Sweet Crochet Preemie Hat Pattern
Many crocheters love giving back, and free preemie crochet projects are a beautiful way to do so. This sweet hat pattern works up quickly with just a little yarn and brings comfort to the smallest babies and their families. This is my second crochet preemie hat pattern, the first being the Labyrinth Lullaby Free Preemie Crochet Cap pattern that I designed last year. Both of these cute crochet hats are designed for little premature baby heads and up. Interesting to make and most importantly, super soft and cuddly warm for the littlest members of the family.
This small hat pattern is perfect for those who want to create something special for preemies in need of warmth and snuggly comfort. Using basic stitches and not much yarn, you can quickly hook up a crochet preemie hat in an afternoon. You’ll find this free pattern is easy to follow and perfect for donating to NICU hospital wards or gifting to new parents.
This free preemie crochet hat pattern comes with step-by-step instructions and plenty of photos to help along the way. You’ll also find simple tips for making it your own, from picking different colours to adding sweet details like embroidery or a ribbon.
So grab your yarn and hook, and let’s make a little hat filled with love for a very precious head.
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Free Preemie Crochet Patterns
I designed this pattern with the softest, most delicate yarns in mind, like the King Cole Baby Pure DK I used for mine. It’s an ideal choice for tiny babies, wrapping their heads in comfort as they grow stronger day by day. I’ve also created a couple of other free crochet patterns for preemies with King Cole Cherished DK, another beautiful yarn: the Labyrinth Lullaby Free Preemie Crochet Hat, Labyrinth Lullaby Baby Blanket (coming soon!) and the Labyrinth Lullaby Preemie Bonding Square – you can check those out too!
Our Own NICU Story
Our NICU journey was short but intense, filled with monitors, uncertainty, and the kindness of incredible nurses. At the time, I had only just learned to crochet, but now I’m grateful to be able to give back through patterns that others can use to make hats and bonding squares for preemies and their families.
If you’d like to read our story, it can be found in the post for the Labyrinth Lullaby Crochet Preemie Hat.
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Hopscotch Free Preemie Crochet Hat Pattern
As a mom of five, I’ve had plenty of ups and downs, but one of the hardest moments came when our third child spent time in the NICU. Even though her stay was short, the experience left a lasting mark, and it’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly about supporting families with handmade items. For the last few years I have taken part in the Preemie Crochet Challenge with my Sweet Stars Bonding Squares first, then my Labyrinth Lullaby Hat and Labyrinth Lullaby Bonding Square, and I’m honored to join in again this year.
The Hopscotch Preemie Hat is my newest design, created especially for charity donation. By downloading this free preemie crochet pattern during the event, you’re pledging to make at least one hat to give to a NICU, preemie charity, or a family in need. Like the rest of my Hopscotch designs, the skill level is intermediate or adventurous beginner, and the pattern includes three sizes so you can make the best fit for tiny heads.
I’ve used King Cole Baby Pure DK Yarn for this project because it’s soft, gentle, and ideal for delicate baby skin. The pattern also includes stitch tutorials and photo guidance to help you through each step. It’s free to download all month as part of the event, and together we can make a difference for those smallest fighters.
Crochet Beanie Patterns for Kids
Little ones grow faster than you think—believe me, I know! Living here in Minnesota, where chilly weather sticks around most of the year, my kids have worn through plenty of hats. That’s why over the years I’ve come up with quite a few crochet hat patterns, including:
Newborn Leprechaun Hat
Cozy Panda Hat
Dinomite Dinosaur Hat
Unicorn Hat
Sweet Stripes Beanie
Colorscape Beanie
Sweet Stripes Sun Hat
plus many types of Crochet Crown patterns! Which can double as great ear warmers! 😉
Dinosaur (or Dragon) Crown
Rainbow Crown
Flora Crown
Cozy Crown Ear Warmer
Birthday Crown
Over time, I’ve created a wide range of crochet hat, beanie, and crown patterns suited to every age and skill level. Each design comes with multiple sizes, clear instructions, and step-by-step photo tutorials to make the process easy. You can whip up a fun crown, a cozy beanie, or a warm hat to enjoy yourself, share with the kids, donate to charity, or gift to someone special.
Like Free Patterns? Then make sure you check out my most popular Free Pattern –> Tiny Dinosaur Amigurumi! Want to see even more? You can find all of my other Free Crochet Patterns <– Right here!!
My Little Preemie Hat Crochet Pattern Testers!
I feel incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful pattern testers! Each of them put so much effort into making their sweet preemie hats and gave me thoughtful feedback to help improve the pattern. Their support made sure this design was the best it could be before sharing it with you.
