Love Beanie

Love Beanie by Carolyn Calderon

What is Being Made

The Love Beanie is a stylish crochet hat designed by Carolyn Calderon of The Purple Poncho. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a fitted beanie available in three sizes: Small (18-22 inches circumference), Medium (20-22 inches circumference), and Large (22-24 inches circumference). The hat features decorative embellishments that make it a fun and personalized accessory project.

Techniques Used

This pattern combines multiple textile techniques to create visual interest and dimension. The foundation of the Love Beanie is constructed using crochet, which forms the basic hat structure. The design is then enhanced with counted cross stitch embroidery, a needlework technique that creates precise, geometric patterns by stitching X-shaped crosses over a grid. Additional embellishment includes surface crochet striping worked directly onto the finished brim, adding textural detail around the hat's edge. A small heart motif appears on the back of the hat, completing the decorative elements.

Stitches and Construction Details

While the complete stitch list is not fully detailed in the available pattern excerpt, the Love Beanie employs standard crochet stitches to construct the hat base, followed by counted cross stitch work to create the LOVE lettering across the front. The cross stitch design requires familiarity with reading counted cross stitch charts and executing individual cross stitches with precision. Surface crochet striping is then applied to the brim, which involves crocheting directly onto the finished fabric surface to create linear striped details. The heart design on the back uses similar cross stitch or surface crochet techniques.

Materials

The Love Beanie pattern calls for aran weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn that works up at a standard gauge suitable for hat construction. Crochet hook sizing is not specified in the provided excerpt but would typically be selected based on the yarn weight and desired drape. Needlework supplies for the cross stitch embellishment would include an embroidery needle and coordinating embroidery floss or thread for stitching the LOVE text and heart design onto the completed crochet base.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the crochet foundation is described as easy to execute, the pattern assumes the crafter has working knowledge of counted cross stitch techniques. Success requires familiarity with reading cross stitch charts, maintaining consistent stitch tension, and combining two different fiber crafts—crochet and embroidery—into one finished project. Crafters new to cross stitch may want to practice this technique separately before beginning the Love Beanie.

Pattern Format and Designer Support

This pattern is provided as a downloadable PDF file, allowing immediate access upon purchase. Designer Carolyn Calderon welcomes questions and offers customer support via email at Carolyn@thepurpleponcho.com. The pattern explicitly permits crafters to sell finished Love Beanies made from this design, with pattern credit appreciated but not required.