Now before you start arguing with me this is a direct quote from my brother. Yep. And he’s right. So often crochet designers don’t design with guys in mind when they make their crochet patterns and they end up making something a woman would wear in “men’s colors” or something dull.

Some common misconceptions about designing for men that I have seen in crochet circles is that guys want something simple; guys don’t wear a lot of color; men are more utilitarian when choosing clothes. These misconceptions have given the crochet world either boring men’s patterns with little design to them or very boxy patterns with only a little shaping.

Men care about their fashion. Men’s fashion choices are just as important to them as to women. They wear a certain tie with that grey suit so that they have something playful in their somber business outfit. They want a fitted sweater with their favorite pair of jeans. And they like color. They just don’t wear it the same way a woman does.

So Guys Don’t Wear Crochet. This was my baseline when I decided to design for men. But what do guys wear? I did extensive research to create my crochet line for men. I call it BroCro (Thank you Niel Patrick Harris) Here is the pattern for the hat. It has a wide cable brim and a very simple double crochet body. The slouch is perfect. If you would rather have the PDF version you can get it here.

Materials

• 1 skeins (5 oz) worsted weight yarn. I used Lion Brand Heartland
• H hook
• Yarn needle

Gauge

• 17 sc = 4”
• 17 rows = 4”

Stitches Used

• Chain stitch
• Slip stitch
• Single crochet
• Double crochet
• Double crochet two together
• Front post double crochet
• Front post double crochet two together

Front post double crochet (fpdc): Yarn over, going from right to left, place hook behind indicated stitch and then back to the front on the other side of the stitch so that the hook is sticking out both sides of the stitch and the stitch is laying on top of the hook, yarn over and pull up and around stitch, yarn over and pull through two loops on a hook, yarn over and pull through two loops on a hook. Front post double crochet replaces the stitch behind it.

Front post double crochet two together (fpdc2tog): Front post double crochet around first stitch indicated, yarn over and pull through two loops on the hook but do not yarn over the second time, front post double crochet around second stitch indicated, pull through two loops on the hook and then through last three loops. Front post double crochet two together is complete and replaces one stitch behind it.

Brim

With H hook

Chain 14

Row 1- sc in second chain from hook and each chain across (13 sc)

Row 2- sc in next 7 sc, mark around post of last stitch made for stitch placement, sc in next 6 sc. (13 sc)

Row 3- sc in each sc across. (13 sc)

Row 4- sc in next 5sc, fpdc around marked post of row 2, sc in next sc, fpdc around marked post of row 2 again, sc in next 5 sc. (11 sc, 2 fpdc)

Row 5- sc in each sc across. (13 sc)

Row 6- sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around first fpdc on row 4, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc on row 4, sc in next sc, fpdc around first fpdc on row 4, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc on row 4, sc in next 2 sc. (9 sc, 4 fpdc)

Row 7- sc in each sc across (13 sc)

Row 8- sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around first fpdc on row 6, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc on row 6, sc in next sc, fpdc around third fpdc on row 6, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around fourth fpdc on row 6, sc in next 2 sc. (9 sc, 4 fpdc)

Row 9- sc in each sc across (13 sc)

Row 10- sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around first fpdc on row 8, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc on row 8, sc in next sc, fpdc around third fpdc on row 8, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around fourth fpdc on row 8, sc in next 2 sc. (9 sc, 4 fpdc)

Row 11- sc in each sc across (13 sc)

Row 12- sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around first fpdc on row 10, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc on row 10, sc in next sc, fpdc around third fpdc on row 10, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around fourth fpdc on row 10, sc in next 2 sc. (9 sc, 4 fpdc)

Row 13- sc in each sc across (13 sc)

Row 14- sc in next 5 sc, fpdc2tog around first and third fpdc on row 12, sc in next sc, fpdc2tog around second and fourth fpdc on row 12, sc in next 5 sc. (11 sc, 2 fpdc2tog)

Row 15- sc in each sc across (13 sc)

Row 16- sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around first fpdc2tog on row 14, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc2tog on row 14, sc in next sc, fpdc around first fpdc2tog on row 14, sc in next 2 sc, fpdc around second fpdc2tog on row 14, sc in next 2 sc. (9 sc, 4 fpdc)

Row 17- sc in each sc across (13 sc)

Cable pattern created. Repeat pattern rows 8-17 six more times. Repeat rows 8-15 one more time.

Row 86- sc in 5 sc, fpdc around second fpdc 2 together on row 84, sc in next sc, fpdc around first fpdc2 together on row 84, sc in last 5 sc. (11 sc, 2 fpdc)

Row 87-88- sc in each sc across. (13 sc)

Fold brim in half so that row 1 and row 88 are side by side; slip stitch in back loops of both rows across to join the brim. Do not finish off

Hat Body

Round 1- ch 1, sc in edge of each row on brim. (88 sc)

Round 2- ch 3 (counts as first dc now and throughout), dc in next 8 sc, dc two together in next 2 sc, (dc in next 9 sc, dc two together in next 2 sc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (72 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 3- ch 3, dc in next dc and in each dc around. (80 dc)

Round 4- ch 3, dc in next 7 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 8 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (64 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 5- ch 3, dc in next dc and in each dc around. (72 dc)

Round 6- ch 3, dc in next 6 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 7 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (56 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 7- ch 3, dc in next 5 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 6 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (48 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 8- ch 3, dc in next 4 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 5 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (40 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 9- ch 3, dc in next 3 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 4 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (32 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 10- ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 3 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (24 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 11- ch 3, dc in next dc, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next 3 dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (16 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Round 12- ch 3, dc two together in next 2 dc, (dc in next dc, dc two together in next 2 dc) 7 times, join to first dc on round. (16 dc, 8 dc2tog)

Fold hat in half and slip stitch through both stitches to close the hat. Finish off. Weave in end.