A coordinated summer set: a hat, a bag and a pair of decorated flip flops, all worked in the same yarn so they read as a group.
Skill level: easy. Four skeins complete the set – one for the hat, two for the bag, one for the flip flops. Hook size E/4 (3.5mm). The pattern includes a bonus video covering the sections most likely to need a second look.
Yarn choice
Cotton, for a summer set that will be worn in heat and get damp. It holds its shape better than acrylic under the weight of a loaded bag, and it washes clean when the hat inevitably needs it.
The small hook relative to the yarn is deliberate. It produces a firm fabric, which matters for all three pieces: a hat brim that flops shapelessly, a bag that stretches into a sack under a book and a bottle, and flip flop trim that goes limp are all the result of working too loosely.
The hat
Measure the head and work the crown until it reaches that diameter before you stop increasing. Starting the sides too early gives a hat that perches on top of the head; too late gives one that swallows it. Try it on as you go – this is the advantage of working a hat from the crown down.
The bag
Line it, or at least work the base double. Crocheted fabric has open spaces by nature, and small items fall through. A simple fabric lining sewn in by hand takes half an hour and turns a decorative bag into one that gets used.
Reinforce where the handles join the body. That join carries all the weight and is the first thing to fail.
The flip flops
Crocheted trim is worked directly around the existing straps. Choose a pair with fabric or webbing straps rather than smooth plastic – a needle passes through fabric easily, and the stitches grip rather than sliding along the strap.
