This article explains how to crochet a basic top down beanie with any weight yarn, to fit any size. You can use any basic stitch like sc, hdc, dc or tr to crochet basic beanie. 3 methods are explained to crochet a customized beanie that fits perfectly. Written pattern guide is also included for sc/hdc/dc beanie. 2 types of common ribbings are explained so that you can choose your favourite one for your beanie. The article also guides you through how to select yarn and hook for your project. Whether you’re making your very first beanie or looking for a reliable reference, this guide will help you create a beanie that’s simple, versatile, and a great fit every time.
Materials:
·
Yarn
·
Hook
·
Measuring tape
·
Yarn
needle
·
Pair
of scissors
Abbreviations
(US terminology):
·
Ch
= chain
·
St/s
= stitch/es
·
Sl
st = slip stitch
·
Slst-blo
= slip stitch in back loop only
·
Sc
= single crochet
·
Sc-blo
= single crochet in back loop only
·
Hdc
= half double crochet
·
Hdc-blo
= half double crochet in back loop only
·
Dc
= double crochet
·
MC
= magic circle
·
Beg
= beginning
·
Rem
= remaining
·
Sk
= skip
Instructions:
Yarn:
You can choose any weight and any composition yarn for
your beanie. But there are a few points that you should keep in mind while
choosing the yarn.
Yarn
weight: Use lighter weight
yarn (sport/DK) for warm weather beanies. Use thicker, wool blend yarn for
winters (Worsted/Aran/Bulky/Super bulky). For babies, sport/DK/ worsted yarn
can be used. Avoid very thick, bulky yarns.
Yarn
composition: Choose yarn
that creates elastic fabric. Beanies have negative ease and they stretch to fit
your head snuggly. The fabric should strech to fit your head and should also bounce back to normal size after use. The
yarn that stretches out of shape after use (eg. cotton) should be avoided. You
should also consider allergies and softness while choosing the yarn. Wool and
wool blends with higher percentage of wool are perfect for beanies. Acrylic
wool blends or 100% acrylic yarn is another option, available at lower prices.
You
can choose any of the following compositions:
- 100% wool or super wash wool like merino wool
- wool blends
- wool/acrylic + other elastic fibers (like spandex, polyester,
or nylon)
- alpaca or other animal fibers blended with wool.
- 100% acrylic
Hook:
Hook size depends on your crochet tension. For a beanie,
select a hook that is one size smaller than the hook you normally use for the
yarn weight. Make a small swatch with your chosen yarn and hook. The fabric
should feel slightly stiff - not too tight, but firm enough to hold its shape.
If the fabric is too loose, the beanie will stretch out with time and wear.
For the ribbing, use a hook that is 1–2 sizes smaller
than the hook you use for the beanie top. This makes the ribbing snug and
stretchy, so the beanie stays in place. For slst-blo ribbing, you can use the
same hook.
Example:
If you usually use a 6 mm hook for worsted weight yarn, use a 5.5 mm hook for the beanie top. Use a 4.5 mm or 5 mm hook for the ribbing.
|
Yarn Weight |
Hook size for beanie top |
Hook size for ribbing |
|
Sport |
3 mm |
2.5 mm |
|
DK |
4 mm |
3.5 mm |
|
Worsted/Aran |
5.5 mm |
4.5 mm – 5 mm |
|
Bulky |
6 mm |
5 mm – 5.5 mm |
|
Super bulky |
Choose hook depending on the yarn
thickness, as thickness varies widely for the yarn under this category. |
|
You can refer this chart as a general guide. Make a gauge
swatch and then change the hook size depending on the fabric stiffness.
Sizing:
Beanies have negative ease (approx. 10% of the head circumference), which means are the beanies are smaller than the actual head circumference, so that they fit snugly around the head. Smaller sizes have 1”-2” negative ease, larger sizes have 2”-3” negative ease. If you are using elastic yarn (100% merino - 50% merino blend), or if you are not going to add ribbing, beanie can have more negative ease. If you don’t like beanies that fit snugly (except for the ribbing) or if you are going to add sc-blo ribbing, you can increase the beanie circumference by 0.5”-1.5” depending on size.
