S, M or L (head 20-21 (22, 23-24) in) · hdc · 6 stripes · worsted yarn, 4 colors · US I-9 hook
Cranberry, cream, forest green and mustard stripes with a cream pompon. The picture shows one hat; yours follows the size you choose. Here the hat sits upright on a head form; the books photo below shows the slouch. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
This free crochet beanie pattern makes a slouchy striped hat for women from one rectangle of half double crochet. It comes in sizes S, M and L. The yarn is listed for each of the four colors, and a cream pompon covers the gathered top.
The hat has 6 stripes in Cranberry, Cream, Forest Green and Mustard. It has no ribbed brim. You can also download the pattern as a PDF (Letter and A4).
Pick by head: Small 20-21 · Medium 22 · Large 23-24 in
Crochet Beanie at a Glance: One Rectangle, 6 Stripes, a Pompon
Time
About 6-9 hours (S), 7-10 (M), 7-11 (L)
Yarn
Worsted (#4), 4 colors: about 270 yd (S), 300 yd (M), 320 yd (L) in all, pompon included
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Gauge
Suggested only: 14 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in hdc with a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook and worsted (#4) yarn. Your stitches and rows may be fewer or more than we show: measure your swatch and adjust.
Sizes
Small (head 20-21 in), Medium (22 in), Large (23-24 in)
Stitches
Chain and half double crochet only; one rectangle sewn into a tube, gathered top, pompon
Hat circumference
19.1 (20.6, 22.0) in (1 to 2 in smaller than the head)
How this pattern was checked
Every row of all 3 sizes was replayed and counted by software: 101 of 101
Two independent readings of the rows agree
Not crocheted yet: sizes, yarn and hours are estimates. Make the swatch first.
The beanie on a stack of books, seen from a three-quarter angle. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
What Size Crochet Beanie Should You Make? Measure Your Head First
Pick your size by your head, not by your age. Wrap a soft tape measure around your head just above the eyebrows and ears. Small fits a head of 20-21 in and the finished hat measures 19.1 in around. Medium fits 22 in and the hat measures 20.6 in. Large fits 23-24 in and the hat measures 22.0 in. The hat is 1 to 2 in smaller than your head on purpose. Hdc fabric stretches, and a hat that is a little snug stays on. If your head is between sizes, we give no counts for in-between sizes. Choose by the head measurement and the swatch.
Small: head 20-21 in
Yarn
Worsted weight (#4), 4 colors
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Yarn needed
About 270 yd in all, pompon included (with a 15 % margin)
Finished size
Hat circumference 19.1 in, flat tube height 10.4 in, about 1.4 in of slouch (all approximate).
Counts
Foundation ch 69; 67 hdc per row; 26 rows (1742 hdc). About 6 to 9 hours in all.
Medium: head 22 in
Yarn
Worsted weight (#4), 4 colors
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Yarn needed
About 300 yd in all, pompon included (with a 15 % margin)
Finished size
Hat circumference 20.6 in, flat tube height 11.2 in, about 2.2 in of slouch (all approximate).
Counts
Foundation ch 74; 72 hdc per row; 28 rows (2016 hdc). About 7 to 10 hours in all.
Large: head 23-24 in
Yarn
Worsted weight (#4), 4 colors
Hook
US I-9 (5.5 mm)
Yarn needed
About 320 yd in all, pompon included (with a 15 % margin)
Finished size
Hat circumference 22.0 in, flat tube height 11.6 in, about 2.6 in of slouch (all approximate).
Counts
Foundation ch 79; 77 hdc per row; 29 rows (2233 hdc). About 7 to 11 hours in all.
Size table
Measure
Small
Medium
Large
Head (in)
20-21
22
23-24
Hat circumference (in)
19.1
20.6
22.0
Hdc per row x rows
67 x 26
72 x 28
77 x 29
Foundation ch
69
74
79
Flat tube height (in)
10.4
11.2
11.6
Rows per stripe, bottom to top
5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 4
5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4
5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4
Yarn, all colors (yd)
270
300
320
Time (h)
6-9
7-10
7-11
Finished measurements and stitch counts for every size, in inches. Approximate, from our suggested gauge: check them against your swatch. Scroll sideways on a phone.
Worn, seen from behind. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
It is a light slouch, and the number is an estimate. Above a head depth of 8 in, and after about 1 in is lost in the gathered top, the extra length is about 1.4 in (S), 2.2 in (M) and 2.6 in (L). The 8 in head depth and the 1 in loss are our assumptions, not measured on a head. If you want a deeper slouch, add rows. We give no counts for it, so keep the stripe plan as written or work the extra rows in your last stripe.
All yardage is estimated, with a 15 % margin. Each color is rounded up to the next 10 yd. Small: about 270 yd in all (Cranberry 80, Cream 110, Forest Green 40, Mustard 40). Medium: about 300 yd (Cranberry 80, Cream 120, Forest Green 50, Mustard 50). Large: about 320 yd (Cranberry 100, Cream 120, Forest Green 50, Mustard 50). This is more than some other hat pages list. The reasons are the 15 % margin, about 31 yd for the pompon, and the rounding up for each of the four colors. Cranberry includes the seam yarn, and Cream includes the gathering strand and the pompon. Check the yarn label for yards, not grams.
Use one brand and one dye-lot family per color if you can.
Yarn needle, scissors, a 5 in wide piece of cardboard for the pompon.
12 ends to weave in.
The four colors, with a hook, scissors and a pompon. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
The numbers assume 14 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in hdc with worsted (#4) yarn and a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook. Nobody has swatched this yet. Crochet a swatch, wash it the way you will wash the hat, and measure it. If you get more stitches in 4 in, your hat will be smaller. If you get fewer, it will be bigger. Change your hook size, not the stitch counts. Ch 26 and work 14 rows of hdc (24 sts, about 6.9 x 5.6 in). Measure 14 sts and 10 rows in the middle. Fewer sts, go down a hook size; more sts, go up.