It always brings me so much joy to see the projects you all create with my designs, and my testers play a huge role in making that possible. Their dedication helps me provide clear, high-quality patterns for everyone to enjoy. Take a look at the precious preemie hats they made using this pattern below!
A huge thank you to my amazing testers of the Labyrinth Lullaby Preemie Baby Hat Crochet Pattern: Helen Dooley, Kimberli Piper, Barbi Gordon, Lindsay Heidt, Linda Woodthorpe, Sara Harris, Robbin Snyder, Joanne Green, Robin Sullivan, Jean Crowder, Brucene Plass, and Joann Fleming.
Make Your Own Crochet Hat for Preemies!
A Quick and Easy Crochet Project
Materials:
- YARN: King Cole Baby Pure DK Weight 3 yarn, (70% Premium Acrylic, 39% Polyamide, 3.5 oz/100 g, 256 yds/235 m).
- YARDAGE: 35 – 75 yds
- Sample Colors: I used King Cole Baby Pure DK yarn in Baby Turquoise, Baby Petal, and Baby Icicle
- HOOK: US H/8 5.0 mm
- Yarn needle, scissors
Finished Sizes:
HAT for 1-2 lbs: 8” around x 3.5” tall (Best fit for heads 8-9” circumference)
HAT for 3-4 lbs: 10” around x 4” tall (Best fit for heads 10-11” circumference)
HAT for 5-6 lbs: 12” around x 4.5” tall (Best fit for heads 12-13” circumference)
Gauge: 12 rows x 14 esc = 4” square
Experience Level: Intermediate
Pattern Key: Written in US English Crochet Terms
st(s) – stitch(es)
space – sp(s)
sl st – slip stitch
ch – chain
sc – single crochet
dc – double crochet
st dc – stacked dc (See special stitches)
esc – extended single crocheth (See special stitches)
xdc – crossed double crochet (See special stitches)
xdc inc – crossed double increase (See special stitches)
yo – yarn over
FO – fasten off
The Best Yarn for a Free Preemie Crochet Patterns!
The yarn I selected for this adorable textured preemie baby hat crochet pattern is called King Cole Baby Pure DK. It’s very similar to the yarn I used for my preemie patterns for last year: Labyrinth Lullaby Preemie Bonding Squares Pattern and Labyrinth Lullaby Free Preemie Crochet Hat. This incredibly soft yarn was sent to me as part of the Brand Ambassador program with King Cole Yarn. I must admit, I fell in love while working with this yarn and am excited for future projects!
Baby Pure DK is luxuriously soft yarn, specially crafted for delicate baby skin. This lovely yarn is a dream to work with! This soft baby yarn is also quite easy to care for, making it perfect for little ones. You’ll love the sweet and soothing palette of gentle shades this yarn offers, currently 11 lovely soft pastel and neutrals with beautiful variegation throughout.
Find Baby Pure DK in your local yarn shop here.
Order Baby Pure DK online from Etsy here.
Baby Pure DK is a soft, easy care baby yarn that is perfect for little ones to make blankets, baby garments, and cherished keepsakes.
Baby Pure DK Label Details:
- 70% Premium Acrylic, 30% Polyamide
- 256 yds/235 m, 3.5 oz/100 g
- Recommended hook/needle size is 4 mm/US 6
Special Stitches:
Magic Circle Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biDTzo6IRiQ
STEP 1: Create a loop with yarn, place hook through the loop, yo and pull the yarn through the loop, keeping the loop open in a circle instead of pulling the yarn tight, ch 1.
STEP 2: Insert hook back in circle, yo and pull up a loop through the circle. Yo again and pull through the 2 loops on the hook, 1 sc completed! Repeat Step 2 to create additional stitches. Hold stitches with one hand, gently pull yarn end with other hand to close circle.
See this post for more help with Hopscotch Crochet Stitches: Hopscotch Stitches & Pattern Collection
Extended Single Crochet (esc): Insert hook in next st, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 1st loop on the hook, yo and pull through both loops on the hook.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/gp41JNKAcg4
Crossed Double Crochet (xdc): Skip next st, dc in next st, then dc back into skipped st working in front of the previous stitch.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/5r8bdWi5OOY
Crossed Double Crochet Increase (xdc inc):
STEP 1: Create an xdc as usual by skipping next st, dc in next st, then dc back into skipped st working in front of the previous stitch.
STEP 2: Then for the increase you will create another xdc but placing the first dc is in the next st without skipping a st, and the second dc is placed in the same st as the first dc from the previous xdc. Xdc inc completed!
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PATTERN NOTES:
- Read through the entire pattern first.
- Beginning chain does not count as a stitch.
- First stitch of esc rows should be placed in the same st as ch 1.
- First stitch of xdc rows should be placed in next stitch.
- First crossed double crochet (xdc) of each round is created with ch 1, skip 1st stitch, stacked dc, dc in skipped stitch.
