Made and counted by Wren —

Crochet baby hat with ear flaps: two-hook pattern

N°6 (3.5mm) and N°5 (3mm) hooks, fine wool-cotton blend: baby hat with crochet ear flaps.

IntermediateLevel

4-6 hoursTime

3.5 mmHook

Superfine (Fingering, held double)Yarn

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About this pattern

A baby hat worked top-down in HDC from an 8-stitch start to an 80-stitch crown, with two shaped ear flaps and a crab stitch border finished without turning. Four small spiral pieces, two in Color A and two in Color B, are sewn into ears and attached roughly 9 cm from the bottom edge. Two hook sizes are used: N°6 (3.5 mm) for the main hat and N°5 (3 mm) for the border and ear pieces. A fine wool or cotton blend held in two strands is required throughout.

This is a baby hat built from a crown worked in HDC, shaped with two HDC ear flaps, and finished with a reverse single crochet (crab stitch) border worked without turning. The crown starts at 8 stitches and increases round by round to 80 HDC, which is the count that governs fit; subsequent rounds hold at 80 stitches until the hat measures approximately 8 cm from where that count begins. Four small spiral discs, two per color, are worked separately and paired to form the finished ear pieces sewn on afterward.

The pattern

Written out round by round

Materials

Yarn

Fine wool or cotton blend yarn (2 strands of superfine cotton)

Color A

Turquoise
Color B : Petrol

Hooks

Crochet Hook N° 6 (3.5 mm) and N° 5 (3 mm)

Other

Stitch marker, measuring tape, tapestry needle, and scissors

Abbreviations

ch = chain
sc = single crochet
hdc = half double crochet

Crocheting the Crown (Start of Hat)

Use Color A and the N° 6 (3.5 mm) hook.

Start: Chain 3. Work 8 HDC into the 3rd chain from the hook.

Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 8)

Round 1Ch 2, 1 HDC in the same point. Then, 2 HDC in every stitch around. Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 16)

Round 2Ch 2, 1 HDC in the same point. Repeat: 1 HDC in the next stitch, 2 HDC in the next stitch.Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 24)

Round 3Ch 2, 1 HDC in the same point. Repeat: 1 HDC in the next 2 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch.Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 32)

Round 4Ch 2, 1 HDC in the next 2 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch. Repeat: 1 HDC in the next 3 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch.Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 40)

Round 5Ch 2, 1 HDC in the next 3 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch. Repeat: 1 HDC in the next 4 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch.Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 48)Rounds 6-8: Continue increasing by 8 stitches per round until you reach a total of 72 stitches by Round 8.

Round 9Ch 2, 1 HDC in every stitch (72 HDC total). Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 72)

Round 10Ch 2, 1 HDC in the next 7 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch. Repeat: 1 HDC in the next 8 stitches, 2 HDC in the next stitch. Join with a slip stitch. (Total Stitches: 80)Subsequent rounds: Continue working 80 HDC per round until the hat measures approximately 8 cm in length from the start of the 80-stitch rows.

Crocheting the Ear Flaps

Use Color A.

Round 1& 2: Ch 2. Work 1 HDC in the next 14 stitches. Turn. (15 stitches total).(15)

Round 3Ch 2. Work a decrease over the next two stitches. Work 1 HDC in each stitch until the last two stitches, then work a decrease over the last two stitches.Turn. (13 stitches total).Continue: Repeat Row 3 until you have a total of 5 stitches.Cut the yarn and weave in the end.Second Ear Flap: Rejoin Color A yarn 20 stitches to the left of the first ear flap. Repeat the exact instructions for the First Ear Flap.

Make Four Pieces (2 Color A, 2 Color B)

Use Hook N° 5 (3 mm).

Start with a slip knot, Ch 2.

Work 6 SC in the 2nd chain from the hook.

Join with a slip stitch to the first SC. (6 stitches total).

