Free Crochet Beanie Pattern with a Comfy Relaxed Slouch in 5 Sizes

Sweet Stripes Beanie Crochet Pattern

Don’t wear bad hats! You know the hat I mean. It feels fine for about ten minutes… then the band starts pressing a line into your forehead. So you push it back, and then it won’t stay put. Sound familiar? The Sweet Stripes crochet beanie isn’t that hat!

This free crochet beanie pattern is for anyone who wants to pull a hat on and then forget they’re wearing it. The Sweet Stripes Beanie has a stretchy band worked in rows, and a soft, open texture through the body, so it settles on your head instead of gripping it. Make it short like a regular beanie, or keep going a few more rounds and let it slouch. And of course I’ve written it in five sizes, from baby all the way up to large adult, so the whole family can wear one.

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Easy Crochet Beanie Pattern for Beginners

The Sweet Stripes Beanie is a free crochet beanie pattern that works up in an evening. The pattern repeats, using a combination of basic stitches, so beginners can make it too. Five sizes cover baby through large adult, and every size but baby comes in two lengths. A good make for fall and winter gifting, and any size takes less than one skein.

Why This Crochet Beanie Doesn’t Squeeze

Many free hat patterns start you at the crown with a magic circle and work outward. It can be a great method, but I decided to make the Sweet Stripes beanie go the other way. You start with the band, worked flat in rows, then seam it into a ring and build the hat up from there. Because those rows are worked in back loops only, the band stretches and springs back instead of pulling tight. That’s my whole trick! Your head decides how much give it needs, not the pattern.

The body of the hat helps too. The stitch repeat leaves a little space in the fabric, so it drapes rather than pulls. And there’s exactly two (2) decrease rounds, right at the very top, where nobody will notice it anyway.

If you’d rather work from the crown down, no hard feelings – I have a magic circle tutorial if that’s your preference. But you won’t need it if you follow the pattern as it’s written.

Like Free Patterns? Then make sure you check out my most popular Free Pattern –> 8 Pocket Dice Bag Free Pattern! Want to see even more? You can find all of my other Free Crochet Patterns <– Right here!!

Make your own Crochet Beanie for Winter!

This crochet pattern is written in US English terms

Materials:

• YARN:  Red Heart Super Saver Ombré Worsted Weight 4 yarn, (100% Acrylic, 283 g/10 oz, 440 meters/482 yards)  – OR –  Red Heart Super Saver Stripes Worsted Weight 4 yarn, (100% Acrylic, 141 g/5 oz, 215 meters/236 yards)

• Sample Colors:  Violet Ombre, True Blue Ombre, Deep Teal Ombre, Favorite Stripe, Parrot Stripe, Retro Stripe

• Yardage: 80 – 180 yards

• HOOK Size: 
• US K/10.5  6.5 mm for Hat Body, US G/6 4.0 mm for Brim only  ← I highly recommend these gorgeous beauties! My 100% go to hooks are Furls Streamline Metal Hooks, I loved using mine to create this Crochet Beanie

• Yarn needle, Scissors

CROCHET BEANIE PATTERN SIZES: 

Baby Hat: 8” across x 7” long

Toddler Hat: 8.5” across x 7-9” long

Child Hat: 9” across x 8-10” long

Small Adult Hat: 9.5” across x 8-11” long

Large Adult Hat: 10.5” across x 9-12” long

Experience Level: EASY – Beginner friendly pattern!

Free Crochet Beanie Pattern Gauge: 11 dc x 6 rows = 4” square

Pro Tip! Make a gauge swatch before you start so your hat fits the head you’re making it for. Go UP a hook size if you have more stitches than that. Go DOWN a hook size if you have fewer.

Pattern Stitches: Using US English Crochet terms

st(s) – stitch(es)

sp(s) – space(s)

sl st – slip stitch

ch(s) – chain(s)

sc – single crochet

dc – double crochet

sc3tog – decrease by sc 3 stitches together

BLO – back loop only

yo – yarn over

FO – fasten off

Special Stitches: Single Crochet decrease over 3 stitches  (see instructions below)

Special Stitches:

Single Crochet Decrease (sc3tog): 

Insert the hook in the next stitch, yo and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), insert the hook in the next stitch, yo and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), insert the hook in the next stitch, yo and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook.  Single Crochet Decrease complete.

