Coolie Hat Pattern #291

Headsize 22

Materials: Clark's O.N.T. (10 balls) or J. &. P. Coats (7 balls) Mercerized Crochet, size 10, color 106 Sport Green and 1 ball White. Milward's steel crochet hook No. 3.

Sport Green is used double throughout. Starting at tip, with Green ch 4, join with sl st to form ring. Ch 1. 1st rnd: 5 s c in ring. 2nd rnd: 2 s c in each st. 3rd rnd: * 1 s c in next s c, 2 s c in next (an increase), repeat from * around. 4th to 47th rnds incl: S c in each s c, making increases over increases of previous rnd (5 increases to each rnd). 48th to 65th rnds incl: S c in each s c, making 5 decreases to each rnd, placed so that they do not come over those of the previous rnd (to decrease, draw a loop through next st, then draw a loop through following st, then thread over and draw through all 3 loops on hook), ch 1, turn work.

This completes the crown and under brim. The next 18 rows are worked back and forth to make the back of the hat fit the head.

1st row: Work s c over t of rnd, ch 1, turn. 2nd row: Skip 1 st, decrease next st (as before), s c in each s c to within 5 s c from end, making 2 increases at regular intervals. Then skip 1 s c, draw a loop through each of the following 3 s c, and work off the loops two at a time. Ch 1, turn. 3rd to 18th rows incl: Same as 2nd row, but being careful not to make one increase directly over an increase of previous row. After 18th row do not turn, but continue down slope (of the last 18 rows) as follows: Work 32 s c along slope, s c in each s c of the sts left free after the 65th rnd, 32 s c along other slope. Work 8 more rnds of s c, decreasing as necessary to fit headsize.

Crease the brim at the 47th rnd, then holding hat so that tip is towards you, work a rnd of sl sts as follows: Attach White to one increasing point in 46th rnd and work 1 sl st in each st inserting hook through the 46th and 48th rnds, thus joining two thicknesses firmly together. Fasten neatly and break thread. Skip 2 ridges of s c, and work a rnd of sl sts as before. Fasten neatly and break off. Work 6 more rnds of White sl sts. These rows of sl sts double the thickness of the brim, and make it stiffer.