Work in a spiral:

Round 1Ch 1, 2 SC in every stitch (12 SC).(12)

Round 2Repeat: 1 SC in the next stitch, 2 SC in the next stitch (18 SC).(18)

Round 3Repeat: 1 SC in the next 2 stitches, 2 SC in the next stitch (24 SC).(24)

Round 4Ch 1. Repeat: 1 SC in the next 3 stitches, 2 SC in the next stitch. Join with a slip stitch to the first SC. (30 SC).Cut the yarn and weave in the end.(30)

Border & Crab Stitch Edging

Join Color B yarn at any point on the bottom edge.

Ch 1, then work a single crochet uniformly around the entire bottom edge, including the ear flaps.

Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.

Cord Edging (Crab Stitch): Do not turn the fabric.

Continue crocheting backwards using the Crab Stitch around the entire border.

Cut the yarn and weave in the end.

Assembly

Step 1Sew one Color A ear piece and one Color B ear piece together, with the wrong sides facing each other.

Step 2Sew the finished ears onto the hat approximately 9 cm from the bottom edge.

Tester's notes

8-stitch start: work all 8 HDC into the 3rd chain from the hook, not the ring center, or the first round count will be short.

72 and 80: Round 9 must land on 72 HDC before Round 10's spaced increases bring the total to 80; recount before moving on.

8 cm: measure from the start of the 80-stitch rounds, not from the crown's center, when checking hat length.

2 Color A and 2 Color B: keep the four ear discs sorted by color as they're finished, since the crab stitch border and final sewing happen after all four look identical in shape.

Work in progress

Crochet baby hat with ear flaps: two-hook pattern — photo 2

Crochet baby hat with ear flaps: two-hook pattern — photo 3

Crochet baby hat with ear flaps: two-hook pattern — photo 4

At a glance

Rounds	13
Parts	4
Level	Intermediate
Time	4-6 hours
Hook	3.5 mm
Yarn	Superfine (Fingering, held double)

Gauge check

After Round 9, the crown should read 72 HDC and lie flat without cupping or rippling when set on a table.

Stitch-count checkpoints

Crocheting the Ear Flaps · Round 1: 15 sts
Make Four Pieces (2 Color A, 2 Color B) · Round 1: 12 sts
Make Four Pieces (2 Color A, 2 Color B) · Round 2: 18 sts
Make Four Pieces (2 Color A, 2 Color B) · Round 3: 24 sts
Make Four Pieces (2 Color A, 2 Color B) · Round 4: 30 sts

If something looks wrong

The crown cups or bowls instead of: The increase count has drifted from 8 to 16 to 24 and on; recount each round against its stated total and rip back to the last correct round.
The ear flap narrows unevenly, with one: Decreases are being worked inconsistently at the row edges; confirm each Row 3 repeat removes exactly 2 stitches (one decrease at each end) until 5 stitches remain.
The crab stitch border looks twisted or: The fabric was turned before working the border; crab stitch is worked backwards without turning, so reverse direction instead of flipping the piece.
The four spiral ear pieces come out different sizes.: A round was skipped or added in the spiral increases; check each piece reaches 12 SC after Round 1 and match round counts across all four before pairing them.

Yarn substitutions

Sportweight cotton, single strand	Produces a firmer, less drapey fabric than the doubled superfine cotton; hold the same N°6 (3.5 mm) hook but expect a slightly stiffer crab stitch border.
DK-weight wool blend, single strand	Approximates the gauge of two held strands of superfine; move up to an N°7 (4.5 mm) hook for the crown and recheck the 72-stitch Round 9 count before continuing.
Superfine acrylic, held double as specified	Keeps the stated hook sizes and stitch counts unchanged; fabric will be lighter and less structured than the wool or cotton blend, which may soften the ear flap decreases.

Original pattern: https://crocheteverything.com/baby-hat-crochet-with-ear-flaps-pattern/

FAQs

Questions

What does the 72-stitch count at Round 9 confirm?

It confirms the crown's increase rounds have been worked correctly before Round 10 adds the final spaced increases to reach 80. If the count is off at Round 9, the 80-stitch target in Round 10 will also be wrong.

How far apart should the two ear flaps be placed?

The second ear flap is rejoined 20 stitches to the left of the first, measured along the same round. This spacing keeps both flaps symmetrical before the crab stitch border is worked around the entire piece.