There is no strict rule for ease. Multiple factors affect how much negative ease you should consider. It depends on personal preference, choice of yarn, stitch pattern used, stretch and elasticity of the resultant fabric etc. Use these figures as a general guide or as a starting point. Also consider that even if the beanie fits somewhat tightly at the beginning, it will stretch little bit after regular use.
|
Size
|
To fit head circumference |
Beanie circumference |
|
Preemie |
12” |
11” |
|
Newborn |
14” |
13” |
|
0-3 month |
16” |
14.5” |
|
3-6 month |
17” |
15.5” |
|
6-12 month |
18” |
16” |
|
1-3 year |
19” |
17” |
|
3-5 year |
20” |
18” |
|
6-10 year |
21” |
19” |
|
Teen/Adult small |
22” |
19” |
|
Adult medium |
23” |
20” |
|
Adult large |
24” |
21” |
Top-down
beanie:
Beanies that are worked top down involve working in rounds to crochet a flat circle. Same number of sts are increased every round. Once you reach the desired flat circle diameter or have desired number of sts for the last round, you stop increasing the stitches and work in rounds WITHOUT any increase. There are three methods to determine when you should stop increasing the stitches.
Note before
beginning: The flat
circle diameter or the stitch count for the last inc round does not have to be
exactly the same as what you calculate. A difference of 2-4 stitches will not
affect the fit in any noticeable way, and the beanie will still be perfectly
wearable. Think of the number as a helpful starting point rather than a strict
rule. What matters more is that the flat circle diameter or the stitch count
you achieve is as close as possible to what you calculated using the formulas
provided. So don’t stress much.
Method 1: Flat Circle Diameter
Method
In this method,
you work a flat circle (sc/hdc/dc), increasing same number of sts every round,
until the diameter of the flat circle has the desired diameter. After that the
rounds are crocheted without any increases, until reaches desired length (minus
ribbing length).
If you want to
change the beanie circumference (more or less negative ease), use this formula
to determine the diameter:
Flat circle diameter (D) = 0.318 × Beanie circumference
(C)
|
Size
|
Flat circle diameter |
|
Preemie |
3.25” - 3.5” |
|
Newborn |
3.75” - 4” |
|
0-3 month |
4.5” - 4.75 |
|
3-6 month |
4.75” - 5” |
|
6-12 month |
5” - 5.25” |
|
1-3 year |
5.5” - 5.25” |
|
3-5 year |
5.5”- 5.75” |
|
6-10 year |
5.75” - 6” |
|
Teen/Adult small |
6”- 6.25” |
|
Adult medium |
6.25” - 6.5” |
|
Adult large |
6.5”- 6.75” |
Make
sure you measure the diameter from front loop to front loop (not from
back loop to back loop). This is important especially if you are using thick,
bulky yarns. Also make sure that you measure exactly at the centre.
It is not always possible to get the exact same diameter as given in the chart, especially if you are using heavy weight yarn (bulky/super bulky). In that case, you don’t always need to add the full set of increases in the last round. Instead, you can adjust the stitch count to get closer to the required diameter.
Example
1:
o
Desired
diameter: 5.5″
o
5th
round diameter = 5″, 6th round diameter = 6″
o
Since
5.5″ falls between these rounds, you don’t need all 12 increases in round 6. Instead,
add only 6 increases, spread evenly across the round.
Example
2:
o
Desired
diameter: 5.75″
o
5th
round diameter = 5″, 6th round diameter = 6″
o
5.75″
is closer to round 6, so you don’t need the full 12 increases, but the st count
should be closer to that of 6th round.
o Therefore, add 8 -10 increases, spaced evenly.
Example
3:
o
Desired
diameter: 5.25″
o
5th
round diameter = 5″, 6th round diameter = 6″
o
5.25″
is only a little bigger than round 5, so just add 2-4 increases, spaced evenly.
Method
2: Gauge Method
In this method, make a gauge swatch, using the selected yarn and hook making sure that the fabric is little stiff. If it is not, try again with a smaller hook. Your swatch should be atleast 6” × 6”. Measure number of sts over 4” width (S). Calculate the number of sts you need for the last inc round of flat circle.