PATTERN NOTES:

1. Read through the entire pattern first. 
2. Be sure to make a gauge swatch to ensure your crochet beanie will fit!
3. Beginning ch of SC rounds does NOT count as a stitch. First st of these rounds should be placed in the same st as the beginning chain.
4. Slip stitches are not counted except when seaming brim.
5. Beginning ch of DC does count as stitch.
6. Repeat stitches between [ and ] the number of times indicated. 
7. Place stitches between ( and ) in the same stitch.
8. Instructions are for slouch, followed by adaptions for beanie length in each size, except Baby which is only beanie length.
9. The brim is worked in rows then slip stitched together. Hat is worked in joined rounds into top of brim and then worked from bottom/brim to top. 
10. The brim should be slightly narrower than the Hat Body. Hat will stretch several inches. Width measurements given are for the body of the unstretched hat.
11. This pattern is FREE, and has been thoroughly tested and tech edited. Please feel free to share any comments or ask any questions you may have! I welcome your feedback!!
12. This post and all it contains including the pattern and photographs are my intellectual property and copyright protected property of GreenFoxFarms LLC © 2018. You are welcome to make as many as you like to sell, give away, etc. You may NOT sell, or alter and claim as your own this pattern. You may not use my photographs. This pattern is not for mass production.
13. If you want to share this original pattern online, you must only share a link to my blog post. You may not copy and paste my text or the pattern to another site. Thank you for respecting my work.
14. By using this pattern, you are agreeing to abide by these terms.

Tips for How to Hook Your Best Beanie!

• Swatch the band, not the body. The band is what determines the fit, so after you check your gauge, work up the band and test the size and stretch to make sure it’s a good fit.
• Count your band rows, not inches. Row gauge varies more than you’d think between crocheters. The stitch counts in each size are what keep Round 1 of the body working out evenly.
• Not sure which length? Make the slouch. You can always fold the band up an extra turn to shorten it, but you can’t add rounds back once you’ve closed the crown.
• A pom pom changes everything. A faux fur pom uplevels a plain hat. Sew it on so it can be removed before washing, and then you can easily re-sew it in place again.
• Batching for gifts? Make all the bands first in one sitting. They’re the repetitive part, and getting them out of the way means the rest feels like the fun bit.
• Selling at markets? Make both lengths in the same colorway for comparison. People pick with their hands, and having the choice sitting side by side sells more hats than either one alone.

Crochet Beanie Pattern PDF!

This easy Sweet Stripes beanie pattern is now available for purchase in my Ravelry and Etsy Shops!

• The free pattern is available here on this page.
• Want an ad-free, printer-friendly PDF? Grab it for a small fee in my shops.
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Just click the buttons below to find the pattern PDF available for purchase!

Don’t crochet? I would love to help you Learn to Crochet with my fun Crochet Tutorials! There’s a video tutorial for all the different basic stitches, which will help you uplevel your skill level in no time!

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SWEET STRIPES Free Crochet Beanie Pattern 

Pattern Directions:

USING K/10.5  6.5 mm hook

Baby Free Crochet Beanie Pattern:

• Finished size should be approximately 8” across x 7” length.

• Brim is created first in rows, then seamed and hat is worked in the round.

BABY BRIM:

Row 1: Ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, and next 4 chs, (5 sc).

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, work in BLO, sc in each st, (5 sc).

Row 3-48: Repeat Row 2, (5 sc, 46 rows). Do not FO. Bring the ends together and seam together by sl st through both loops of Row 48 and beginning chain. Turn the seam to the inside, and continue with instructions for the rest of the hat below. 

BABY HAT BODY: Work along the top edge of the brim.

Round 1: Ch 1, work 48 sc evenly around top of the brim, sl st to join, (48 sc).

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here & throughout), 3 dc in same, skip next 3 st, [4 dc in next, skip next 3 st] 11 times, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (48 dc).

Round 3: Ch 1, sc into each st around, sl st to join, (48 sc).

Round 4: Repeat Round 2 (48 dc).

Round 5: Repeat Round 3 (48 sc).

Rounds 6 – 11: Keep alternating Rounds 2 & 3, ending with Round 3 repeat, (48 sts). 

Round 12: Ch 3, 2 dc in same, skip next 3 sts, [3 dc in next, skip next 4 st] 4 times, 3 dc in next, skip next 3 sts, [3 dc in next, skip next 4 st] 4 times, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (30 dc).

Round 13: Ch 1, sc3tog 10 times, sl st into 1st st (10 sc). FO leaving a long tail. Use the tail to tighten up the opening, and weave in the ends. Attach Pom Pom if desired.

