STITCH ROUND Easy crochet baby hat with ear flaps pattern
16 rounds build this crochet baby hat with ear flaps, ribbed sides, and a folded brim.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Rounds
- 9 rounds
- Yarn weight
- Chunky
- Hook
- 5 mm
- Time
- 3-5 hours
Intermediate
What the original page called it. Nothing here is graded a second time.
9 rounds
Each one gets its own line, with a box beside it to tick as you go.
Chunky
What the sample was made in. Any weight works — the size moves with it.
About this pattern
This is a crochet baby hat built with a ribbed crown and a pair of ear flaps for warmth. The main body ticks off across the main pattern rounds before the brim finishes the piece through round 16, all worked with a single 5 mm hook and a chunky weight yarn. The ear flaps are marked on the crown and then worked as a separate two-round placement plus their own short rows, so the project splits neatly into a hat body and two matching flaps.
Shaping happens fast at the start, where the main pattern rounds double the stitch count with paired double crochets to flare the crown outward. Slow down through those early increase rounds so the doubled stitches land evenly, then again when alternating single crochet rows with front post double crochet rows, since a missed front post throws off the ribbed look. The brim asks for the same care, since it turns the work inside out and works the back loops only across rounds 13 to 16 to keep the ridge visible.
- Mark the ear flap positions on the crown before starting any of the flap rows themselves.
- Build the crown outward through the early main pattern rounds, doubling stitches as instructed.
- Alternate single crochet rows with front post double crochet rows to form the ribbed sections.
- Turn the work inside out and complete the brim through round 16 in back loops only.
- Crochet each ear flap separately by joining yarn at its marked point and working the flap rows.
- Border each finished ear flap with single and double crochets before securing the last stitches.
What goes wrong
- Miscounting ear flap stitches Recount from the back mid-point before marking, since the flap placement depends on exact stitch counts on either side.
- Skipping the turn and chain 1 Chain 1 and turn at the end of every row in the flap and pattern rows, or the edges will pull and pucker.
- Working brim in both loops Use the back loops only for the brim rounds so the front loop ridge stays visible against the ribbed body.
- Losing the front post placement Check that each front post double crochet wraps around the post of the stitch below rather than into the top loops, or the ribbing flattens out.
Yarn, hook and the rest
Copied from the source pattern's own materials list.
- Estelle Highland Alpaka Chunky Yarn (or any 4-5 weight chunky yarn)
- 5 mm crochet hook
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
Progress tracker
0 of the 9 rounds on this page are ticked.
The pattern, round by round
Kept in the order and the wording the source used. Tick a round as you finish it; the ticks stay on this device.
Main Pattern
Round 1
Create a magic ring. Chain 2 (counts as your first double crochet). Work 11 double crochets into the ring. Slip stitch to the first chain to top it off. (Total = 12 double crochets)
Round 2
Chain 2 (counts as your first double crochet). Work another double crochet into the same stitch. Do 2 double crochets in each stitch around. Slip stitch to join. (Total = 24 double crochets)
Round 3
Chain 2 (counts as your first double crochet). Do 2 double crochets in the next stitch, 1 double crochet in the following stitch. Repeat from * to * around. Slip stitch to join. (Total = 36 double crochets)
Rounds 4–11
Chain 2 (counts as your first double crochet). Do 47 more double crochets around. Slip stitch to join. (Total = 48 double crochets each round)
Round 12
Chain 2 (counts as your first half double crochet). Do 47 half double crochets around. Slip stitch to join. (Total = 48 half double crochets)
Brim (Rounds 13-16)
Rounds 13–16
Chain 2 (counts as first double crochet). Turn work inside out, and work 47 double crochets in the back loops only for three more rounds.
Ear Flap Placement
Locate and mark positions for ear flaps.
From the back mid-point, count 6 stitches to the right for the first flap.
Mark the next 10 stitches.
Count 16 stitches across the front, and repeat the marking for another 10 stitch flap.
Ear Flaps (make two): Join Yarn: Attach yarn at the marked point and chain 1.
Rounds 1–3
Work 10 single crochets. Chain 1 and turn after each row.
Row 4
Chain 2 (not counting as a double crochet). Work 10 double crochets across for shaping.
Rounds 5–10
Alternate between single crochet rows and pattern rows with front post double crochets to create a ribbed effect.
Join
Step 1Work a border of single and double crochets around each ear flap.
Step 2Secure the stitches and weave in ends.
Step 3Weave in all loose ends.
Step 4Optional: add decorative elements like buttons, appliqués, or tassels as desired.
Check your count
- Main Pattern · Round 1: 12 sts
- Main Pattern · Round 2: 24 sts
- Main Pattern · Round 3: 36 sts
- Main Pattern · Round 12: 48 sts
- Brim (Rounds 13-16) · Rounds 13–16: 48 sts
- Ear Flap Placement · Rounds 1–3: 10 sts
Bigger or smaller
- Smaller
- Drop to a lighter chunky yarn or a smaller hook, which tightens the gauge and shrinks the crown, brim, and ear flaps together.
Photographs of this one
Every photograph on this page was taken by whoever published the pattern, and they are printed in the order the source listed them.
FAQs
Asked and answered
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.
What yarn does this hat need?
Estelle Highland Alpaka Chunky or any 4-5 weight chunky yarn works, paired with a 5 mm hook. Matching that gauge keeps the ear flap stitch counts lining up as marked.
How is the ribbed texture on the sides made?
The main pattern alternates single crochet rows with rows of front post double crochets. That alternation is what creates the ribbed effect described for the hat body.
Can the ear flaps be left off?
Yes, since the ear flaps are marked on the crown and then worked as their own separate rows. The crown and brim can stand alone without them.
Why turn the work inside out for the brim?
Turning the work inside out for rounds 13 through 16 lets the back loops only stitches sit on the visible side. That keeps the brim's ridge consistent with the ribbed pattern above it.