Accessories
Accessories are where crochet is at its most rewarding: a hat is a weekend, a cowl is an evening, and a pair of mittens is a train journey each. They're also the safest place to try a new stitch or a splurge yarn, because the stakes are one skein, not ten.
The patterns here are sized for real heads and hands, with the stretch of the stitch pattern factored into the numbers. Each one notes whether it's worked flat and seamed or in the round, so you can match the project to how and where you like to crochet.
Getting Accessories right
A hat should measure smaller than the head
Crochet ribbing and most stitch patterns have some give, so a beanie is designed with negative ease - usually 1 to 2 inches smaller than the actual head circumference - so it grips instead of sliding off. Measure around the widest part of the head, above the ears, and trust the pattern's number.
Match the yarn weight to the season
A worsted-weight hat in acrylic is warm; the same pattern in a linen-cotton blend is a spring accessory. The stitch count stays the same, but the fabric and the gauge change, so swatch in the yarn you'll actually use rather than assuming a substitution is one-to-one.
Try it on as you go
The advantage of a small project is instant feedback. Slip the hat on when the body is a few inches deep to check the circumference, and again before the crown decreases to check the length. Frogging back two inches now beats finishing a hat that doesn't fit.