- Sl st does not count as a stitch.
- Repeat stitches between [ and ] the number of times indicated.
- Pattern is worked in joined rounds.
- This pattern is FREE, and has been thoroughly tested and tech edited. Please feel free to share any comments or ask any questions you many have! I welcome your feedback!!
- This post and all it contains including the pattern and photographs are my intellectual property and copyright protected property of GreenFoxFarms LLC © 2025. You are welcome to make as many as you like to sell, giveaway, 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.
- If you want to share this 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.
- By using this pattern, you are agreeing to abide by these terms.
Hopscotch Preemie Pattern Release Details:
This preemie baby hat crochet pattern is now available for purchase in my Ravelry Shop and Etsy Shop! The Hopscotch Free Preemie Crochet Hat Pattern is FREE to view here on my blog, OR you can purchase the AD-FREE, printer friendly, PDF copy with detailed tutorials and full pattern support for a couple of dollars.
I would be so grateful if you would visit and save the pattern on your favorite venue, which helps my patterns get seen by even more people! Thank you so much for your continued support!! Just click the buttons below to find the premium pattern PDF including including photo stitch tutorials available for purchase!
Don’t crochet? I would love to help you Learn to Crochet with my fun Crochet Tutorials!
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Pattern Download ETSY
Click the Buy NOW button below to purchase a Printer Friendly, Ad-Free, PDF Download FULL Premium Hopscotch Preemie Hat Crochet Pattern on ETSY!
Pattern Download RAVELRY
Click the Buy NOW button below to purchase a Printer Friendly, Ad-Free, PDF Download FULL Premium version of the Hopscotch Preemie Baby Hat Crochet Pattern on RAVELRY!
Soft Hopscotch Preemie Hat Pattern
Free Crochet Pattern for the Preemie Crochet Challenge
I’m so excited to share that my new Hopscotch Free Preemie Crochet Hat Pattern is featured in the 2025 Preemie Challenge!
What is the Preemie Challenge?
The Preemie Crochet Challenge is a yearly event hosted by Helen of Sunflower Cottage Crochet, running every summer since 2020. Its goal is to inspire crocheters to make and donate handmade items that bring comfort to premature babies and their families. Each day during the challenge, a new designer shares a free preemie crochet pattern, available to view or download, making it easy to join in and give back with your craft.
HOW TO GET YOUR FREE PREEMIE BABY HAT CROCHET PATTERN FREE DOWNLOAD:
I’m so excited to share that my Hopscotch Preemie Baby Hat Crochet Pattern is featured TODAY on the Preemie Crochet Challenge hosted by Helen of Sunflower Cottage Crochet!
🍼 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 ONLY you can download a FREE PDF!
🍼 You have the rest of the month to grab your FREE copy of the Hopscotch Free Preemie Crochet Hats Pattern.
🍼 NO CODE IS NEEDED FOR THIS DOWNLOAD!!
🍼 Click the Download button below. This will take you to the Shop page on my blog where you can learn more about Green Fox Farms Designs and my patterns.
🍼 Scroll down that page and find the PURPLE BOX and click the button to get your FREE PDF Download of the FREE PREEMIE CROCHET HATS PATTERN! 👇
🍼 Enjoy and Happy Hooking friends! Make sure to check back to the Preemie Crochet Challenge each day through 9/30/25 to get a new FREE Crochet Pattern to make and donate!
JUST CLICK THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON BELOW TO GET THE FREE PATTERN!
Baby Sale! Save on Baby Patterns this Month!
All Preemie, Baby, and Newborn Patterns are on SALE 50% off for the month of September in honor of the Preemie Challenge! Happy Hooking and please consider donating some of your makes to charity!
10 patterns 50% off all September, 2025 on Etsy and Ravelry.
NO CODE NEEDED – Just add them to your cart!
PATTERNS INCLUDED:
- Bijoux Butterfly Amigurumi RAVELRY | ETSY
- Bjorn the Granny Square Bear RAVELRY | ETSY
- Crochet Eggs BIG and small RAVELRY | ETSY
- Hopscotch Preemie Hats RAVELRY | ETSY
- Labyrinth Lullaby Bonding Squares RAVELRY | ETSY
- Labyrinth Lullaby Preemie Hats RAVELRY | ETSY
- Mother Earth Amigurumi Ball RAVELRY | ETSY
- Newborn Leprechaun Hat RAVELRY | ETSY
- Rainbow Caterpillar & Butterfly RAVELRY | ETSY
- Sweet Stars Baby Blanket RAVELRY | ETSY
- Sweet Stars Bonding Squares RAVELRY | ETSY
Hopscotch PREEMIE HATS
Pattern Directions:
1-2 Lbs Preemie Hat:
- 8” around x 3.5” tall.
