Top-Down Half Double Beanie
A flat hdc circle for the crown, straight rounds for the body and a post-stitch rib to finish. Stop increasing at your size.
- Yarn
- Worsted (4); about 210 yd for adult medium, so buy two 200 yd skeins, or one of 220 yd or more.
- Hook
- H-8 (5 mm)
- Sizes
- Any size from preemie to adult large. Use the Finished hat and Height columns of the hat size chart. Example: adult medium, 21.5 in (55 cm) finished, 8.5 in (22 cm) tall.
- Example gauge
- 13 sts and 10 rnds = 4 in (10 cm) in hdc
- Yarn needed
- About 210 yd (190 m) worsted for adult medium.
US terms. The UK name follows in brackets the first time each stitch appears. Turning chains don’t count as stitches unless a step says so. See US vs UK crochet terms and crochet abbreviations.
Do the math
The examples use the gauge above. Put your own swatch into the gauge calculator first, then use your numbers in each formula.
| Step | Formula | Example | Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increases per round | 6.28 × (sts per in ÷ rnds per in) | 6.28 × 3.25 ÷ 2.5 = 8.2 → 8 | By hand |
| Crown stitches | finished hat × sts per in, to a multiple of 8 | 21.5 × 3.25 = 69.9 → 72 | Cast-On Calculator |
| Increase rounds | crown sts ÷ 8 | 9 rounds | By hand |
| Height before brim | hat height − 1.75 in | 8.5 − 1.75 = 6.75 in | Size Charts |
Materials
- Worsted (4) yarn (see yarn needed)
- H-8 (5 mm)
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
Gauge swatch
Work the first 5 rounds of the crown and measure across: 5 rounds should be about 4 in wide at this gauge.
Instructions
Crown
Join every round with a sl st (UK ss) to the first st; the ch at the start of each round does not count as a stitch.
Rnd 1: Magic ring. Ch 1, 8 hdc (UK htr) in ring. Join. (8)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 hdc in each st. (16)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, *hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st; rep from *. (24)
Rnd n: Ch 1, *hdc in next (n − 2) sts, 2 hdc in next st; rep from *. (8 × n)
Stop after the round that gives your crown count (example: rnd 9, 72 sts).
Body
Ch 1, hdc in each st around. Join. Repeat until the hat measures the “height before brim” from the centre of the crown.
Brim
Rnd 1: Ch 2, dc (UK tr) in each st. Rnds 2–3: Ch 2, *FPdc (UK FPtr) around next st, BPdc (UK BPtr) around next st; rep from *. Join each round. Fasten off.
Finishing
- Weave in ends.
- Add a pom-pom if you like.
Designer’s notes
- Flat-circle rule: increases per round ≈ 6.28 × (sts per in ÷ rows per in). With typical gauges that comes to about 6 for sc (UK dc), 8 for hdc and 12 for dc.
- If the crown ruffles, you’re increasing too fast for your gauge: try 7 per round. If it cups, try 9.
- Stagger the increases (put the 2 hdc in the middle of the section on alternate rounds) for a rounder crown.
Counter set-up
Counter 1: rounds. Counter 2: crown rounds (goal = crown sts ÷ 8).
Open the row & stitch counter for several counters, or use the quick one below.
Want it on paper? This pattern is in Quick Gifts in an Evening, a printable PDF of 12 patterns with photos and row tallies ($8).
Tools for this pattern
- Gauge CalculatorEnter your swatch counts to get stitches and rows per 4 in (10 cm).
- Cast-On CalculatorEnter your width and gauge; it rounds to the stitch multiple for you.
- Size ChartsLook up the finished measurements for the size you are making.
- Yarn Quantity CalculatorPick the project, size and yarn weight to get total yardage and skeins to buy.
- Row & Stitch CounterSet up the counters listed below; the screen stays awake while you work.