No. of sts (last inc round) = [no. of measured sts (S) × beanie circumference] / 4
If you are using
any stitch pattern that require specific st multiple (eg. For shell stitch, no.
of sts should be multiple of 6, or lemon-peel stitch requires even number of
stitches), try to chose the multiple that is closest to the number you have
calculated using these formulae.
Example
1: Using dc st (12 increases each round)
o
Beanie
for size 3-5 year
o
12
sts over 4” swatch
o
Desired
beanie circumference = 18”.
o Required stitch count: (12 × 18)/4 = 54 sts
o Increase 12 stitches per round. After Round 4, you will have 48 stitches. If you add another full round of increases (+12), you’ll get 60 stitches, which is more than the required 54.
o Instead of adding all 12 increases, add only 6
increases in the 5th round. This will give you 54 stitches—the exact
stitch count needed. Spread the 6 increases evenly around. Work rounds without
increasing, until reached the desired height.
Example
2: Using dc st
o Beanie for size Adult
medium
o
14
sts over 4” swatch
o
Desired
beanie circumference = 20”.
o
Required
stitch count: (14 × 20)/4 = 70 sts
o
Normally,
you would increase 12 stitches in each round when working with double crochet.
Following that, after round 5 you would have 60 stitches. In the next round,
instead of adding the full 12 increases, you would add only 10 increases,
spaced evenly, to reach 70 stitches.
o
Adjustment: Another way to do this is to begin with 10
double crochet stitches in the first round (instead of 12). Then continue
increasing 10 stitches in each round for a total of 7 rounds. This will also
give you exactly 70 stitches.
If you’re working with very fine yarn such as sport or fingering weight for an adult-size beanie, you don’t need to keep adding the same number of stitches in every increase round once you’ve reached about a 3–4” flat circle diameter. Instead, you can add extra stitches in each subsequent round to reduce the total number of increase rounds. This method may cause the fabric to bunch slightly at the crown, but the effect is generally not noticeable in slouchy-style beanies.
Example
3: Using dc st (for slouchy beanies)
o Required stitch count = 120 sts (fingering
weight yarn)
o
You
would increase 12 stitches in each round when working with double crochet.
Following that, after round 10 you would have 120 stitches.
o Adjustment: Increase 12 stitches in each round for 5
rounds. You would have 60 sts. Then you can add 2 sts in each st to get the st
count of 120.
Method
3: Ribbing Gauge Method
I always use this
method for sc-blo ribbing beanies and it has always worked best for me. I think
it is the most reliable method to crochet a perfectly fitting beanie. Even
though we use ribbing swatch measurements, the beanie is worked top down only.
Ribbing is added at the end. Ribbing swatch is used to calculate number of sts
required for last increase round.
Method: make 2”-2.5” long ch and work sc-blo/hdc-blo ribbing
gauge swatch, at least 6” long, using the selected yarn and smaller hook. If
the swatch is loose, try again with smaller hook. Measure number of rows over
4” width (R).
No. of ribbing rows = [no. of rows measured (R) × ribbing length] / 4
(Note: For ribbing length, refer the chart. Ribbing has more negative ease than beanie top. For hdc-blo ribbing, add 0.5” to 1” extra ribbing length to the values given in the chart, because it is not as stretchy as sc-blo ribbing.)
|
Size
|
Ribbing length |
|
|
Preemie |
10” |
|
|
Newborn |
11.5” |
|
|
0-3 month |
13” |
|
|
3-6 month |
13.5” |
|
|
6-12 month |
14.5” |
|
|
1-3 year |
15” |
|
|
3-5 year |
16” |
|
|
6-10 year |
16.5” |
|
|
Teen/Adult small |
17” |
|
|
Adult medium |
18” |
|
|
Adult large |
19” |
For
sc-blo ribbing,
Last inc round sts = no. of ribbing rows required
For
hdc-blo ribbing,
Last inc round sts = 1.5 × no. of ribbing rows required
Examples:
Sc-blo
ribbing
o
Beanie
for size 6-10 year
o
No. of rows over 4” = 16 rows
o
Desired
ribbing length = 16.5”
o
Ribbing
rows = (16 × 16.5)/4 = 66 rows
o
Required
st count for last in row = 66 sts
Hdc-blo ribbing
o
Beanie
for size 6-10 year
o
No. of rows over 4” = 10 rows
o
Desired
ribbing length = 16.5” + 1” (extra for hdc-blo)
o
Ribbing
rows = (10 × 17.5)/4 = 44 rows
o
Required
st count for last in row = 1.5 × 44 = 66 sts
Work in flat
circle until you obtain the calculated st count (in this case 66 sts), as
explained previously.
