Nara Beginners Crochet Hat in West Yorkshire Spinners - WYS1000283 / DFP0036 - Downloadable PDF

Nara Beginners Crochet Hat in West Yorkshire Spinners Retreat Super Chunky — Pattern Summary

Designed by Anna Nikipirowicz for West Yorkshire Spinners, the Nara Beginners Crochet Hat is a free, downloadable PDF pattern that guides complete beginners through crocheting a cosy, chunky hat from start to finish. The pattern is worked in West Yorkshire Spinners Retreat Super Chunky Roving, a super-chunky weight yarn that works up quickly and produces a beautifully warm, textured fabric ideal for cold-weather headwear. Because the project is rated as a beginner level design, it is an excellent first crochet project for anyone new to the craft, requiring only a small set of basic skills and a single ball of yarn.

What Is Being Made

The Nara pattern produces a crocheted hat designed to fit a head circumference of 52 cm / 20½ inches. The finished hat is snug, structured, and suited to everyday wear. Its simple, clean silhouette makes it a versatile accessory that works well for all ages. The hat is worked in the round, meaning there are no seams to sew up at the end — a particularly beginner-friendly construction method.

Techniques Used

• Crocheting in the round (rnds): The hat is constructed entirely in joined rounds, building upward from a central starting point or a foundation chain worked into a ring. Working in rounds eliminates the need for flat seaming and gives the hat its three-dimensional shape.
• Back Loop Only (BLO) crochet: Certain rounds are worked through the back loop only, a technique that creates a subtle ribbed or ridged texture on the fabric surface. Working into the BLO leaves the front loop free, producing a horizontal ridge that adds visual interest and a degree of stretch to the fabric.
• Decreasing with dc2tog (US sc2tog): Shaping at the crown of the hat is achieved using the dc2tog decrease stitch. This involves inserting the hook into two consecutive stitches in turn, drawing up a loop from each, and then drawing the yarn through all three loops on the hook simultaneously. This reduces the stitch count and draws the crown of the hat to a neat close.
• Slip stitch joining (sl-st): Rounds are closed with a slip stitch, a fundamental crochet technique used to join the end of each round back to its beginning without adding height.
• Short repeat sequences: The pattern uses bracketed repeat instructions to simplify the written directions, a standard crochet notation technique that beginners will quickly become familiar with.

Stitches Used

• Chain stitch (ch): Used at the start of rounds and as part of the foundation, the chain stitch is the most fundamental stitch in crochet and forms the basis of almost every project.
• Double crochet (dc) — equivalent to US single crochet (sc): This is the primary stitch used throughout the hat. In UK crochet terminology (used in this pattern), the double crochet is a short, dense stitch that creates a firm, even fabric — ideal for a structured hat. Beginners will find this stitch straightforward to master and will gain considerable confidence by working it repeatedly across the rounds of this project.
• dc2tog decrease (US sc2tog): A two-stitch decrease used to shape the crown, as described above under techniques.
• Slip stitch (sl-st, US ss): Used to join rounds and finish sections of the work neatly.

Materials — Yarn

The pattern calls for West Yorkshire Spinners Retreat Super Chunky Roving, a super-chunky roving-style yarn with a tension of 9 stitches over 10 cm / 4 inches in double crochet. Each ball contains 200 g / 120 metres / 131 yards, and only one ball is required to complete the hat. The pattern is shown in four colourways from the Retreat range:

• Rest (shade 1158)
• Renew (shade 1159)
• Nurture (shade 1160)
• Nourish (