USING K/10.5  6.5 mm hook

Toddler Slouchy Pattern:

• Finished size should be approximately 8.5” across x 9” length.

• Brim is created first in rows, then seamed and hat is worked in the round.

TODDLER BRIM:

Row 1: Ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, and next 4 chs, (5 sc).

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, work in BLO, sc in each st, (5 sc).

Row 3-52: Repeat Row 2, (5 sc, 50 rows). Do not FO. Bring the ends together and seam together by sl st through both loops of Row 52 and beginning chain. Turn the seam to the inside, and continue with instructions for the rest of the hat below. 

TODDLER SLOUCHY HAT BODY: Work along the top edge of the brim.

Round 1: Ch 1, work 52 sc evenly around top of the brim, sl st to join, (52 sc).

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here & throughout), 3 dc in same, skip next 3 st, [4 dc in next, skip next 3 st] 12 times, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (52 dc).

Round 3: Ch 1, sc into each st around, sl st into 1st st, (52 sc).

Round 4: Repeat Round 2 (52 dc).

Round 5: Repeat Round 3 (52 sc).

Rounds 6 – 15: Keep alternating Rounds 2 & 3, ending with Round 3 repeat, (52 sts). 

Round 16: (Ch 3, 2 dc) in same st, [skip next 4 st, 3 dc in next] 4 times, skip next 5 sts, 3 dc in next, [skip next 4 st, 3 dc in next] 4 times, skip last 5 sts, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (30 dc)

Round 17: Ch 1, sc3tog 10 times, sl st to join, (10 sc). FO leaving a long tail. Use the tail to tighten up the opening, and weave in the ends. Attach Pom Pom if desired.

MAKE A SHORTER TODDLER HAT/BEANIE BODY: 7” hat length.

• Work Brim as written.
• Work Hat Body as written from Round 1 – 11.
• Work instructions for Round 16-17 in place of Round 12 – 13.

USING K/10.5  6.5 mm hook

Child Slouchy Pattern:

• Finished size should be approximately 9” across x 10” length.

• Brim is created first in rows, then seamed and hat is worked in the round.

CHILD BRIM:

Row 1: Ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, and next 4 chs, (5 sc).

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, work in BLO, sc in each st, (5 sc).

Row 3-56: Repeat Row 2, (5 sc, 54 rows). Do not FO. Bring the ends together and seam together by sl st through both loops of Row 56 and beginning chain. Turn the seam to the inside, and continue with instructions for the rest of the hat below.

CHILD SLOUCHY HAT BODY:  Work along the top edge of the brim.

Round 1: Ch 1, work 56 sc evenly around top of the brim, sl st to join, (56 sc).

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here & throughout), 3 dc in same, skip next 3 st, [4 dc in next, skip next 3 st] 13 times, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (56 dc).

Round 3: Ch 1, sc into each st around, sl stto join, (56 sc)

Round 4: Repeat Round 2 (56 dc).

Round 5: Repeat Round 3 (56 sc).

Rounds 6 – 17: Keep alternating Rounds 2 & 3, ending with Round 3 repeat, (56 sts). 

Round 18: (Ch 3, 2 dc) in same st, [skip next 4 st, 3 dc in next] 10 times, skip last 5 sts, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (33 dc)

Round 19: Ch 1, sc3tog 11 times, sl st to join, (11 sc). FO leaving a long tail. Use the tail to tighten up the opening, and weave in the ends. Attach Pom Pom if desired.

MAKE A SHORTER CHILD HAT/BEANIE BODY:  8” hat length.

• Work Brim as written.
• Work Hat Body as written from Round 1 – 13.
• Work instructions for Round 18-19 in place of Round 14 – 15.

USING K/10.5  6.5 mm hook

Teen/Small Adult Slouchy Pattern:

• Finished size should be approximately  9.5” across x 11” length.

• Brim is created first in rows, then seamed and hat is worked in the round.

TEEN/SMALL ADULT BRIM:

Row 1: Ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook, and next 5 chs, (6 sc).

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, work in BLO, sc in each st, (6 sc).

Row 3-60: Repeat Row 2, (6 sc, 58 rows). Do not FO. Bring the ends together and seam together by sl st through both loops of Row 60 and beginning chain. Turn the seam to the inside, and continue with instructions for the rest of the hat below.

TEEN/SMALL ADULT SLOUCHY HAT BODY:  Work along the top edge of the brim.

Round 1: Ch 1, work 60 sc evenly around top of the brim, sl st to join, (60 sc).

