Crochet Your Way to Your First Hat

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I love to crochet hats no matter the season. Unlike sweaters, blankets, and shawls, hats in progress can be chucked in a purse and taken anywhere. Even better, they never get so long that they land in your lap and add to the summer’s heat.

ABOVE: Coriander Puff Hat. Photo by Harper Point Photography.

However, as I’m new to crochet, starting to crochet hats has been a little intimidating. After all, you’re not crocheting in a straight line anymore, but circling round and round. Fortunately, Interweave has a video called Crochet Your First Hat that walks viewers straight through the process. If you’re intimidated, as I was, this can be a great place to start!

5 Easy Crochet Hats

Alternatively, if you’re ready to jump in right now, I’ve pulled five of my favorite easy crochet hats. Each of these is straightforward enough to make without sacrificing beauty. With fall just around the corner, perhaps a new crochet hat is in your future!

Hibernation Hat

Sometimes, I’m content to take weeks to months finishing a delicate pattern with fingering weight yarn or lighter. Other times, though, I just want to make something beautiful quickly – especially when it’s mid-December and I still haven’t finished my shopping! The Hibernation Hat by Natasha Robarge is the perfect chunky hat. This is a great beginner project: the hat is worked in rows sideways in the pattern before the ends are joined together with slip stitches. After this, the crown is worked in the round. Crochet this in a chunky llama or wool yarn for an especially cozy beanie.

Squishy Hat

The Squishy Hat, also by Natasha Robarge, is a great stash-buster: you only need one skein of worsted weight yarn to make it. This hat would look beautiful in a solid color, or you can add in stripes that match the pattern. The crocheted surfaced features double-sided three-dimensional ridges and pebbles, giving it a rich texture and letting the yarn really shine. The hat is reversible, but you can add a pom-pom with the leftover yarn on your favorite side!

The Best Guy Hat Ever

The perfect hat for the pickiest people in your life, no one could object to The Best Guy Hat Ever by designer Brenda K. B. Anderson. This pattern was first published in Interweave Crochet Fall 2011, and it has since gone on to be one of our most popular hat patterns. And for good reason! This pattern is easily customizable and can be sized up or down depending on the size of the wearer’s head. Using slip-stitch rows and short rows to create a stretchy, comfortable hat, this is a great project for beginners or for anyone who wants something straightforward on their hook.

Tahoe Hat

The Tahoe Hat by designer Marcy Smith, which you can find for free here, will be done in no time at all! Worked using a single hank of worsted weight yarn, this hat is crocheted in one piece from the center to the crochet edging. The increases at the hat’s top are made by working in the front loop and back loop of the same stitch. The body of the hat uses double crochets alternating between front loop only and back loop only, making this an especially stretchy piece. Make this project with variegated yarn for colors that pop, or a bright, solid color for a statement piece!

Coriander Puff Hat

Last but certainly not least is the striking and cozy Coriander Puff Hat by designer Natasha Robarge. This hat, first published in Interweave Crochet Fall 2019, uses a combination of puff and post stitches to create its stunning allover pattern. The hat is designed to be a little slouchy, and you can easily add more slouch by working additional repeats of the straightforward pattern. Crochet this in a 100% wool yarn for an especially cozy cap, or perhaps a wool/silk blend for a relaxed look.

For my part, I don’t usually crochet or knit a pattern more than once, but I’m considering doing just that for holiday gifts this year. How about you? And, as always,

Happy Stitching,
Julia

Originally published August 4, 2020. Updated December 7, 2021.

Find your favorite crochet hat with Interweave!