Pattern:
Start first round
with the given number of sts in the chart, depending on the stitch. Increase
the same number of sts every round. You can also follow the written pattern.
|
Stitch |
1st round sts (= inc per round) |
|
|
Sc |
6 sts |
|
|
Hdc |
8 sts |
|
|
Dc |
12 sts (10-14 sts) |
|
|
Tr |
18 sts (16-20 sts) |
Notes:
1.
Ch
1 at the beg of each round/row does NOT count as a st.
2.
1st
st of each round is worked in same st as beg ch 1.
3.
Join
with sl st at the end of each round.
4.
For
increase rounds, instead of adding last 2 st in one st, add 1 st in last st and
1 st in the joining sl st of previous round.
5.
For
no increase rounds, instead of working 1 st in last st, work a dec
(sc2tog/hdc2tog/dc2tog depending on your selected st) over last st and the
joining sl st of previous round. So basically, you are working a single st but
instead of working only into last st, it is worked over last st and sl st,
without increasing the st count. (This is not applicable if you are working in
spiral without joining for sc flat circle.)
Basic pattern for
flat circle is given for all the basic stitches like sc, hdc and dc. Follow
the pattern with your selected yarn and hook until reaches desired flat
circle diameter or stitch count. Then follow the pattern for
no increase rounds and ribbing.
Increase Rounds:
Sc
flat circle:
Round 1: In MC, ch 1, 6 sc, join with sl st to 1st st, pull the yarn tail to close. (6 sts)
Round 2: ch 1, 2 sc in each st. (12 sts)
Round 3: ch 1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 4: ch 1, (sc in 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (24 sts)
Round 5: ch 1, (sc in 3 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (30 sts)
Round 6: ch 1, (sc in 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 7: ch 1, (sc in 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (42 sts)
Round
8: ch 1, (sc in 6 sts,
2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (48 sts)
Round 10: ch 1, (sc in 8 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (60 sts)
Round 11: ch 1, (sc in 9 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (66 sts)
Round 17: ch 1, (sc in 15 sts, 2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (102 sts)
Round
20: ch 1, (sc in 18 sts,
2 sc in the next st) 6 times. (120 sts)
Hdc
flat circle:
Round 1: In MC, ch 1, 8 hdc, join with sl st to 1st
st, pull the yarn tail to close (8 sts)
Round 2: ch 1, 2 hdc in each st. (16 sts)
Round 3: ch 1, (hdc in next st, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (24 sts)
Round 4: ch 1, (hdc in 2 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (32 sts)
Round 5: ch 1, (hdc in 3 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (40 sts)
Round 6: ch 1, (hdc in 4 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (48 sts)
Round 7: ch 1, (hdc in 5 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (56 sts)
Round 8: ch 1, (hdc in 6 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (64 sts)
Round 9: ch 1, (hdc in 7 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (72 sts)
Round 10: ch 1, (hdc in 8 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (80 sts)
Round 11: ch 1, (hdc in 9 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (88 sts)
Round 12: ch 1, (hdc in 10 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (96 sts)
Round 13: ch 1, (hdc in 11 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (104 sts)
Round 14: ch 1, (hdc in 12 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (112 sts)
Round
15: ch 1, (hdc in 13 sts,
2 hdc in the next st) 8 times. (120 sts)
DC
flat circle:
Round
1: In MC, ch 1, 12
dc, join with sl st to 1st st, pull the yarn tail to close (12 sts)
Round
2: ch 1, 2 dc in
each st (24 sts)
Round 3: ch 1, (dc in next st, 2 dc in the next st) 12
times (36 sts)
Round 4: ch 1, (dc in 2 sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12
times (48 sts)
Round
5: ch 1, (dc in 3
sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12 times (60 sts).
Round
6: ch 1, (dc in 4
sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12 times (72 sts).