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here & throughout), 3 dc in same, skip next 3 st, [4 dc in next, skip next 3 st] 14 times, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (60 dc).

Round 3: Ch 1, sc into each st around, sl st to join, (60 sc).

Round 4: Repeat Round 2 (60 dc).

Round 5: Repeat Round 3 (60 sc).

Rounds 6 – 19: Keep alternating Rounds 2 & 3, ending with Round 3 repeat, (60 sts). 

Round 20: (Ch 3, 2 dc) in same st, [skip next 4 st, 3 dc in next] 11 times, skip last 4 sts, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (36 dc)

Round 21: Ch 1, sc3tog 12 times, sl st to join, (12 sc). FO leaving a long tail. Use the tail to tighten up the opening, and weave in the ends. Attach Pom Pom if desired.

MAKE A SHORTER TEEN/SMALL ADULT HAT/BEANIE BODY:  8” hat length.

• Work Brim as written.
• Work Hat Body as written from Round 1 – 13.
• Work instructions for Round 18-19 in place of Round 14 – 15.

USING K/10.5  6.5 mm hook

Large Adult Slouchy Pattern:

• Finished size should be approximately 10.5” across x 12” length.

• Brim is created first in rows, then seamed and hat is worked in the round.

LARGE ADULT BRIM:

Row 1: Ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook, and next 5 chs, (6 sc).

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, work in BLO, sc in each st, (6 sc).

Row 3-64: Repeat Row 2, (6 sc, 62 rows). Do not FO. Bring the ends together and seam together by sl st through both loops of Row 64 and beginning chain. Turn the seam to the inside, and continue with instructions for the rest of the hat below.

LARGE ADULT SLOUCHY HAT BODY:  Work along the top edge of the brim.

Round 1: Ch 1, work 64 sc evenly around top of the brim, sl st to join, (64 sc).

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here & throughout), 3 dc in same, skip next 3 st, [4 dc in next, skip next 3 st] 15 times, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (64 dc).

Round 3: Ch 1, sc into each st around, sl st to join, (64 sc).

Round 4: Repeat Round 2 (64 dc).

Round 5: Repeat Round 3 (64 sc).

Rounds 6 – 21: Keep alternating Rounds 2 & 3, ending with Round 3 repeat, (64 sts). 

Round 22: (Ch 3, 2 dc) in same st, [skip next 4 st, 3 dc in next] 12 times, skip last 3 sts, sl st to 3rd ch to join, (39 dc).

Round 23: Ch 1, sc3tog 13 times, sl st into 1st st (13 sc). FO leaving a long tail. Use the tail to tighten up the opening, and weave in the ends. Attach Pom Pom if desired.

MAKE A SHORTER LARGE ADULT HAT/BEANIE BODY:  9” hat length.

• Work Brim as written.
• Work Hat Body as written from Round 1 – 15.
• Work instructions for Round 22-23 in place of Round 16 – 17.

Make the Matching Sweet Stripes Set

The Sweet Stripes stitch shows up across a whole collection of my patterns, so this beanie has plenty of company. Here are the Sweet Stripes accessory pattern you might want to pair with this slouch hat.

• Sweet Stripes Skinny Scarf – Free pattern, COMING 10/17
• Sweet Stripes Fingerless Gloves – Free pattern,  COMING 10/24
• Sweet Stripes Hooded Cowl – Free Pattern
• Sweet Stripes Circle Scarf – Free Pattern

Crochet Beanie FAQs

Please Share your Sweet Stripes Beanies Online!

To be honest, I don’t think you’re going to make just one of this hat pattern! With five sizes and two lengths included, somebody’s going to try yours on, and then you’ll be back here later in the year, making three more in different colors. So save this post now, because you’ll want the size chart again, and probably the band photos too!

I would love to see your fab projects on Ravelry and social media! Please tag me in your photos so I can see what you’ve made! I simply love getting to see the amazing projects y’all have made with my patterns! It’s the reason I do what I do!! (Plus the yarn benefits are pretty awesome too!! )

If you enjoyed the free Sweet Stripes Crochet Beanie pattern and you would like to see more Free Crochet Patterns (<– like these) going forward, please help me grow by sharing Blog Post  and subscribe to my newsletter?!? You can use the social media buttons below the post to easily share! Thank you so much for your amazing support!  If you have any questions or need assistance with the pattern, feel free to contact me or leave a comment on the blog. I would love to help!

Happy Hooking!

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