Willow Crochet Hat Pattern

The Willow Hat is a stylish crochet hat pattern with a fabulous texture. Worked from the bottom up and using a #4/worsted weight yarn, this hat is such a quick make.

The gorgeous “purl look” stitch pattern is achieved with loosely worked slip stitches; don’t be afraid of them, with a little practice there is no turning back!

This pattern is written for 6 sizes – Baby, Toddler, Child, Tween, Adult Small and Adult Large, and also comes with a full video tutorial (below).

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September 16 2022

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What you’ll need for this crochet hat pattern

Yarn

This pattern calls for any #4/worsted weight yarn.

I used WeCrochet Wool of the Andes Tweed for my hat, which is a super cozy blend of wool and Donegal Tweed. This yarn was very generously provided by WeCrochet for this design 🙂

If wool allergies are a concern, a premium acrylic yarn is a great alternative. Some great alternatives (in a selection of different fibres) for your crochet beanie include:

• WeCrochet Brava Tweed (97% Premium Acrylic, 3% Viscose)
• King Cole Fashion Aran (70% Acrylic 30% Wool)
• Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran (100% Wool)
• Lion Brand Heartland (100% Acrylic)

Hook

For this hat I used a 5.5mm/I-9 crochet hook; you can use any hook that allows you to meet the gauge listed in the pattern 🙂

Other supplies

The hat is worked from the bottom-up in joined rounds. It is a good idea to use a stitch marker to keep track of the first stitch of each round!

Crochet Hat Sizing

The head circumference measurements that I used for each size are as follows:

• Baby: 14″-16″ / 35.5cm – 40.5cm
• Toddler: 16″-18″ / 40.5cm – 45.5cm
• Child: 18″-20″ / 45.5cm – 51cm
• Tween: 20″-21″ / 51cm – 53.5cm
• Adult Small: 22″-23″ / 56cm – 58.5cm
• Adult Large: 23″-24″ / 58.5cm – 61cm

For more details how on figure out the hat size that you need to make, I strongly recommend you read this post on Crochet Hat Sizes – you can get a free printable Hat Size Chart too!

This hat is designed to sit just below the ear – if you would like to make the beanie a little longer, you can add some extra rounds to the BODY section, before proceeding to the decrease rounds.

How to crochet the Willow Hat

This hat is crocheted from the bottom up, in alternating rounds of half double crochet (hdc) and slip stitches (sl st). You will begin with the ribbing, worked in a long strip, and then seamed to form a circle.

Next, you will work the body of the hat in turned rounds, and finally, work some decrease rounds to taper in the top of the hat, and make it easy to “cinch in” without creating a lot of bulk.

Finished Measurements

Notes

Please read through the entire pattern before beginning.

Skill Level

Construction

This hat is worked from the bottom up as follows:

• RIBBING: Work the ribbing in a long strip, then fold and seam the edges.
• BODY: Work the body in turned rounds, beginning with a round worked into the edge of the ribbing.
• Please see the Stitch Chart in the print-friendly PDF for help for stitch placement at the start and end of each round.

General Pattern Notes

• The stitch count for each row/round is given in [ ] at the end of the row/round. 
• If no stitch count is given, then the count is the same as the previous row/round.
• Ch 1 at the start of a row/round does not count as a stitch.
• When working the sl st rounds, it is very important to maintain a loose tension. If these sts are worked too tightly, then it may make the subsequent hdc round more difficult.
• When working the BODY section, you may find it helpful to mark the first stitch of each round with a stitch marker.
• Instructions are written for multiple sizes as follows: Baby (Toddler, Child, Tween, Adult Small, Adult Large)
  • If an instruction does not apply for a particular size, then an “x” is used as a placeholder for that size: e.g. “Size x (x, x, x, x, Adult Large) only” indicates that the next instruction is only worked for size Adult Large.
• Before you start, go through the pattern and highlight/mark the stitch counts and row/rounds that correspond to the size you are making (this will make your life much easier!).

Gauge

BODY: 14 sts x 12 rows = 4″ x 4″ / 10 cm x 10 cm measured over alternating rows of hdc and sl st BLO.

RIBBING: 7 sts x 14 rows = 1.5″ x 4″ / 4 cm x 10 cm measured over yo-slst BLO.

Note: for your gauge swatch, ch 20 and work approximately 15 rows of the BODY pattern (you do not need to join at the end of each row for the gauge swatch).

Materials

Yarn

Any #4/Medium/Worsted weight yarn. The amounts given here are for WeCrochet Wool of the Andes Tweed in Down Heather (110yds/101m per 50g skein; Weight: #4/Medium/Worsted; 80% Peruvian Highland Wool, 20% Donegal Tweed).

Hook

5.5mm (US I-9) crochet hook (or hook required to meet gauge).