Get the free printable PDF (Letter + A4)Every size and stitch count on paper, ready to print.Get the free PDF
Striped Crochet Beanie: Where the Four Colors Go
Each hat has 6 stripes. The order is Cranberry, Cream, Forest Green, Mustard, Cranberry, Cream, and two stripes that touch are never the same color. In Medium: Cranberry rows 1-5, Cream rows 6-10, Forest Green rows 11-15, Mustard rows 16-20, Cranberry rows 21-24 and Cream rows 25-28. Small has 26 rows and Large has 29 rows, and the stripe plan for each size is in the pattern. Change color with the last pull-through of the last hdc of the row before, and cut the old color. Each change leaves 2 ends of 6 in to weave in. There are 12 ends in all.
Close-up of half double crochet at a color change. Preview picture, not a photo of crochet.
We estimate about 6-9 hours for Small, 7-10 for Medium and 7-11 for Large. That includes the seam, the gather, the pompon and weaving in the ends. Nobody has timed it, so this is not a one-evening hat. A Medium has 2016 hdc, and the sewing and the pompon add hours on top. Plan for more time if you crochet slowly.
Hat rows
Work the rows in order. The color of each stripe is in the stripe plan below.
Row 1 (WS)Skip the first 2 ch from the hook (they are the turning ch and do not count as a st). Work a hdc in the back bump of the next ch and of each ch across.Stitch count: 67 (72, 77) hdc
Row 2 (RS)Ch 2 (does not count as a st), turn. Hdc in each st across. The last hdc of every row goes in the first hdc of the row before, next to the turning ch, never in it.Stitch count: 67 (72, 77) hdc
Rows 3 to RRepeat Row 2, changing color at the start of each stripe (see the stripe plan).Stitch count: 26 (28, 29) rows in all
Stripe Plan: Rows per Stripe in Each Size
Stripe plan: rows per color for each size. Tap to enlarge: Open it full size
Sew the seam, gather the top and make the pompon as shown in the assembly plan, then weave in the 12 ends on the wrong side. Wash and dry as the yarn label says.
No Ribbed Brim: What This Hat Does Not Have
This hat has no ribbed brim and no separate band. The bottom edge is the plain edge of Row 1, and the yarn amounts do not include a brim. We give no counts for one. The fabric is hdc all the way up. It will not be as stretchy as a ribbed band, which is one more reason to follow the swatch.
Sewing the Seam, Gathering the Top and Making the Pompon
Seam: with right sides together, fold the rectangle so the two side edges meet. Use the 40 in Cranberry tail from the foundation and whip stitch the edges together, one row end to one row end. Turn the tube right side out. Gather: thread a 30 in Cream strand and weave it through the top of every hdc in the last row. Pull tight, wrap the strand around the closed top twice, and sew through the middle to close any hole. Pompon: wrap Cream yarn about 100 times around a piece of cardboard 5 in wide, tie the middle tightly, cut the loops, fluff it and trim to about 4 in. Sew it over the gathered top so it hides it.
The three assembly steps: seam, gather, pompon. Tap to enlarge: Open it full size
Check the stitch count at the end of each row: every row has 67 (72, 77) hdc.
Tie a scrap of yarn in the first stitch of Row 1 (the bottom edge) so you find it again when you sew the seam.
Cut the old color at every change and weave in the ends on the wrong side.
Common mistakes
Working into the turning ch: the row gets 1 hdc too many and the edge grows wider.
Sewing the seam with the bottom edges off by a row: line up the Row 1 edges first.
Skipping the swatch: more or fewer stitches in 4 in change the size of the hat.
Make it your own
Other colors: any four colors of worsted (#4) yarn work with the same rows. Keep two stripes that touch in different colors.
Care
Follow the washing and drying instructions on the label of your yarn.
Crochet Beanie Pattern FAQ
What size crochet beanie should I make?
Measure your head just above the eyebrows and ears. Make Small for 20-21 in, Medium for 22 in or Large for 23-24 in. The hat is 1 to 2 in smaller than your head, because hdc stretches.
How much yarn do I need for a crochet beanie?
About 270 yd (S), 300 yd (M) or 320 yd (L) of worsted (#4) yarn in all four colors, pompon included. These are estimates with a 15 % margin, and each color is rounded up to the next 10 yd.
How long does it take to crochet a beanie?
We estimate about 6-9 hours (S), 7-10 (M) or 7-11 (L), with the seam, the gather, the pompon and the ends. Nobody has timed it, so do not plan on one evening.
Is this crochet beanie worked flat or in the round?
Flat. You crochet one rectangle back and forth, then sew the side edges into a tube. Every row has the same number of hdc, so there are no rounds and no increases.
What if the hat comes out too big or too small?
Check your swatch first. More than 14 hdc in 4 in makes a smaller hat, and fewer makes a bigger one. Change the hook size and swatch again. We give no counts for in-between sizes.
Can I use a different yarn?
You can, but the size and the yardage change. The counts here are for worsted (#4) yarn and a US I-9 (5.5 mm) hook at the gauge in the pattern. We have no counts for another weight.
Does the hat have a ribbed brim?
No. The bottom edge is the plain edge of the first row, and the whole hat is hdc. The pattern has no counts for a brim.
Can I sell hats I make from this pattern?
You may sell what you crochet. Please don't copy or repost this pattern; link to it instead.
The AMG Royal pattern teamPatterns on AMG Royal are designed by calculation: every row is simulated and the full pattern is independently re-checked before publishing. They are not hand-crocheted samples — times and yardage are estimates.How we make our patternsFound a mistake? Tell us
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