How to Crochet a Beanie: A Beginner Pattern in Four Sizes (Hat Size Chart Included)

A crochet hat is a circle that turns into a tube. You start at the crown, increase every round until the circle is as wide as the top of the head, then stop increasing and work straight down to the brim. That's the whole method, and once you've done it once you can make a beanie from any yarn in your stash in an evening.

This guide covers the sizes, the yarn, the stitch, and a plain beanie pattern you can make in four sizes. If you've never worked in the round, read it through once before you start; the "when to stop increasing" step is the one that matters.

What you need

• One skein of worsted weight yarn, 120 to 180 yards for an adult hat. Smooth and light-colored for a first hat. Silk or a silk blend gives a soft hat with drape; wool is warmer and springier.
• An I-9 (5.5 mm) hook, or one size larger than the yarn label suggests for a softer fabric.
• A locking stitch marker, a tapestry needle, scissors.

Crochet hat size chart

A crochet hat should measure 1 to 2 inches smaller around than the head, because the fabric stretches. The crown circle diameter is the number to watch while you're increasing.

A rule that works for any yarn: crown diameter equals head circumference divided by 3.14, minus about an inch for stretch. Measure the circle flat as you go; you don't need to count rounds if you're measuring.

The stitch

Half double crochet (hdc): yarn over, insert, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all three. It's warmer than double crochet, faster than single, and it doesn't show the "seam" of the round as much. Tutorial here if it's new. Working in continuous rounds (a spiral, no joining) avoids a visible seam; mark the first stitch of each round with the locking marker and move it up as you go.

The beanie pattern (Adult S/M; other sizes below)

Gauge: about 13 hdc and 10 rounds per 4 inches. Don't worry about matching exactly; the measurements do the work.

1. Round 1: Make a magic ring (or chain 4 and join into a ring). Work 8 hdc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. (8)
2. Round 2: 2 hdc in each stitch around. (16)
3. Round 3: *1 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, repeat around. (24)
4. Round 4: *2 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, repeat. (32)
5. Round 5: *3 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, repeat. (40)
6. Round 6: *4 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, repeat. (48)
7. Round 7: *5 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, repeat. (56)
8. Round 8: *6 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, repeat. (64)
9. Check: the circle should measure about 6.5 inches across. If it's smaller, do one more increase round (*7 hdc, 2 hdc in next*, 72). If it's there, stop increasing.
10. Rounds 9 onward: 1 hdc in each stitch around, no increases. The circle will start to cup into a hat. Keep going until the hat measures 8.5 inches from the center of the crown.
11. Brim: work 3 rounds of *front post dc, back post dc* for a ribbed edge, or simply 2 rounds of single crochet for a plain one. Slip stitch to the next stitch, cut the yarn, pull through, weave in the end.

Other sizes: Baby: stop increasing at 48 stitches (4.75-inch circle), work straight to 6 inches. Child: stop at 56 (5.75 inches), work to 7.5 inches. Large: stop at 72 (7 inches), work to 9 inches. Trust the tape measure over the stitch count if your gauge differs. For a slouchy beanie in any size, add 1.5 inches of height before the brim.

Three ways to change it

• Pom-pom. Wrap yarn around a 3-inch card 100 times, tie through the middle, cut and trim. Sew to the crown with the tail.
• Stripes. Change color at the start of a round; in a spiral the color change steps up slightly, which looks intentional if you keep the stripes even.
• Textured body. Replace the straight hdc rounds with *front post dc, back post dc* for a fully ribbed beanie that hugs the head.

Fixing the usual problems

The crown is ruffling. Too many increases too fast; pull back a round and increase less. The crown is cupping too early. Not enough increases; add one more increase round. The hat is too tight. Go up a hook size, or add 4 to 8 stitches before stopping the increases. There's a hole at the top. Pull the magic ring tighter and weave the tail across it.

After the first beanie

Make a second in a different yarn; the same pattern looks completely different in silk versus wool. Yarn of the Month sends three hand-dyed skeins a month with a crochet and knit pattern written for them, $29 a month plus shipping, and a beanie is the project most members make from their first box.

Crochet beanie FAQ

How much yarn do I need to crochet a beanie?
About 120 to 180 yards of worsted for an adult hat, 80 to 120 for a child's. One standard skein is enough; add 30 yards for a pom-pom.

How many stitches do I start a crochet hat with?
8 half double crochet in a magic ring, then increase by 8 each round until the crown circle matches the size chart. For an adult medium that's 64 stitches.

How long does it take to crochet a beanie?
Two to four hours for a beginner in worsted weight; about an hour and a half once you're comfortable in the round.