Round
7: ch 1, (dc in 5
sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12 times (84 sts).
Round
8: ch 1, (dc in 6
sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12 times (96 sts).
Round
9: ch 1, (dc in 7
sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12 times (108 sts).
Round
10: ch 1, (dc in 8
sts, 2 dc in the next st) 12 times (120 sts).
No
Increase Rounds:
Next round: ch 1, 1 st (sc/hdc/dc) in each st, join with sl
st to 1st st. (same number of sts as previous round).
Repeat last round till
the hat height equals the height given in the chart minus ribbing height.
For slouchy beanie, you can add extra 1”- 3” extra length, depending on
your size and how slouchy you want your beanie to be.
|
Size
|
Total beanie length (from top of head to
ear base) |
|
|
Preemie |
4.5” |
|
|
Newborn |
5” |
|
|
0-3 month |
6” |
|
|
3-6 month |
6.25” |
|
|
6-12 month |
6.75” |
|
|
1-3 year |
7” |
|
|
3-5 year |
7.5” |
|
|
6-10 year |
8” |
|
|
Teen/Adult small |
8.25” |
|
|
Adult medium |
8.5” |
|
|
Adult large |
9” |
Ribbing: Switch to the smaller hook.
Sc-blo
ribbing:
One row of ribbing
is worked across each beanie stitch.
Row 1: ch until desired ribbing width. sc in 2nd ch
from the hook and in each ch, slip stitch to 1st stitch on beanie, sl st to
next st on beanie.
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc-blo to last st, sc in last st.
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in 1st st, sc-blo in remaining
sts, sl st into next 2 sts on beanie.
Continue rows 2 and 3 all around, ending on row 2. Join with 1st ribbing row with sl sts
Video
tutorial for brim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEPLeUSwmg
(If you are not
familiar with this technique of adding ribbing, do watch this great video
tutorial by TL yarn crafts. Crocheters who have never used this technique tend
to place 2 rows of the ribbing for each st on the beanie. Carefully observe
where you should put the sl sts.)
Hdc-blo
ribbing:
2 rows of ribbing are
worked across 3 beanie stitches.
Row 1: ch until desired ribbing width. Hdc in 2nd ch
from the hook and in each ch. Sl st into next 3 sts on row 1.
Row 2: do NOT ch, turn, sk 3 sl sts, hdc-blo in each st
to last st, hdc in last st.
Row 3: ch 1, turn, hdc in 1st st, hdc-blo in rem sts,
sl st into next 3 sts on beanie.
Continue rows 2 and 3 all around. For last row repeat, you may need to work sl sts into 2 or 4 sts, depending upon total number of sc on row 1. Join with 1st ribbing row with sl sts.
Fasten of the yarn and weave in the ends. Attach a pom-pom at top (optional).
1.
Worksheet
for flat circle method:
o
Size
= ___________
o
Head
circumference = ___________
o
Negative
ease = ___________
o
Beanie
circumference(C) = head circumference – ease = _________
o
Flat circle diameter (D) = 0.318 × C = _____________ =
2.
Worksheet
for gauge method:
o
Size
= ___________
o
Head
circumference = ___________
o
Negative
ease = ___________
o
Beanie
circumference(C) = head circumference – ease = _________
o
Number
of sts over 4” width (S) = _____________
o
No. of sts for last inc round = (S × C)/4
= ___________ sts
Thank you for choosing my pattern. Please do not sell, copy or redistribute the pattern. However, feel free to make and sell your work.
You can follow me on Instagram or my Blog.
Check out my other crochets patterns on Ravelry or LoveCrafts
3.
Worksheet
for ribbing gauge method:
o
Size
= ___________
o
Head
circumference = ___________
o
Negative
ease = ___________
o
Beanie
circumference(C) = head circumference – ease = ________
o
Number
of ribbing rows over 4” length (R) = _____________ rows
o
Required ribbing rows = (R × C)/4 =
_____________ = rows
o Required st count for last inc round = Same as
required ribbing rows for sc-blo ribbing = __________sts
o
Required
st count for last inc round = 1.5 × required ribbing rows for hdc-blo
ribbing = ________sts
Beanie
height:
Work
no inc rounds until = Total beanie length – ribbing width = _____________ =
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