2-in-1 Beanie: Messy Bun and Slouchy Beanie (convertible!)

Messy bun beanies have been so trendy lately, and of course I thought of making one for myself too! I often wear my hair in a bun especially when it's windy and when it's humid, because my hair can get really stubborn and bushy and frizzy.. I sometimes think I have Hermione hair. Haha! And because I bleached and colored my hair a couple of months ago, my hair really became dry and can get out of hand sometimes.

But enough of my hair! Going back, I saw a lot of crochet patterns of messy bun beanies in Pinterest, and I mean a lot. And I get why it's gaining popularity, buns are also popular nowadays (even for men!). I think this is a good idea, because really, nobody wants to wear a bonnet with their buns bulging out on top of their heads, nor let down your hair just to wear your beanie, and then have your hair get untidy and all over the place (just like mine). You want to be warm, and at the same time keep your hair out of the way. Therefore, messy bun beanies! Thank you to whoever came up with this idea.

While I think messy bun beanies are useful, I also thought, what if I do want to let my hair down? Because sometimes I get slight headaches when my hair has been tied for quite a while. Does this mean I have to bring two beanies when I go out? It's a bit awkward to wear a beanie with a hole on top when I don't have a bun going on.. So the idea hit me, and I came up with the 2-in-1 Messy Bun and Slouchy Beanie! It's convertible, you can wear it as a messy bun beanie or a slouchy beanie, whichever you feel like doing.

There are two "techniques" that I used in making this convertible beanie possible. The first one is the draw-string feature, which I got from making draw-string pouches before. I used this one to close off the bun hole on top of the beanie. The second one is the folding beanie brim which I also got from making one of my handmade gifts last Christmas. So I put them together and, ta-da! Two-in-one beanie.

I'm shy!

Materials

Hook: 5mm crochet hook

Yarns:

Gantsilyo Guru Milk Cotton Light

Stitches used

ch (chain)

dc (double crochet)

sl st (slip stitch)

sc (single crochet)

blo (back loop only)

Base Beanie Pattern

Pattern here. Additional instructions below.

For the main beanie, I used the pattern above, and I switched colors at some rows to have a striped effect. I added 3 more rows right before the brim (after the 11th row). Note that by the end of this part, your beanie should be just the right length and size to fit your head without covering your eyes. This length will be the length of your messy bun beanie.

After adding in the extra rows, start making the brim as instructed in the pattern above. If you want to make your slouchy beanie more slouchy, add a few more chains to your brim to make it longer.

Adding the draw-string:

What we want to happen at this part is, when you are wearing the hat as a bun beanie, the draw string should be perfectly fit with the hole (no extra dangling parts) so it looks clean. 

Ch 48, do not fasten off yet. Weave your chain through the first row of the beanie (the first dc row after the hole) every 2 dc posts, until the two ends of your chain meet. You can either insert add a bead to each end of the chain to keep them from slipping through the dc posts, or tie a knot to the ends. I did knots because I didn't have beads, however if you choose to do this you have to tie a really thick knot. Add or remove chains as needed, then fasten off. Again, we want the draw string length to be the same length as the hole, after the knots or beads.

So if you want to wear this beanie with your messy bun, simply fold up the brim and wear it like a normal beanie. If you want to hide the ends of the drawstring, you can push them through the dc posts.

And if you want to wear it as a slouchy beanie, just pull both ends of the draw-string chain until the hole on top closes off, and then tie them together. If you also want to hide the drawstring, tie them on the inside part of the beanie.

That's pretty much it! Hit me up with your comments, suggestions and stuff on the comments section below, and I hope you enjoy this patterns as much as you enjoy crocheting AF! \m/

This pattern is free and not for sale. Please credit and link back to this site when sharing, using for business, etc. Thanks! :)