Crochet Baby Hat and Booties Set: Free Pattern in 3 Sizes

The hat and booties set in Sage on a moss stitch blanket. This is a preview picture, not a photo of a finished set: your set will differ with your yarn, your hook and your tension.

Contents show

This crochet baby hat and booties set is a free pattern with foot sizes, yards for each size and a free PDF. Measure your baby's head, not the age: 14 to 16 in = 0-3 mo, 16 to 17 1/2 in = 3-6 mo, 17 to 18 1/2 in = 6-12 mo. The hat is worked top down and the booties have an oval sole and a snug cuff. No buttons, ties or pompom. It makes a sweet baby shower gift in Sage, to match our baby sweater and blanket.

Download the free PDF (US Letter · A4)

The set at a glance: sizes, yarn, hooks and yards

Time: About 7.5 to 10 hours for the set (estimate, not timed).
Finished size: Hat 13 1/2 to 16 in around; booties for a foot of 3 3/4 to 4 3/4 in. Sizes 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12 months
Yarn: Worsted weight (#4), 1 color: about 140 yd (0-3 mo) to 180 yd (6-12 mo) for the set. Same yarn as the Crochet Baby Sweater.
Hook: Hat US I-9 (5.5 mm); booties US H-8 (5 mm)
Stitches: Single crochet, 2 sc in one st, sc2tog, sl st, magic ring. In the instep rows, each row joins one wall stitch to the foot: the steps below say which.
Construction: Hat: top down in joined rounds. Booties: oval sole, wall, instep in rows, rounds and a cuff in the back loop only. Nothing to sew, no buttons, no ties, no pompom.

How this pattern was checked

Not yet crocheted by a person. Stitch counts were calculated and checked by computer. Swatch first. Free PDF (US Letter and A4) on this page.

Download the free PDF (US Letter)Download the free PDF (A4)

Abbreviations (US)

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

sl st = slip stitch

st(s) = stitch(es)

Rnd = round

RS = right side (the outside)

sc2tog = single crochet 2 together: insert the hook in the next st, pull up a loop, insert the hook in the next st, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops

2 sc in the next st = an increase: work 2 sc into the same st

back loop only = insert the hook under the back strand of the st only; it makes ridges

magic ring = wrap the yarn twice around two fingers, work the sts into the ring, then pull the tail to close it

[ ] 3 times = repeat what is inside the brackets that many times

Yarn, hooks and gauge: make two swatches first

Worsted (#4) yarn in one color (Sage in our pictures, the color of our baby sweater and blanket): about 140 yd (0-3 mo), 170 yd (3-6 mo), 180 yd (6-12 mo) for the whole set.

Yards include a 20 % margin. Skeins = yards ÷ yards per skein, rounded up. Go by the yards on the label, not the grams or the number of skeins.

Look for the number 4 on the label. Many "baby" yarns are #3 and will not give our gauge. If you change yarn, swatch again. Pick a soft yarn whose label says it can be washed the way you will wash the set, without loose fuzz.

Hooks: hat: US I-9 (5.5 mm); booties: US H-8 (5 mm). Do not mix them up: the hat and the booties use different hooks.

Yarn needle, scissors, stitch markers (at least 2), measuring tape. No buttons, no ties, no pompom.

0-3 mo: to fit head 14 to 16 in, foot 3 3/4 in

Yarn needed: About 140 yd for the set (estimated, with a 20 % margin): hat about 60 yd, booties about 80 yd; 1 skein of 200 yd (go by the yards on the label)

3-6 mo: to fit head 16 to 17 1/2 in, foot 4 1/8 in

Yarn needed: About 170 yd for the set (estimated, with a 20 % margin): hat about 80 yd, booties about 90 yd; 1 skein of 200 yd (go by the yards on the label)

6-12 mo: to fit head 17 to 18 1/2 in, foot 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 in

Yarn needed: About 180 yd for the set (estimated, with a 20 % margin): hat about 80 yd, booties about 100 yd; 1 skein of 200 yd (go by the yards on the label)

Gauge and swatch

Make a swatch first

A gauge swatch is required, one for each hook. Hat swatch with the US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook: ch 20, then 19 sts x 20 rows of sc, flat, about 5 x 5 in. Measure in the middle, not at the edges (the edge sts are looser): 15 sts across and 16 rows up should make 4 in. Booties swatch with the US H-8 (5 mm) hook: ch 21, then 20 sts x 22 rows of sc, flat, about 5 x 5 1/4 in. Measure in the middle, not at the edges (the edge sts are looser): 16 sts across and 17 rows up should make 4 in. Lay it flat, do not stretch it, and block it if you will block the pieces. If you get more stitches than listed in 4 in, go up a hook size; if you get fewer, go down one. The hat is the one that must fit the head: if you change the hook, check the finished hat size in the size table. These are the gauges we assumed, not sizes we measured.

Notes

US crochet terms: see the abbreviations above. Sizes: 0-3 mo, 3-6 mo, 6-12 mo. Each size has its own rounds: follow the section of your size.

Most rounds start with ch 1, which does not count as a st; work the first sc in the same st as the join, and join each round with a sl st in the first sc. A few places start differently and say so in their own text: the foundation chains, the first row or round worked into a chain (the swatch Row 1 and the booties' Rnd 1) and Instep row 1, which starts with sl sts. The number in brackets at the end of a round is how many sts you have.

