Beginner
What the pattern's own author called it. Nothing here is graded again.
Hats 16 Laid out for paper No account, no download
Crochet bucket hat pattern for beginners
Beginner bucket hat worked in 25 joined rounds with a 3.5mm hook and half double crochet throughout.
- Skill
- Beginner
- Time
- 2-3 hours
- Yarn weight
- 4-Ply
- Hook
- 3.5 mm
- Rounds
- 16
4-Ply
What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.
16
Each one is typed out whole and gets its own line.
This bucket hat starts at a magic circle and builds outward in joined rounds, each one slip stitched closed rather than worked in a spiral. Half double crochet carries the entire piece, with evenly spaced increases shaping the crown before the sides run straight. A back loop only round marks the turn from crown to side, and the brim flares out again at the base before finishing flat. Have 4-ply milk cotton yarn, a 3.5 mm hook, stitch markers, a tape measure, and scissors on hand before starting.
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Losing the start of the round
- Since rounds are joined with a slip stitch rather than spiraled, a stitch marker at the first stitch keeps every join in the same place.
- Skipping the back loop only round
- Round 11 uses back loop only to form the fold between crown and sides; check each stitch before continuing so the fold reads cleanly.
- Uneven increase spacing in shaping rounds
- Count the plain stitches before each increase as you go, since the gap between increases grows by one stitch every round through Round 9.
The materials list
- 4-ply milk cotton yarn
- 3.5 mm crochet hook
- Stitch markers
- Tape measure
- Scissors
Listed by the pattern's own author, in their words.
Key to this pattern, 5 short forms
Hat Construction
Round 1
Start with a magic circle and place 10 half double crochets into it. Slip stitch to join.
Round 2
Chain one, place two half double crochets in each stitch for a total of 20 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 3
Chain one, alternate between one half double crochet and an increase for a total of 30 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 4
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the first two stitches, and an increase in the third stitch for a total of 40 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 5
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the first three stitches, and an increase in the fourth stitch for a total of 50 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 6
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the first four stitches, and an increase in the fifth stitch for a total of 60 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 7
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the first five stitches, and an increase in the sixth stitch for a total of 70 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 8
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the first six stitches, and an increase in the seventh stitch for a total of 80 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 9
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the first seven stitches, and an increase in the eighth stitch for a total of 90 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 10
Chain one, make one half double crochet in every stitch. Total 90 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Round 11
Chain one, make one half double crochet in the back loop only of each stitch. Total 90 stitches. Slip stitch to join.
Rounds 12–19
Chain one, make one half double crochet in each stitch. Slip stitch to join at the end of each round. Change color as desired.
Brim
Round 20
Chain one, make six half double crochets, and an increase in the seventh stitch. Repeat around.
Round 21
Chain one, make eight half double crochets, and an increase in the ninth stitch. Repeat around.
Round 22
Chain one, make 10 half double crochets, and an increase in the eleventh stitch. Repeat around.
Rounds 23–25
Chain one, make one half double crochet in each stitch. Slip stitch to join at the end of each round.
Assembly, in order
Step 1At the end of round 25, chain one and cut the yarn. Pull the hook out to tighten the stitch.
Step 2Weave in all loose ends to finish the hat.
Check these before you start
- Keep the 3.5 mm hook consistent through every round; a looser or tighter hook changes the stitch counts the increases are built on.
- Because each round joins with a slip stitch instead of spiraling, mark the first stitch of every round so the join lands in the right place.
On one line
| Rounds | 16 |
|---|---|
| Parts | 2 |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time | 2-3 hours |
| Hook | 3.5 mm |
| Yarn | 4-Ply |
Set-up
- Confirm you have enough 4-ply milk cotton yarn on hand to carry through all 25 rounds without joining a new skein mid-round.
- Place a stitch marker at the start of each round; every round ends in a slip stitch join, so losing the start point costs you a full stitch count.
- Work a small swatch in half double crochet with the 3.5 mm hook to check that your tension matches the stitch counts given for each round.
- Read Round 11 before you begin the body, since it works in the back loop only and is easy to miss if you are crocheting on autopilot.
Finishing
- the end of Round 25, chain one and cut the yarn, then pull the hook through to tighten the last stitch.
- Weave in all loose ends, including any left from color changes at the round joins.
- Settle the brim with your fingers so the straight finishing rounds sit flat and even before wearing.
Construction
Rounds 1 through 9 each add exactly 10 stitches by spacing a single increase further apart every round, which keeps the crown flat instead of cupping or ruffling.
Round 11 works in the back loop only, leaving the front loops free as a ridge; this ridge is where the crown stops shaping and the straight sides begin.
Time per section
| Hat Construction (Rounds 1-6) | about 30-40 minutes, because increases happen every round and stitch counts need tracking closely |
|---|---|
| Sides (Rounds 7-12 and beyond) | about 45-60 minutes, because rounds hold at 90 stitches with no shaping, which makes them slower simply from stitch volume |
| Brim (Rounds 20-25) | about 45-60 minutes, because three increase rounds flare the edge before three straight rounds set the finished brim |
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.