Free Directions for Crochet Hats, Ribbed and Worked Side to Side

Most hat patterns start at the crown and spiral outward in rounds. This one does the opposite. You chain a foundation, work back and forth in rows until the piece measures about 18 inches at its widest point, sew the ends together and pull the top closed. That sideways construction gives the hat its ribs, and it changes how you handle fit, because you stop on a measurement instead of a round count. If you have been looking for free directions for crochet hats that go beyond the standard top-down beanie, this is a good one to learn, provided you are comfortable with half double crochet and willing to learn one slightly unusual place to put it.

Pattern at a glance

Detail	This pattern
Size	One size to fit adult
Yarn	Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Batik in Electric (0006); the hat uses 227 yds (207.5 m)
Hook	US H/8 (5 mm), or the size needed to match gauge
Gauge	13 hdc and 9 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in the ribbed pattern
Measurement	Approx 18 in (45.5 cm) at the widest point before seaming
Construction	Worked side to side in rows, seamed at center back, top gathered, cuff turned back
Stitches	Chain, slip stitch, half double crochet

Materials

• Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Batik, 1 ball in Electric (0006). The ball is 7 oz (200 g) and holds 372 yds (340 m); the hat needs 227 yds (207.5 m).
• Hook: Susan Bates Silvalume crochet hook, US size H/8 (5 mm), or the size you need to reach gauge.
• Notions: Susan Bates yarn needle, scissors and a tape measure.

That 227 yards is the answer to how much yarn to crochet a hat in this style, and one ball covers it with yarn left over.

If you substitute, match the gauge rather than the weight name on a label: look for a yarn that gives 13 half double crochet and 9 rows over 4 inches in the ribbed pattern with a hook you can work comfortably, then compare its yardage with the 227 yards this hat uses. Check the label for fiber content and care, because this pattern does not set those. For the best yarn to crochet hats in this ribbed style, I would choose a smooth yarn with clearly defined plies, since you need to find the horizontal bar on every stitch. A variegated yarn like this one adds color with no extra work but can make the bar harder to see, so I would pick a plain or softly shaded yarn for a first attempt.

Size and gauge

Size

The pattern makes one size, to fit adult. There is no size range and no separate small or large version, and no head measurement is given, so the fit is governed by the stopping point: you keep working rows until the piece measures approx 18 in (45.5 cm) at its widest point.

Measuring to length has a useful side effect. Every row has the same 45 stitches, so your stitch gauge decides how tall the hat is, while your row gauge only decides how many rows you work to reach 18 inches. I would expect a looser stitch gauge to give a taller hat and a tighter one a shorter hat. This pattern is for adults; if you need something for a much smaller head, a crochet baby bonnet pattern is a better starting point.

Gauge

Gauge is 13 hdc and 9 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in the ribbed half double crochet pattern. Stitches are counted across a row and rows are counted up the length of the piece. Gauge matters more than usual here, because the number of stitches across is fixed and the height of the hat follows from it.

Work a swatch in your yarn using the same technique as the hat: half double crochet, then half double crochet into the horizontal bar of each stitch on the following rows. Make it a few stitches wider and a few rows taller than the 4-inch square you plan to measure, lay it flat without stretching it, and measure. More than 13 stitches in 4 inches means your fabric is tighter than the pattern, so go up a hook size. Fewer than 13 means it is looser, so go down a hook size.

Free directions for crochet hats: how the strip becomes a hat

Picture a rectangle of ribbed fabric. Each row runs across it, 45 stitches wide, and the rows stack up until the length reaches about 18 inches. Sew the two ends of that length together and you have a tube. Every row now runs from the brim edge to the top edge, so each one shows as a single vertical rib on the finished hat.

Two details make the construction work. At one end of every row, five slip stitches form a narrow band, worked in the back loops only. That band becomes the top of the hat, and it is what you gather to close the crown. The other 40 stitches in each row are half double crochet worked into the horizontal bar, which gives the body its ribbed texture.

Working half double crochet into the horizontal bar

A half double crochet has two loops across its top, the ones you usually work under, and a third strand below them: a short horizontal bar. In the ribbed rows of this pattern you ignore the two top loops and put the hook under that bar instead. Yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over again and pull through all three loops on the hook, exactly as in an ordinary half double crochet. Only the insertion point changes.

The bar is easiest to see when the stitch is facing you after you turn. Tilt the work toward the light and look just beneath the top loops. Each half double crochet has exactly one bar, so a full row gives you 40 of them to work into, which doubles as a quick check that you have not skipped one. Working into the bar instead of the top loops is what produces the ribbed look, and I would expect the fabric to have more give around the hat than plain half double crochet.

Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
ch	chain
hdc	half double crochet
sl st	slip stitch
st(s)	stitch(es)
RS / WS	right side / wrong side
rep	repeat
approx	approximately
Hdc Rib Pat	the ribbed pattern made by repeating Rows 2 and 3

All terms are US. Hdc is half double crochet, which UK patterns call half treble crochet.

Pattern notes

• The hat is worked in rows, turning at the end of every row, never in rounds.
• The turning chain at the start of a row is not counted as a stitch, so every row still totals 45 sts.
• The five slip stitches stay on the same edge throughout: at the end of Row 1, the start of Row 2, the end of Row 3, and so on.
• Leave long tails at both ends. The starting tail is 24 inches, and the final tail does the seam.

