Beginner Color-Blocked Ribbed Brim Crochet Hat Pattern Free: Bulky Hdc Beanie

If you are ready to crochet your very first fitted beanie—or want a reliable, gift-ready winter hat that fits like a dream—the Beginner Color-Blocked Ribbed Brim Crochet Hat teaches you the most versatile construction method in hat design: bottom-up ribbing worked in the round. Using #5 bulky Caron® Colorama™ O’Go™ and a 6.0 mm (US J/10) hook, you start by crocheting a stretchy 10-stitch back-loop single crochet band, slip-stitch its ends into a tube, and work directly around the top edge in smooth half double crochet rounds up to the shaped crown.

Why Bottom-Up Ribbed Brim Construction Fits So Well

Top-down hats can sometimes end up too tight or too loose at the forehead if your gauge shifts slightly. When you start with the back-loop single crochet (`scbl`) ribbed band first, you can wrap the band right around your head as you work until it measures 22″ [56 cm] slightly stretched. Once joined into a circle, picking up 54 stitches (a multiple of 9 for the 9-point crown decreases) guarantees a comfortable, stay-put fit around the ears.

Materials & Custom Family Size Chart

Because the crown shaping uses 9 decrease points per round (a multiple of 6 stitches on Round 1 of crown shaping, reducing by 9 stitches per round), you can adapt this exact formula for any head circumference:

Abbreviations & Stitch Guide (US Crochet Terms)

• Beg = Beginning
• Ch = Chain(s)
• Hdc = Half double crochet
• Hdc2tog (Half Double Crochet 2 Together) = (Yoh and draw up a loop in next stitch) twice, yoh and draw through all 5 loops on hook.
• Rem = Remaining
• Rep = Repeat
• Rnd(s) = Round(s)
• RS = Right side
• Sc = Single crochet
• Scbl (Single Crochet in Back Loop Only) = Insert hook under the back loop only of the next stitch, yoh and complete a single crochet.
• Sl st = Slip stitch
• St(s) = Stitch(es)

Step-by-Step Crochet Instructions

Note: All rounds are joined with a sl st to the first stitch. Ch 2 at the beginning of a round does not count as a stitch.

Part 1: Crocheting & Joining the Ribbed Brim

1. Foundation Chain: Ch 11.
2. Row 1: Work 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Work 1 sc in each ch across to end of chain. Turn. (10 sc)
3. Row 2 (Ribbing Row): Ch 1. Work 1 scbl (single crochet in back loop only) in each st across to the end of the row. Turn. (10 scbl)
4. Repeat for Circumference: Repeat Row 2 until the ribbed strip from the beginning measures 22″ [56 cm] when slightly stretched.
5. Join Into Tube: Fold the strip so the last row meets the foundation row, and join them together with 1 row of slip stitches (sl st) worked through both thicknesses. Do not fasten off.

Part 2: Crocheting the Hat Body in the Round

1. Round 1 (RS – Pickup Round): Ch 1. Working evenly around the long side edge of the ribbed tube, work 54 sc around. Join with a sl st to the first sc and place a stitch marker at the end of the round. (54 sc)
2. Round 2 (Hdc Body Round): Ch 2. Work 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join with a sl st to the first hdc. (54 hdc)
3. Repeat for Height: Repeat Round 2 until the hat measures 7″ [18 cm] from the lower edge of the ribbed brim.

Part 3: Shaping the Crown & Adding the Pompom

1. Crown Round 1: Ch 2. *Work 1 hdc in each of next 4 sts. Work hdc2tog over next 2 sts. Repeat from * around. Join with sl st to first hdc. (45 sts)
2. Crown Round 2: Ch 2. *Work 1 hdc in each of next 3 sts. Work hdc2tog. Repeat from * around. Join. (36 sts)
3. Crown Round 3: Ch 2. *Work 1 hdc in each of next 2 sts. Work hdc2tog. Repeat from * around. Join. (27 sts)
4. Crown Round 4: Ch 2. *Work 1 hdc in next st. Work hdc2tog. Repeat from * around. Join. (18 sts)
5. Crown Round 5: Ch 2. *Work hdc2tog. Repeat from * around. Join. (9 sts)
6. Close Crown: Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle, weave through the remaining 9 stitches, pull tightly to close the top opening, and secure on the inside.
7. Make the Pompom: Holding strands of any unused shades together, wind yarn around 4 fingers approximately 100 times in total. Slide off fingers, tie tightly around the center, cut open all loops on both sides, trim into a dense round pompom, and sew securely to the top of the crown.