Other items

• Yarn needle
• Stitch marker

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch = chain
• st = stitch
• sk = skip
• hdc = half double crochet
• BLO = back loop only
• yo-slst = yarn over slip stitch (see Special Stitches)
• hdc2tog = half double crochet two together (see Special Stitches)
• dec = decrease
• beg = beginning
• rem = remaining
• RS = Right Side
• WS = Wrong Side

Special Stitches

Yarn Over Slip Stitch (yo-slst)

Step 1: Yarn over, insert hook into indicated st, yarn over and pull up a loop. [3 loops on hook]

Step 2: Do NOT yarn over, continue to pull the bottom loop on hook through top 2 loops. (You may find it easier to rotate your hook away from you as you pull through).

Half Double Crochet Two Together (hdc2tog)

Step 1: Yarn over, insert hook into indicated st, yarn over and pull up a loop. [3 loops on hook]

Step 2: Yarn over, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop. [5 loops on hook]

Step 3: Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.

Written Pattern

All Sizes: (Baby, Toddler, Child, Tween, Adult Small, Adult Large)

RIBBING

Leaving a long tail for seaming, ch 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8).

Row 1: Yo-slst in second ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. [5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7)]

Row 2: Ch 1, yo-slst BLO in each st across, turn.

Rows 3 – 48 (54, 60, 66, 72, 77): Repeat Row 2.

Do not fasten off. Pull up a long loop, tie a loose knot (to prevent your work from unravelling), and remove hook. Fold ribbing in half and seam edges using the long tail. Turn ribbing the right way around (so that the seam is on the inside).

BODY

Round 1: Ch 1, hdc evenly around ribbing edge, working 1 hdc for each ribbing row, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [48 (54, 60, 66, 72, 77)]

Round 2: Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, sl st BLO (loosely) in each st around ending with last sl st in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn.

Round 3: Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, hdc (both loops) in each st around ending with last hdc in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn.

Round 4: Repeat Round 2.

Rounds 5 – 6 (8, 10, 12, 14, 16): Repeat Rounds 3 and 4.

Note: the remaining rounds will decrease the circumference of the hat to make it easier to “cinch in” at the top. Decreases are worked on hdc rounds only. Each decrease round will reduce the stitch count by 8 (9, 10, 11, 12, 11) sts. 

Sizes x (x, x, x, x, Adult Large) only

Round x (x, x, x, x, 17) (dec): Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, *hdc2tog in next 2 sts, hdc in each of next 5 sts; repeat from * around ending with last hdc in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [x (x, x, x, x, 66)]

Round x (x, x, x, x, 18): Repeat Round 2.

All Sizes: (Baby, Toddler, Child, Tween, Adult Small, Adult Large)

Round 7 (9, 11, 13, 15, 19) (dec): Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, *hdc2tog in next 2 sts, hdc in each of next 4 sts; repeat from * around ending with last hdc in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [40 (45, 50, 55, 60, 55)]

Round 8 (10, 12, 14, 16, 20): Repeat Round 2.

Round 9 (11, 13, 15, 17, 21) (dec): Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, *hdc2tog in next 2 sts, hdc in each of next 3 sts; repeat from * around ending with last hdc in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [32 (36, 40, 44, 48, 44)]

Round 10 (12, 14, 16, 18, 22): Repeat Round 2.

Round 11 (13, 15, 17, 19, 23) (dec): Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, *hdc2tog in next 2 sts, hdc in each of next 2 sts; repeat from * around ending with last hdc in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [24 (27, 30, 33, 36, 33)]

Round 12 (14, 16, 18, 20, 24): Repeat Round 2.

Round 13 (15, 17, 19, 21, 25) (dec): Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, *hdc2tog in next 2 sts, hdc in next st; repeat from * around ending with last hdc in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [16 (18, 20, 22, 24, 22)]

Round 14 (16, 18, 20, 22, 26): Repeat Round 2. Round 15 (17, 19, 21, 23, 27) (dec): Ch 1, sk joining sl st just made, *hdc2tog in next 2 sts; repeat from * around ending with second leg of last hdc2tog in first st of previous round, sl st to join to beg st, turn. [8 (9, 10, 11, 12, 11)]

Finishing

Cut yarn and fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Turn hat inside out. Weave tail in and out between the stitches of the last row. Pull tail tightly to

close up the top of the hat. Secure well with several stitches.

Weave in any remaining ends. Turn hat the right way around. All done!

September 16, 2022

I am so excited to be featured in the Fall into Autumn Blog Hop today!! 

Here’s what you need to do you get the your free PDF:

1. Click on the IMAGE below – this will bring you to my About Me page.
2. On that page, you have you will find easy two ways to get the pattern:
   • You can either download the PDF directly
   • If you prefer to keep all your patterns together on Ravelry, you also have the option to receive a Ravelry coupon code.

If you wish, you can purchase an inexpensive, ad-free PDF version of this pattern through Ravelry, Etsy or LoveCrafts.

I hope you have enjoyed this pattern, if you have questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact me. And be sure to tag your finished project on Instagram or Facebook using @nedandmimi or #nedandmimi!

Happy crocheting!

Sarah