- Fits heads 8” – 9” circumference.
Round 1: Make a magic circle, ch 1, 8 esc in magic circle, sl st to join, (8 esc).
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 esc in each st around, sl st to join, (16 esc).
Round 3: Ch 1, [esc in next st, 2 esc in next st], 8 times, sl st to join, (24 esc).
Make sure to review the xdc inc tutorial in Special Stitches. Each xdc inc is 2 xdc over 3 stitches.
Round 4: Ch 1, skip first st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, (1st xdc formed), xdc inc, [xdc, xdc inc,] 3 times, 2 xdc in last 4 sts, sl st to st dc to join, (14 xdc).
Round 5: Ch 1, esc in each st around, sl st to join, (28 esc).
Round 6: Ch 1, skip 1st st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, (1st xdc formed), 13 xdc around, sl st to st dc to join, (14 xdc).
Rounds 7-8: Repeat Rounds 5-6, alternating, (28 sts, 2 rounds).
Rounds 9-11: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to join, (28 sc, 3 rounds).
FO and weave in ends.
3-4 Lbs Preemie Hat:
- 10” around x 4” tall.
- Fits heads 10” – 11” circumference.
Round 1: Make a magic circle, ch 1, 8 esc in magic circle, sl st to join, (8 esc).
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 esc in each st around, sl st to join, (16 esc).
Round 3: Ch 1, [esc in next st, 2 esc in next st], 8 times, sl st to join, (24 esc).
Make sure to review the xdc inc tutorial in Special Stitches. Each xdc inc is 2 xdc over 3 stitches.
Round 4: Ch 1, skip first st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, dc in next st, dc in previous st (same space as st dc – first xdc in formed), 7 xdc inc around, sl st to st dc to join, (16 xdc).
Round 5: Ch 1, [esc in next 7 sts, 2 esc in next st,] 4 times, sl st to join, (36 esc).
Round 6: Ch 1, skip 1st st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, (1st xdc formed), 17 xdc around, sl st to st dc to join, (18 xdc).
Round 7: Ch 1, esc in each st around, sl st to join, (36 esc).
Rounds 8-9: Repeat Rounds 6-7, alternating, (36 sts, 2 rounds).
Round 10: Repeat Round 6.
Rounds 11-13: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to join, (36 sc, 3 rounds).
FO and weave in ends.
5-6 Lbs Preemie Hat:
- 12” around x 4.5” tall.
- Fits heads 12” – 13” circumference.
Round 1: Make a magic circle, ch 1, 8 esc in magic circle, sl st to join, (8 esc).
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 esc in each st around, sl st to join, (16 esc).
Round 3: Ch 1, [esc in next st, 2 esc in next st], 8 times, sl st to join, (24 esc).
Make sure to review the xdc inc tutorial in Special Stitches. Each xdc inc is 2 xdc over 3 stitches.
Round 4: Ch 1, skip first st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, dc in next st, dc in previous st (same space as st dc – first xdc in formed), 7 xdc inc around, sl st to st dc to join, (16 xdc).
Round 5: Ch 1, [esc in next 3 sts, 2 esc in next st,] 8 times, sl st to join, (40 esc).
Round 6: Ch 1, skip 1st st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, (1st xdc formed), [8 xdc, xdc inc,] 2 times, sl st to st dc to join, (21 xdc).
Round 7: Ch 1, esc in each st around, sl st to join, (42 esc).
Round 8: Ch 1, skip 1st st, st dc in next st, dc in skipped st, (1st xdc formed), 20 xdc around, sl st to st dc to join, (21 xdc).
Rounds 9-12: Repeat Rounds 7-8, alternating, (42 sts, 4 rounds).
Rounds 13-15: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to join, (42 sc, 3 rounds).
FO and weave in ends.
The Hopscotch Preemie Hat is part of this year’s Preemie Crochet Challenge, an event that has been inspiring crocheters since 2020 to create and donate handmade items for premature babies and their families. By downloading this free preemie crochet pattern this Septemeber 2025, you’re pledging to make at least one hat to gift to a NICU, charity, or family in need. Like the rest of my Hopscotch designs, the skill level is adventurous beginner to intermediate, and the pattern includes three sizes to fit tiny heads.
Made with King Cole Baby Pure DK Yarn, this little hat is soft, gentle, and perfect for delicate baby skin. The pattern also comes with tutorials and photo guidance to support you through every step. I’m so grateful to take part again after last year’s Labyrinth Lullaby Hat and Bonding Squares, and I can’t wait to see the comfort these hats bring. Together, we can make a big difference for the smallest fighters—one stitch at a time.
If you enjoyed this cute small crochet hat 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!
Want the Power to Pause Your Project??
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