Round numbers shift by size: follow the rows for your size only. The booties' foot round (the first round after the instep rows) is Rnd 9 in 0-3 mo, Rnd 9 in 3-6 mo, Rnd 10 in 6-12 mo. For example, Rnd 9 is the foot round in 0-3 mo but a wall round in 6-12 mo (where the foot round is Rnd 10).

Instep rows (booties): each row works across the row below and ends by joining one more st of the wall, first on the right, then on the left, because you turn after every row.

Fold the hat band back once for warm ears, or leave it open. The fold is not sewn.

Join a new skein at the end of a round. Leave 6 in tails.

Many yarns grow when washed. Wash and dry your swatch and measure it again.

Glossary. Negative ease: the hat is smaller than the head and stretches to fit. Swatch: a small test piece you crochet and measure. Gauge: how many stitches and rounds make 4 in.

Head and foot sizes are population averages, not your baby: how to choose is in "Choose your sizes" below.

Free crochet baby hat and booties pattern (US terms): how it comes together

Choose your sizes

Measure the baby's head at the widest part with a soft tape and pick the hat size from the head, not the age. Between sizes, take the smaller: the hat is meant to be snug, about 1 1/2 in smaller than the middle of the head range. A newborn's median head is about 13 1/4 to 13 1/2 in around, so the 0-3 mo hat is loose on a newborn and fits best from about 1 month. Making a gift before the baby is born? Pick the size for the season when the baby will be 3 to 6 months old. Single crochet has little stretch. At the top of a size's head range the hat is up to 2 1/2 in smaller than the head, which is a lot for this stitch. Rule: keep the negative ease at 2 in or less. 0-3 mo: if the baby's head is above 15 1/2 in, choose the 3-6 mo size; 3-6 mo: if the baby's head is above 17 1/4 in, choose the 6-12 mo size; 6-12 mo: if the baby's head is above 18 in, this is the largest size in this pattern, so the hat will be tight. Measure the baby's foot from heel to longest toe, standing in the booties' size chart: pick the size from the foot, not the age. The sole is 1/4 in longer than the longest foot of the size. If the foot is between sizes, take the smaller: a loose bootie slips off more easily.

Work the hat

Start at the top with a magic ring. The crown grows by 6 sts every round until it is as wide as the hat, then the rounds are straight, then a band in the back loop only. Fold the band back once, if you like, for warm ears: the hat is then about 3/4 in shorter.

Work the booties

Make 2. Chain, work around the chain to make an oval sole, work a low wall, then the instep in rows: each row ends by joining one st of the wall, first on one side, then on the other. Then work in rounds again and narrow to the cuff, in the back loop only.

Make the swatch first

Make these first. Two flat swatches in rows of sc, one for each hook: hat swatch 19 sts x 20 rows with the US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook; booties swatch 20 sts x 22 rows with the US H-8 (5 mm) hook. Measure 4 in in the middle.

Hat foundationCh 20.Stitch count: 20 ch

Hat row 1Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each of the next 18 ch. (19 sts)Stitch count: 19 sts

Hat rows 2-20Ch 1 (does not count as a st), turn. Sc in each of the next 19 sts across. (19 sts) Repeat this row until you have 20 rows in all, then fasten off.Stitch count: 19 sts

Booties foundationCh 21.Stitch count: 21 ch

Booties row 1Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each of the next 19 ch. (20 sts)Stitch count: 20 sts

Booties rows 2-22Ch 1 (does not count as a st), turn. Sc in each of the next 20 sts across. (20 sts) Repeat this row until you have 22 rows in all, then fasten off.Stitch count: 20 sts

How to crochet the baby hat, top down (0-3 mo)

Top down. 51 sts around, 22 rounds. Hook for the hat: US I-9 (5.5 mm).

Rnd 1Make a magic ring, leaving a 6 in tail. Ch 1 (does not count as a st), 6 sc in the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (6 sts)Stitch count: 6 sts

Rnd 2Ch 1 (does not count as a st), 2 sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (12 sts)Stitch count: 12 sts

Rnd 3Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st] 6 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (18 sts)Stitch count: 18 sts

Rnd 4Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st] 6 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (24 sts)Stitch count: 24 sts

Rnd 5Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in each of the next 3 sts, 2 sc in the next st] 6 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (30 sts)Stitch count: 30 sts

Rnd 6Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in each of the next 4 sts, 2 sc in the next st] 6 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (36 sts)Stitch count: 36 sts

Rnd 7Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in each of the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st] 6 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (42 sts)Stitch count: 42 sts

Rnd 8Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in each of the next 6 sts, 2 sc in the next st] 6 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (48 sts)Stitch count: 48 sts

Rnd 9Ch 1 (does not count as a st), [sc in each of the next 15 sts, 2 sc in the next st] 3 times. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 10Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 11Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 12Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 13Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 14Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 15Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 16Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 17Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the back loop only of each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 18Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the back loop only of each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 19Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the back loop only of each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 20Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the back loop only of each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 21Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the back loop only of each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts)Stitch count: 51 sts

Rnd 22Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the back loop only of each st around. Join with a sl st in the first sc. (51 sts) Fasten off, leaving a 6 in tail, and weave in the end. Then weave the magic-ring tail through the first round twice and pull it snug: a magic ring can open up again.Stitch count: 51 sts

Close-up of the top of a sage crochet baby hat showing the rounds growing from a magic ring — The crown seen close up: the rounds grow from a magic ring, 6 stitches more every round, until the hat is as wide as you need.

How to crochet the baby hat, top down (3-6 mo)

Top down. 57 sts around, 25 rounds. Hook for the hat: US I-9 (5.5 mm).