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Two-colour ribbed baby hat crochet pattern

Single crochet (UK double crochet) baby hat with ribbed band and shell crown; US and UK terms given throughout.

Two-colour ribbed baby hat crochet pattern
Skill
Beginner
Time
4-6 hours
Yarn weight
DK
Hook
3.5 mm

Beginner

What the original write-up called it. Nothing here is graded again.

DK

What the sample was worked in. Any weight works; the size moves with it.

4-6 hours

What the original page reckoned. Your own pace is the one that matters.

About this pattern

This pattern makes a two-colour baby hat with a single crochet (UK: double crochet) ribbed brim, a shell-stitch body in grey and blue, and a decreased crown closed with a yarn needle. It uses a 3.5mm hook and double-knit (8-ply) yarn in two colours, suits confident beginners comfortable with basic shaping, and takes roughly 4-6 hours from slip knot to finished seam.

This piece is a two-colour baby hat that begins as a single crochet (UK: double crochet) ribbed band, then moves into a shell-stitch body worked in groups of three taller stitches. The ribbing gives the brim its stretch, while the shell rounds in grey and blue create the fan-like texture that defines the hat's upper section. A plain decrease round closes the crown, keeping the piece within the single crochet family throughout the shaping.

Construction starts lengthwise: the ribbed band is worked back and forth in rows until it measures 14 inches, then joined into a circle and worked into around its edge to begin the rounds. A grey shell round sits directly above the band, a blue shell round follows, and the body continues before the crown decreases work back down in grey. The whole hat is built in one continuous sequence of rounds, with no separate pieces to seam beyond closing the crown.

Materials

  • 3.5 mm crochet hook
  • Two colors of 8-ply or double-knit yarn (Gray and Blue)
  • Yarn needle and scissors
  • Optional pom-pom for finishing

The list is the pattern's own wording.

Instructions

Every round is printed as the pattern wrote it, brackets and all. Open the key beside a round to see only the short forms that round uses.

Crocheting the Band (Gray)

  1. Row 1

    Make a slip knot and chain 12.

  2. (11)
    Row 2

    SC in the second chain from the hook and across to get 11 stitches.

    Key1
    sc
    single crochet
  3. (11)
    Row 3+

    Chain 1, turn, and SC in the back loop only for ribbing. Repeat until the band measures 14 inches long.

    Key1
    sc
    single crochet

Joining the Band

Fold the band so both ends meet.

  1. Join

    SC through each matching stitch on both ends to join into a loop.

    Key1
    sc
    single crochet

Main Hat Body (Gray and Blue)

  1. Round 1

    Gray SC evenly around the band’s edge, about 2 SC between each rib. Join with SL ST.

    Key3
    sl st
    slip stitch
    st
    stitch
    sc
    single crochet
  2. Round 2

    Gray Chain 3 (counts as DC), make 2 more DC in the same stitch. Skip 2 stitches, 3 DC in the next stitch.Repeat around and join. Fasten off gray.

    Key1
    dc
    double crochet
  3. Round 3

    Blue Join blue yarn between DC groups, chain 2, and work 2 more DC in the same gap.Continue 3 DC in every gap around, then join and fasten off.Alternating Rounds: Reattach gray, repeat the 3 DC in every gap.Continue alternating colors until the hat measures 6.5 inches long.

    Key1
    dc
    double crochet

Decreasing for the Crown (Gray)

Keep gray yarn attached after the last color round.

  1. Round 1

    Chain 1, SC 2, SC2tog around. Join.

    Key2
    sc2tog
    single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease)
    sc
    single crochet
  2. Round 2

    Chain 1, SC 1, SC2tog around. Join.

    Key2
    sc2tog
    single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease)
    sc
    single crochet
  3. Round 3

    Chain 1, SC2tog around. Join. Fasten off leaving a long tail.

    Key1
    sc2tog
    single crochet 2 stitches together (decrease)

Making up

  1. Step 1Thread the tail through a yarn needle.
  2. Step 2Weave in and out through the top stitches and pull tight to close the hat.
  3. Step 3Secure and weave in all ends neatly.
  4. Step 4Optionally sew a button inside the crown and loop a pom-pom tag through for a cute finish.

