How to Crochet a Beanie that Fits

Friends, there is literally nothing I enjoy crocheting as much as a beanie.

My first project was a beanie, and I’ve made hundreds over the years. They’re quick to make, relaxing, and there are always charities looking for donations. Tick, tick, tick!

In this Crochet 101 article, I want to demystify the art of crocheting beanies because I see at least 1 post a day from someone whose project has gone awry. Either their beanies are too big, too small, or just… no bueno in ways that I find hard to describe in words (and, I will remind you, I have a Master’s degree in blah blah blahing).

The first thing you need to understand about crocheting a beanie (or anything that needs to be a certain size) is gauge. Put simply, gauge is the number of stitches, rows or rounds over a certain measurement (usually 4 inches or 10 cm). Gauge is why your hat is too small or too big.

The yarn and hook size you’re using is going to affect the size of your project, but so will your tension. If you are a yarn strangler, whatever you make is going to be way smaller than someone whose yarn is floating free. This is why it’s so important to make a swatch (a small sample of your project or a specific stitch) to measure your gauge against a pattern designer’s.

To make the whole thing more complicated, yarn weights can be fairly arbitrary. A worsted weight in one brand can be way thinner or thicker than another brand. Even yarns of the same brand can be different depending on the colour/dyes used. I learned this the hard way when I was crocheting a sweater for my niece in 3 colours, and I only swatched with 2 of them.

So, keep gauge in mind and be wary of any video tutorials or patterns that don’t mention gauge and aren’t made to measure; that’s a red flag.

There are 3 main types of crocheted beanies:

1. Top Down
2. Bottom Up
3. Side to Side

Of course, there are other techniques, and we’ll focus on these three in the article. 

Our preference is always for made-to-measure designs because it’s easy to get the sizing right. Top down is the easiest style to measure as you’re crocheting, and it works with a wide variety of stitches, yarn styles, and hook sizes. 

It’s implied in the name, but a top down beanie is worked from… the top down. You start by making a circle in whatever stitch you like, and then you stop increasing to crochet the body of the hat.

This is my favourite beanie method. Top down beanies are very easy to size because you simply measure your circle and stop increasing when it’s the right width for the size you’re making. For example, an Adult Medium should have a circle that is 15.5 – 17cm wide. Once you reach that measurement, you just keep crocheting in rounds. 

If you’re new to crocheting circles, check out our tutorial.

Let’s run through the steps to make a top down beanie that will actually fit. 

We’re going to use the measurements for an Adult Medium as an example throughout this article.

1. Start by crocheting a circle and stop increasing once it’s 15.5 – 17cm wide.
2. Continue crocheting in rounds until the beanie is 20 – 22cm in height.
3. (Optional) If you want, you can add a brim in ribbing, Camel Stitch, Twisted Single Crochet, Crab Stitch, etc. Just leave enough space in Step 2 to account for however many extra rounds.

That’s it! That’s how simple it is.

We even have a free pattern for our Easiest Beanie that you can use as a practice piece.

For a bottom up beanie, you start with the brim and work towards the crown. This is another method that’s fairly easy to make to measure. You crochet a brim (usually ribbing) that fits around the person’s head, and then you crochet the body of the beanie until it’s the right height for the size you’re making. You can crochet in rounds or rows. 

The con of this style is that the top is often quite bulky at the top because you’re just cinching the fabric (rather than gradually decreasing / increasing like you would for a circle). You can decrease, but it’s much harder to get the beanie height correct without measuring your gauge and then working out the decreases.

This is a great method for cat ear beanies because you finish them by closing the top flat.

1. Start by crocheting the brim in single crochet ribbing (sc in the BLO) until the piece measures approximately 50cm. You can make the ribbing as wide as you want – just change the number of starting chains.
2. Slip stitch the edges of your ribbing together to form a circle (this is the brim of your beanie). If you want to work flat, skip the slip stitching. 
3. Single crochet in the edge of each row (1 stitch per row). You should have the same number of stitches as you had rows in the brim.
4. Continue crocheting rounds (in whatever stitch you like) until the beanie measures 20 – 22cm in height.
5. Fasten off and use a tapestry needle to weave in and out of the stitches of the final round. Pull tight to cinch up the top.
6. (Optional) For a cat ear beanie, just single crochet or slip stitch across the top of the beanie while holding it flat. It will look like a rectangle.

This is my least favourite method. Side to side beanies are worked flat in rows.

If you want to get the sizing right, then you need to check your gauge or be prepared to frog. You can’t accurately measure anything with a chain, and that’s how you need to start this style. Tip: foundation stitches are a bit more accurate than a chain. 

Even though beginners always seem to want to start with this style, this is the one I would not recommend for newbies.

This one is a bit more complicated, and it’s hard to explain the steps in a short post. Basically, you will need to make a swatch and then do the math to work out how many stitches and rows you will need for the size you’re making.

Crochet a rectangle, slip stitch the edges together, and then cinch up the top. 

You also need to keep in mind whether you want a fold up brim, the space needed for the cinched top, or a cat ear style.

We also have quite a few different beanie patterns if you want more help and measurements for all sizes. Our patterns are also written for neurodivergent crafters and beginners to patterns, so we’ll hold your hand through the process.

For a beginner, I’d recommend the Easiest Beanie, which also comes in a Ribbed version.

For more experienced crocheters, I highly recommend The Rind Beanie. I’m willing to bet that you haven’t tried this technique yet! It also has a free add-on for bear ears for the baby sizes.

We also have matching fingerless glove patterns for a lot of our designs. 

Tag us on socials! We’d love to see your beanies.