Beginner
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Hats 13 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Cozy Top-Down Crochet Hat for Beginners
A beginner hat worked top-down in 18 rounds, from magic-ring crown to ribbed brim.
- Skill
- Beginner
- Time
- About 2 hours
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Rounds
- 13
Worsted
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
13
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
A beginner hat worked top-down in 18 rounds, from magic-ring crown to ribbed brim.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing track of the round
- Place a marker in the first stitch of round 1 and move it every round. Without it, the join point drifts and rounds stop stacking evenly.
- Miscounting the round 4 increase
- Work "1 hdc, 2 hdc" as a fixed pair and count pairs rather than stitches to land on the 30-stitch total.
- Working fpdc and bpdc in the wrong spot
- Insert the hook around the post of the stitch below, front or back, not into the top loops, or the ribbing will lie flat instead of ribbing up.
The materials list
- Worsted weight yarn
- Crochet hook (size to suit your yarn)
- Pom-pom (optional, for finishing)
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 4 short forms
Crown
Round 1
Begin with a magic ring. Work 10 half double crochets (hdc) into the ring. Join with a slip stitch to the first stitch.
Round 2
Chain 1. Work 2 hdc in each stitch around. Join with a slip stitch. (20 hdc)
Round 3
Alternate between single crochet (sc) and half double crochet (hdc) stitches all the way around. Join with a slip stitch.
Round 4
1 hdc in next stitch, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join. (30 hdc)
Round 5
3 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Round 6
4 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Round 7
5 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Round 8
6 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Round 9
7 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Round 10
8 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Round 11
9 hdc, 2 hdc in next stitch — repeat around. Join.
Body of the Hat
Round 12
Alternate between sc and hdc stitches in each stitch around. Join.
Ribbed Brim
Rounds 1–6
Alternate between front post double crochet (fpdc) and back post double crochet (bpdc) stitches around to create ribbing. Join each round with a slip stitch.
Assembly, in order
Step 1Fasten off and weave in ends securely.
Step 2Optional : Attach a pom-pom to the top of the hat.
Check these before you start
- Keep the join slip stitch snug at the end of each Crown round; a loose join shows as a visible seam line running up the hat.
- Maintain even tension across the alternating sc/hdc rounds (Round 3 and Round 12); mixed stitch heights make uneven tension more visible than in a single-stitch round.
On one line
| Rounds | 13 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 3 |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time | About 2 hours |
| Yarn | Worsted |
Set-up
- Check yarn yardage is enough to cover the crown, brim, and body before casting on the magic ring.
- Place a stitch marker at the join of round 1 and move it up each round; each round is closed with a slip stitch rather than worked in a continuous spiral, so losing track of the join point makes it easy to miscount where the next round begins.
- Read through Round 4 and Round 5 before starting them, since the increase spacing changes from every stitch to every third stitch and a misread throws off the count.
- Work a small hdc swatch first to confirm the hook and yarn produce a hat sized for the intended head, since no gauge is given.
Construction
The crown's increases are front-loaded: round 1 sets 10 hdc, round 2 doubles it to 20, and rounds 4 and 5 space increases every 3 stitches to reach 30, slowing the growth rate as the circumference widens.
The Ribbed Brim is worked in joined rounds rather than flat rows, with fpdc/bpdc alternation building stretch; the slip-stitch join at the end of each round keeps the rib from spiraling out of line.
Time per section
| Crown | about 45-60 minutes because it covers 11 rounds with the steepest increase shaping |
|---|---|
| Ribbed Brim | about 30-40 minutes because 6 rounds of alternating fpdc/bpdc slow the pace |
| Body of the Hat | about 10 minutes because it is a single round |
Photographs of this one
Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.
Common questions
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.