Instructions

Foundation

Ch 47, leaving a 24 in (61 cm) tail for seaming later. (47 ch)

Row 1 (RS)

Hdc in the 3rd ch from the hook; the 2 skipped chains act as a turning chain and do not count as a stitch. Hdc in each of the next 39 ch. Sl st in each of the last 5 ch. Turn. (45 sts: 40 hdc, 5 sl st)

Row 2 (WS)

Ch 1. Working in back loops only, sl st in each of the 5 sl sts at the start of the row. Then hdc into the horizontal bar of each stitch across to the end of the row. Turn. (45 sts: 5 sl st, 40 hdc)

Row 3 (RS)

Ch 2. Hdc into the horizontal bar of the first stitch, then do the same in each of the next 39 stitches (40 hdc). Working in back loops only, sl st in each of the last 5 sl sts. Turn. (45 sts: 40 hdc, 5 sl st)

Repeat Rows 2 and 3

Repeat Rows 2 and 3, the Hdc Rib Pat, until the hat measures approx 18 in (45.5 cm) at its widest point and you have just finished a WS row, which is a Row 2. Measure with the piece laid flat and relaxed. If you reach 18 inches after a Row 3, work one more Row 2. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the center back seam. (45 sts)

Finishing

Sew the seam and gather the top

Thread the tail from your last row onto a yarn needle. Bring the two ends of the piece together and sew them to make the center back seam. Whipstitch or mattress stitch both work, so use whichever lies flatter in your yarn. Keep the stitches evenly spaced and match row to row as you go, so the ribs line up across the seam.

Without cutting the yarn, weave the needle through the edge made by the slip stitch rows, the narrow band at the top, then pull the yarn firmly to gather and close the crown. Take a few small stitches across the closed center to hold it, then pass the tail to the inside.

Turn back the cuff

Fold the open brim edge up on the outside to form the cuff. This is the half double crochet edge opposite the gathered top, and you can fold it as deep as you like, as long as the ribs of the cuff continue the ribs above it.

Weave in the ends

Weave in any remaining ends on the inside, following a rib so they do not show. That includes the 24-inch starting tail, which is left long so you have extra yarn if you would rather begin the seam from the foundation end.

How hard is this hat?

Chain, slip stitch and half double crochet are all this pattern asks for, so the stitch list is short. The difficulty is in how they are used. You work into the horizontal bar rather than the top loops, you work the five slip stitches in the back loops only, you keep that band on the correct edge of every row, and you finish by seaming and gathering. I would call it suitable for a confident beginner: someone who can already make an even half double crochet and is happy to slow down for the first few rows.

If you are brand new to crochet, it helps to sort out your supplies first, and a guide to choosing a beginner crochet kit can help with that. The pattern is also forgiving to check, because every row comes to 45 stitches: you count to 45 and you are either right or you know which row to correct.

Troubleshooting

• I cannot find the horizontal bar. The bar sits below the two loops you would normally work into. Tilt the fabric toward the light and look for the short horizontal strand just beneath the top loops. Resting the hook tip against the strand before you insert it confirms you have the right one.
• My stitch count is off. Every row should total 45 sts, 40 hdc and 5 sl st. Count the five slip stitches first, then the half double crochet. If one row is wrong, undo just that row.
• One row of the slip stitch band looks different. The slip stitches are worked in the back loops only. If a row looks different from the rows around it, check that you stayed in the back loops.
• The hat is too tight or too loose. Check gauge first and change the hook size rather than the stitch counts. Then measure the piece again before seaming. If it is short of approx 18 in, add rows until it reaches that length, finishing on a WS row.
• The ribbing looks flat or loose. Check that every half double crochet goes into the horizontal bar and not the top loops, and keep your tension even from row to row.
• The seam shows or the top has a gap. Match row to row as you sew and keep the stitches evenly spaced. When you gather the top, pull the yarn firmly before you fasten it.
• My tail is too short. Both tails are left long on purpose. If the final tail will not stretch to the seam and the gathering, use the 24-inch starting tail to work from the foundation end instead.

Care

The pattern does not set care instructions, so follow the label on your yarn, since fiber decides how a hat should be washed and dried. I would wash the swatch first if you are unsure, and weave in the ends securely before the first wash.

Questions about this hat

What size does this hat fit?

One size to fit adult. No head measurement is given, so wrap the finished piece around the head before seaming to see how it sits.

How much yarn does the hat need?

227 yds (207.5 m). One ball of Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Batik holds 372 yds (340 m).

How do I work half double crochet into the horizontal bar?

Put the hook under the single horizontal strand below the two top loops, then complete the half double crochet as normal. The section above explains where to find it.

Why is the hat worked side to side?

It makes the ribs run vertically and lets you stop on a measured length.

Can I use a different yarn or hook?

Yes, as long as you reach the stated gauge. The hook is listed as the size needed to obtain gauge, so adjust the hook, not the stitch counts.

How do I sew the seam and gather the top?

Use the tail from the last row to sew the two ends together, then weave it through the slip stitch band and pull to close the crown.

Do I need to swatch for gauge?

I would, because the stitch gauge controls the height of the hat and the number of stitches across never changes.

Another accessory to make next

If you want another accessory project with a different construction, the granny square bag pattern is the next one to try.