Notes from the pattern

  • The 3.5mm hook suits the 8-ply/double-knit yarn specified; sizing up or down the hook will change the finished band width and shell spacing.
  • Keep tension even through the 14-inch ribbed band, since the stitch count stays fixed at 11 and any tightening or loosening will show up as a wavy edge once it is joined.
  • Fasten off cleanly at each colour change (end of Round 2 and end of Round 3) and leave tails long enough to weave in, rather than carrying yarn up the inside of the hat.
  • The final crown tail needs to be pulled snug but not forced, since over-tightening at closure can pucker the top where the gray decreases meet.

The essentials

Rounds
10
Parts
4
Level
Beginner
Time
4-6 hours
Hook
3.5 mm
Yarn
DK

Stitches you will use

  • Back loop only ribbing Used for the full 14-inch band; working consistently into the back loop only keeps the rib lines straight and the stitch count steady at 11.
  • Shell stitch with a colour change Appears in Round 2 (grey) and Round 3 (blue) of the main hat body; join the new colour into the gap between shell groups, not into a stitch, to keep the pattern aligned.
  • SC2tog decreases Used across all three crown rounds; space the decreases evenly around each round so the crown pulls in flat rather than lopsided.

Troubleshooting

The ribbed band comes out shorter or

Row tension varies the finished length more than stitch count does here, since the band is measured to 14 inches rather than counted in rows; check tension against a swatch before continuing.

Gaps or holes appear where the blue

This happens when the new colour is joined into a stitch instead of the gap between DC groups; unpick back to the join and restart Round 3 directly in the gap.

The crown doesn't lie flat and puckers at the centre

Uneven spacing of the SC2tog decreases across the three crown rounds is the usual cause; when closing with the tail, weave through the top stitches evenly before pulling tight rather than cinching one side first.

Substituting yarn

Acrylic, double knit (8-ply)
Closest match to the pattern as written; keeps the 3.5mm hook and stitch counts unchanged, with a slightly crisper shell texture than wool.
Cotton, double knit (8-ply)
Gives a firmer, less elastic ribbed band, so the brim may need a slightly looser tension to keep the same stretch; the same 3.5mm hook still works.
Wool or wool-blend, double knit (8-ply)
Softer drape in the shell body and a springier rib, though the hook may need to drop to 3.25mm if the wool is loosely spun to keep the 11-stitch band width true.

Washing and care

  • If the yarn is wool or a wool blend, hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry; machine washing can felt the ribbed band and tighten the shell rounds unevenly.
  • Reshape the brim and crown while still damp, smoothing the ribbing lengthwise, then store the finished hat flat or loosely folded rather than hung, to keep the band from stretching out of shape.

The photographs taken while this was being made

Every one was taken by whoever published the pattern, in the order the source listed them.

  • Two-colour ribbed baby hat crochet pattern — photo 2
  • Two-colour ribbed baby hat crochet pattern — photo 3
  • Two-colour ribbed baby hat crochet pattern — photo 4

FAQs

Questions

Why does the ribbed band need to measure exactly 14 inches?

This length is what sets the hat's final circumference once the band is joined into a ring. A shorter or longer band will change the fit, so it is worth checking the measurement before joining.

Can the grey and blue colours be swapped or changed?

Yes, the colourway is a styling choice rather than a structural one. Any two shades of the same 8-ply/double-knit yarn will work the same way, since the pattern only specifies where each colour is joined.

What does SC2tog mean in the crown rounds?

It stands for single crochet two together, a basic decrease that combines two stitches into one. It is used in all three crown rounds to gradually close the top of the hat.

Is a pom-pom necessary, or can it be left off?

The pom-pom is optional and purely decorative, as noted in the materials and assembly steps. The hat is complete and wearable without it, closed simply by weaving and securing the tail.

Why is the hat worked in US single crochet terms rather than UK terms?

The pattern uses US stitch names throughout, where single crochet corresponds to UK double crochet. Readers working from UK pattern books should substitute accordingly, since the stitch itself is identical.

These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.