Crystal Ice Hat in Schachenmayr Boston - DC1015 - Downloadable PDF

Crystal Ice Hat in Schachenmayr Boston – Free Crochet Pattern (DC1015)

The Crystal Ice Hat is a striking chunky crochet beanie designed to fit a head circumference of approximately 47 cm and standing around 20.5 cm tall. This free downloadable PDF pattern by Schachenmayr uses the brand's own Boston yarn in a bold three-colour combination, creating a textured, visually dynamic hat that is ideal for confident crocheters looking to practise advanced stitch techniques.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Schachenmayr original Boston – 50 g (1 ball) each in Mittelgrau (colour 00092), Kardinal (colour 00137), and Violett (colour 00049)
• Hook: 1 Milward crochet hook, size 6.5
• Finishing tool: A blunt-tipped wool tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Yarn Weight and Gauge Considerations

Schachenmayr Boston is a chunky weight yarn, making it ideal for quick-to-work accessories like hats. The chunky weight, combined with the 6.5 mm hook, produces a dense, warm fabric with excellent stitch definition — particularly important for the textured stitch patterns used throughout this design.

Stitch Techniques Used

This pattern employs three distinct stitch patterns (Grundmuster), each adding a different layer of texture and structure to the finished hat:

• Grundmuster 1 – Modified Half Double Crochet in Rounds: Standard half double crochet stitches are worked in the round, but from the second round onwards, the hook is inserted into the horizontal bar (the lying loop beneath the stitch legs of the following stitch) on the reverse side of the work. This creates a distinctive ribbed or woven surface texture that differs from conventional half double crochet fabric.
• Grundmuster 2 – Deep-Inserted Treble Crochet (Tiefer gestochene Doppelstäbchen): Double treble-style stitches are worked by taking two yarn overs, then inserting the hook three rows lower than the current row, working only into the front loop of the stitch. After completing the stitch, the following stitch on the upper edge is skipped. This technique creates a raised, elongated stitch that stands proud of the fabric surface, giving the hat its "crystal" or spiked visual effect.
• Grundmuster 3 – Single Crochet through Back Loop Only: Standard single crochet stitches are worked by inserting the hook exclusively into the back loop of each stitch from the previous round. A special decrease is also described: two stitches are worked together through the back loop only, with the final step of drawing through all loops together with a new yarn over — producing a neat, tidy decrease that maintains the back-loop texture.

Pattern Construction and Stitch Sequence

The hat is worked entirely in the round. A key general instruction states that in every round, the first stitch is always worked into the stitch directly beneath the turning chain at the start of the round — ensuring a clean, even join throughout.

The body of the hat features a repeating sequence of rounds 8 through 12, which rotate the position of the deep-inserted treble crochet stitch against a background of single crochet stitches, creating a diagonal or spiral textural pattern. The sequence is as follows:

• Round 8: 1 chain, then repeat: 4 single crochet, 1 treble crochet
• Round 9: 1 chain, then repeat: 1 treble crochet, 4 single crochet
• Round 10: 1 chain, 1 single crochet, 1 treble crochet, then repeat: 4 single crochet, 1 treble crochet (repeated 8 times), ending with 3