Arrows Tab Hat Review

I thought I’d tell you about a new pattern from Darcy of Darcy’s Crochet Creations.  It’s a cute hat named the Arrows Tab hat, and it’s available from Darcy on her Ravelry page here.

Well, from time to time I test items for my fellow “hookers”.  This means that I take their written pattern, work it up, and then give them notes.  This might include correcting typing errors, or maybe noticing that a stitch count is a little off, noticing that something isn’t turning out how it should or simply giving my opinion on how easy the pattern is to understand.  That’s my job, as a “pattern tester”.  As a pattern writer, it helps me to look at the work of other writers in a critical way, to help me write more clearly.  Sometimes, having spent so much time writing a pattern, you stop seeing the simple “errors”.  This is why, to me, having a pattern that has been tested is essential.

Since I’m in the UK, the yarns I have access to aren’t quite the thickness of American yarns, so I normally have to use an equivalent. The Bulky 12 ply yarn that the pattern calls for is closest to the chunky weights that we find here in Britain.  Some are a little finer than others, depending on brand and fibre mix, so the best way of making sure it’s appropriate is to work out the wraps per inch.  Here in the UK we buy yarn foremost by the ball weight.  I used a 100g ball of each (around 170 yds) but had some left over.  I also used antique effect buttons on my projects which I purchased from Etsy.

I selected a beautiful soft chocolatey brown yarn with coloured flecks which I picked up in the local shop (It’s an unbranded label that just states it’s made exclusively for B&M Retail (booooooooooo!) and some Sirdar Denim Chunky yarn left over from a previous project. The colour way for the Sirdar is “Corn”.

The pattern itself has a couple of stitches that a newbie crocheter might find somewhat awkward.

That’s not to say a beginner can’t do the stitches, but if you’re looking for a very first project this is not for you.

 If you’ve followed a few patterns and are looking to push yourself, this is perfect.

That being said, the pattern is well written, and I found it to be clear to understand. I work a little loose, so this hat turned out a little larger than I would normally make as an average size, but that is easily rectified by switching down the yarn thickness to maybe a finer chunky or even Aran weight. (This is something I have to do with most patterns). For me, switching down the hook size would have made the fabric too firm.

I also worked up a second hat at the request of the lovely Mumble who liked the design of the original enough to want one of her own (High praise indeed, Ms. Darcy! 😉 ) This time I worked the same exact pattern using some Aran (worsted equivalent) weight yarn and a 4mm (G) hook.

This turned out a hat with the circumference of around 20.5/21 inches, which was perfect for Her Ladyship. (She’s nearly 5 years old) This time, I worked in one solid colour and as you can see, it came out just as pretty as the 2 colour version.  The fabric was firm enough for it to shape like a short cloche on her head, which suits my darling daughter down to the ground.

My Mum even suggested it looks a little like something that would be found worn by a cast member on Downton Abbey… what do you think?