Tri-Color Cloche in Caron Simply Soft and Simply Soft Heathers - Downloadable PDF

Tri-Color Cloche in Caron Simply Soft and Simply Soft Heathers – Crochet Pattern Summary

This Tri-Color Cloche is a beginner-friendly crochet hat pattern designed to fit the average woman in one universal size. Released as a free downloadable PDF, it is worked in three coordinating colors using Caron Simply Soft and Caron Simply Soft Heathers yarns, producing a stylish, vintage-inspired cloche with rich textural detail. The pattern is an excellent introduction to colorwork and cluster stitches for those newer to crochet.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a women's cloche hat — a close-fitting, crown-hugging style with a classic silhouette. The design is worked in the round beginning at the crown and expanding outward, creating a smooth, structured fabric with a striking tri-color stripe effect. The cloche is one-size-fits-most, making it an ideal gift project or a quick make for personal wear.

Construction and Technique

The hat is constructed in the round from the crown down, beginning with a small chain ring joined with a slip stitch. From this central ring, stitches are worked outward in a series of increasing rounds, gradually building the crown shape before the sides of the hat are worked straight. This top-down, circular construction is a very common and beginner-accessible approach in crochet hat making, as it allows the crocheter to try the hat on as they go and adjust fit easily.

Color changes are made by joining a new color with a slip stitch at the end of designated rounds, creating clean, defined stripes without the need for complex intarsia or tapestry techniques. The three colors — referred to in the pattern as MC (Main Color), Contrast A, and Contrast B (Grey Heather 9509) — alternate in a rhythmic sequence across the rounds, giving the finished hat its tri-color character.

Stitches and Skills Used

• Cluster stitch – The primary stitch throughout the pattern. A cluster is formed by working multiple partially completed double crochets into the same stitch or space and drawing through all loops at once, creating a dense, textured bobble-like unit. This stitch gives the cloche its distinctive raised, woven appearance.
• Beginning cluster (beg cluster) – A variation of the standard cluster used to start each round, substituting for the first full cluster without adding unwanted height.
• Chain-1 spaces (ch-1 sp) – Single chains separate each cluster, creating an open mesh framework into which subsequent rounds are worked.
• Slip stitch (sl st) – Used both to join rounds and to introduce new yarn colors cleanly at round transitions.
• Chain ring start – The hat begins with a chain-4 ring joined with a slip stitch, a classic foundation for crocheted hats worked from the top down.

The stitch repeat and color-change rhythm are clearly laid out round by round, making this pattern very approachable for a beginner crocheter who is comfortable with basic stitches and joining rounds. By Round 1, the crocheter has already formed 8 clusters; by Round 3, this grows to 24 clusters; and by Round 12, the fabric has expanded to 36 clusters, demonstrating the steady, logical increase sequence used to shape the crown.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 6 clusters and 6½ rows to 4 inches (10 cm) in pattern. Achieving this gauge is important for ensuring the cloche fits correctly, and swatching before beginning is always recommended, particularly for fitted accessories like hats.

Materials – Yarn and Tools

This pattern calls for two yarn lines from Caron, both in the worsted/aran weight category:

• Caron Simply Soft Heathers – A smooth, soft acrylic yarn available in heathered colorways. The pattern specifically references Grey Heather (9509) as Contrast B. Each ball contains 250 yards (228 m) and weighs 5 oz (141.7 g).
• Caron Simply Soft – The solid-color companion yarn in the Simply Soft family, available in a wide range of classic shades. Each ball contains 315 yards and weighs 6 oz (170 g), providing