6 Free Crochet Baby Hat Patterns (Preemie to 5 Years)

Every free crochet baby hat pattern below is a real published pattern with written round-by-round instructions, linked to the designer who wrote it. Between them they cover preemie through to five years, and one goes all the way to adult.

A baby hat is an hour or two of work, which makes it the usual first project for working in the round — and the usual last-minute baby shower gift. The only measurement that really matters is head circumference.

Sizing

Crochet stretches, so a hat should be worked about an inch smaller than the head it is for. The chart below gives the standard measurements; every pattern here lists its own finished circumference, which is the number to check rather than the size label.

Age	Head circumference	Finished hat
Preemie	11–12 in / 28–30 cm	10–11 in around
Newborn	13–14 in / 33–36 cm	12–13 in around
3–6 months	16–17 in / 41–43 cm	15–16 in around
6–12 months	17–18 in / 43–46 cm	16–17 in around

1. Willow Ridge Beanie

Eight sizes, newborn through adult large — the widest range here, and the reason to bookmark it if you make hats for a whole family. Amanda works it from the top down in continuous rounds using the piqué stitch, which raises ridges and gives the fabric a squishy thickness a plain beanie does not have. DK (Stylecraft Bambino) for the small sizes, worsted (Caron Simply Soft) for the larger, with the hook moving from 4 mm to 5.5 mm as the size goes up. Rated easy. Free pattern: Willow Ridge Beanie.

2. The Parker Crochet Baby Hat

Ashleigh alternates ordinary double crochet rows with front-post double crochet to build a ribbed texture — the ribbing is what makes the hat stretch with a growing head rather than outgrowing it in a month. Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice worsted on a 5 mm hook, written in six sizes from 0–3 months up to child. Rated level 1, beginner, and there is a full video alongside the written pattern. Free pattern: The Parker Crochet Baby Hat.

3. Free Newborn Crochet Hat

Melissa Hassler writes this one specifically for the smallest heads: preemie, 0–3, 3–6 and 6–12 months. Preemie sizing is genuinely useful and surprisingly rare in free patterns — most start at newborn. Worked from a magic circle, top down in joined rounds, worsted weight on a 5 mm hook. Rated beginner, and each size is a quick make. Free pattern: Free Newborn Crochet Hat Pattern.

4. Blue Lagoon Hat

Veronika Cromwell builds this one backwards from the others: the brim is worked first in short rows, then joined into a ring, and the body is crocheted around it using puff stitches set into chain spaces. That gives a properly stretchy brim and a bobbled body. Caron X Pantone worsted on a 5 mm hook, in two sizes — 35 cm and 40 cm circumference. Rated beginner. Free pattern: Blue Lagoon Hat.

5. Striped Crochet Baby Hat

Seven sizes from newborn to five years, and the clever part is that Amanda changes yarn weight with the size rather than only the stitch count: DK on a 4 mm hook for 0–3 months, aran on 5 mm for 6–12 months, chunky on 6 mm for 3–5 years. The stripes alternate double crochet rounds in the main colour with half double crochet rounds in the contrast, so the bands differ in height as well as colour. Free pattern: Striped Crochet Baby Hat.

6. Free Crochet Baby Hat (0–3 Months)

A single size done thoroughly: 13.5 inches around and 5.5 inches tall, which is the standard 0–3 month fit. Rhondda Mol starts with a double magic ring — two loops rather than one, so the crown cannot work loose over time — then increases to shape the crown before working straight. Red Heart With Love on a 5.5 mm hook, with a printable PDF and video. Rated easy. Free pattern: Oombawka Free Crochet Baby Hat.

The 6 patterns compared

Pattern	Designer	Hook	Sizes	Yarn	Level
Willow Ridge Beanie	Amanda, Maisie and Ruth	4.0–5.5 mm	Newborn–adult (8)	DK / worsted	Easy
The Parker Baby Hat	Ashleigh, Sewrella	5.0 mm	0–3 mo to child (6)	Worsted	Beginner
Free Newborn Hat	Melissa Hassler	5.0 mm	Preemie–12 mo (4)	Worsted	Beginner
Blue Lagoon Hat	Veronika Cromwell	5.0 mm	0–6 mo (2)	Worsted	Beginner
Striped Baby Hat	Amanda, Maisie and Ruth	4.0–6.0 mm	Newborn–5 yrs (7)	DK / aran / chunky	Easy
Oombawka Baby Hat	Rhondda Mol	5.5 mm	0–3 mo	Worsted	Easy

Frequently Asked Questions

What size is a newborn crochet hat?

A newborn head is roughly 13 to 14 inches around, and the hat should be worked about an inch smaller so it stretches to fit — so aim for 12 to 13 inches of finished circumference and around 5.5 inches tall. The Oombawka pattern above is written to exactly this measurement if you want a reference.

Which yarn is safe for a baby hat?

Soft acrylic or a cotton blend. Both machine wash, which matters more than it sounds — a baby hat gets washed constantly. Avoid anything scratchy against a newborn’s scalp, and skip wool unless you know the family has no sensitivity to it. Several patterns here use baby-specific DK yarns for this reason.

How long does a baby hat take?

An hour or two. That is what makes them the standard baby shower gift and the usual first project for anyone learning to work in the round — you find out whether your crown shaping works before you have invested a weekend.

Should I make the newborn size or size up?

Size up. Babies outgrow the newborn size within weeks, and a hat that is slightly large sits fine with the brim folded. If you are making a gift before the birth, the 3–6 month size gets far more use.

If you are making one hat as a gift, size up — the 3–6 month size gets far more wear than the newborn. If you want a single pattern to keep coming back to, the Willow Ridge Beanie’s eight sizes will cover everyone you know. Each link goes to the designer’s own page.