Ch1. *11 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (78 sc)
17. Ch1. *12 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (84 sc)
18. Ch1. *13 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (90 sc)
19. Ch1. *14 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (96 sc)
20. Ch1. *15 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (102 sc)
21. Ch1. *16 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (108 sc)
22. Ch1. *17 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (114 sc)
23. Ch1. *18 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (120 sc)
24. Ch1. *19 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (126 sc)
25. Ch1. *20 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (132 sc)
26. Ch1. *21 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (138 sc)
27. (In this round, I added a 20 gague craft wire to keep the brim firm, simply crocheting around the wire as if carrying forward another color in tapestry crochet, and I twisted the two ends of the wire together and crocheted over that as well to keep it secure.  If not using a wire, I suggest stopping at round 24 and skipping to round 27.) Ch1. *22 sc, 2 sc in next st* Repeat * to * around. Ss to first sc. (144 sc)
28. Ss around. FO. Weave in ends. 

And that’s it! As always contact me with any questions about the pattern, and please please let me know what you think if you try it out!!!