Melt the Ice Hat - Crochet

“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute.

As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Purchase Pattern on Ravelry

The Melt the Ice Hat crochet version was designed by Sarah Sward in Collaboration with Paul Neary (YarnCult) and the yarn shop, Needle and Skein. The hat is copyrighted by Needle and Skein and sold through their shop. All proceeds from the pattern sales will be donated to organizations dedicated to the communities being harmed by the Federal Government in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. If you wish to know more details about the donations follow Needle and Skein’s instagram or contact the shop directly. Sarah is making no profit from the hat and the money never touches her bank accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You may purchase it either through Ravelry, Needle and Skein’s payhip site, or at Needle and Skein in person in St. Louis Park, MN

  • Red has been the color of resistance for hundreds of years and we are not going to let a new movement of fascism take an entire color as their own.

    Specifically, the hat this one was modeled after is the traditional Norwegian hat of their resistance in World War II and we want to honor that tradition.

  • Yes, the hat body is made with a crochet stitch called the Center Single Crochet or the Waistcoat stitch. It gives the fabric a knitted look.

  • Nope! If you are struggling with the center single crochet stitch then you can use regular single crochet stitches instead. The height and decrease sections should be the same.

    I might suggest turning your work, however, as the slant will be more pronounced if you work in un-turned rounds.

  • Slip stitch ribbing is the stretchiest stitch and helps maintain the hat’s shape as you wear it so it won’t get overstretched and become too large for your head.

  • It won’t! It’s not supposed to, the ribbing is worked flat in turned rows, then you will slip stitch the two ends together before working your first row of the hat body on the edges of the ribbing.

    The 11.5 inch ribbing width, un-stretched, is what goes around your head and this is the ribbing sideways.

  • There are several possibilities if you are struggling with the ribbing.

    The sample hat was made with a superwash merino wool that is a VERY stretchy yarn. This is why the instructions have you only create 90 rows and 11 inches unstretched.

    If you have a non-stretchy or less stretchy yarn, I suggest using single crochet back loop ribbing.

    If your row count is more or less than the pattern you will need to math out the decreases.

  • A video tutorial is currently in process. It’s taking a little bit because I have had to fit it in among my paying client’s work. Hoping to have it out by mid-February.

    If you wish to know as soon as the video is published please subscribe to my youtube account or follow me on instagram.

  • Please visit Needle and Skein’s instagram page or contact the shop directly for any questions regarding the donations.

  • If you received the wrong pattern, can’t find where to download it, or something else went wrong with your pattern order, then you will need to either contact Needle and Skein or Ravelry, depending on where you ordered the pattern from.

    I (Sarah) have no power over the pattern distribution and will not be responding to requests or questions on how to access the pattern.

  • The pattern is updated on both Needle and Skein’s payhip site and on Ravelry. If you purchased the pattern before the update when out then you will need to go back into your Ravelry account and download the updated pattern.

    If on payhip, then you will need to contact Needle and Skein.

  • For a faster response please reach out to Needle and Skein directly as I (Sarah) am an independent contractor who has multiple clients and will not always have time to respond to these questions in a timely manner.

    I will not be responding to any requests or questions about how to access the pattern, trouble with payment, or how to buy the pattern as I am not managing the pattern sales and will be unable to help you.