A simple, double-crochet hat for the whole family. The Invisible Join technique makes this hat totally seamless, and enables you to work jogless stripes in the round without an unsightly line of starting chains and slip stitches.
Table of Contents
Seamless Double Crochet Hat Pattern
By Yay For Yarn
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Sizes (according to the wearer’s head circumference measurement):
- Preemie: 12” circumference (30.5 cm)
- 0-6 Months: 13” circumference (33 cm)
- 6-12 Months: 14” circumference (35.6 cm)
- 12-18 Months: 16” circumference (40.6 cm)
- Child Small: 17” circumference (43.2 cm)
- Child Medium: 18” circumference (45.7 cm)
- Child Large: 19 ¼” circumference (48.9 cm)
- Adult Small: 21” circumference (53.3 cm)
- Adult Medium: 22” circumference (55.9 cm)
- Adult Large: 23” circumference (58.4 cm)
Hat is designed with negative ease, meaning the hat is a little smaller than the wearer’s actual head circumference, so it will stretch to comfortably stay on the head.
Actual Finished Size (circumference/ hat length):
- Preemie: 11” / 4 ½” (28 cm / 11.4 cm)
- 0-6 Months: 12” / 5” (30.5 cm / 12.7 cm)
- 6-12 Months: 13” / 5 ½” (33 cm / 14 cm)
- 12-18 Months: 14 ½” / 6 ¾” (36.8 cm / 42.5 cm)
- Child Small: 15 ½” / 7 ¼” (39.3 cm / 18.4 cm)
- Child Medium: 16 ½” / 7 ½” (41.9 cm / 19 cm)
- Child Large: 17 ¾” / 7 ¾” (45 cm / 19.7 cm)
- Adult Small: 19” / 8” (48.3 cm / 20.3 cm)
- Adult Medium: 20” / 8 ¼” (50.8 cm / 21 cm)
- Adult Large: 21 ¼” / 8 ½” (54 cm / 21.6 cm)
Instructions and Yarn Requirements for size Preemie are given outside the parentheses, and instructions and yarn requirements for all larger sizes are inside the parentheses like this:
Preemie (0-6 Months, 6-12 Months, 12-18 Months, Child Small, Child Medium, Child Large, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large).
You Will Need:
- 35 (43, 52, 66, 76, 88, 93, 105, 111, 124) Yards of #4 Worsted Weight Yarn (if working in all one color. If you plan to do two colors with equal stripes of each color, will need about half of the yardage in one color, and about half in the other color)
- US Size I (5.5 mm) Crochet Hook
- Measuring Tape
- Scissors
- Yarn Needle or Blunt Tapestry Needle
Abbreviations:
- st: stitch
- sts: stitches
- nxt: next
- ea: each
- beg: beginning
- sl st: slip stitch
- ch: chain
- dc: double crochet
- *invslst: invisible slip stitch
- *CSDC: chainless starting double crochet
*This is a special stitch. See instructions below to learn how to work this stitch. Click here for a video tutorial on how to work the CSDC and Invslst, as well as how to change colors with this method.
Invslst: Remove hook from current loop. Insert hook from back to front through the top of the CSDC from beg of round. Place original loop back on hook. Pull loop through the st from front to back.
CSDC: Pull loop on hook until it is slightly longer than a regular dc. Holding the top of the loop still with your finger, yarn over with the loop on your hook (not the working yarn) 1 time. Insert the hook into the specified st. Yarn over, pull up a loop of yarn. *Yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook* 2 times.
In this pattern, you can change colors at the end of any round to make any stripe pattern you like. I used 2 colors in my hat, with 2 rows per stripe in each color.
To Change Colors: When you have completed the invslst at the end of the round, yarn over and pull a loop of the new color yarn through the loop on your hook. Pull on the old color yarn until the previous loop disappears.
To Carry the Unused Color Up the Inside of the Work: At the end of each round where you are not changing colors, twist the unused color yarn with the working yarn and continue crocheting with the current color working yarn.
Gauge: 10 double crochet stitches = 3” (7.6 cm); 6 double crochet rows = 3” (7.6 cm)
NOTE: When pattern says something like, “ *dc in nxt st, 2 dc in nxt st* 11 times around”, it does not mean to work the sequence between *and* once, then repeat it 11 times more. It just means to work the sequence between *and* 11 times total.
Seamless Double Crochet Hat Instructions
Crown of Hat
Ch 4, sl st in 1st ch to form a ring.
Round 1: CSDC in center of ring. 11 dc in center of ring. Join with invslst. You should have 12 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst.
Round 2: CSDC in same st, dc in same st. 2 dc in ea of nxt 11 sts. Join with invslst. You should have 24 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst.
Round 3: CSDC in same st, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt st, 2 dc in nxt st* 11 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 36 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst.
For Size Preemie, 0-6 Months, and 6-12 Months, STOP here.
- For Preemie: Continue to Body of Hat.
- For 0-6 Months: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 7 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 8 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 3 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 40 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
- For 6-12 Months: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 2 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. Dc in nxt 4 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 3 sts, 2 dc in nxt st, dc in nxt 4 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 3 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 44 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
For All Remaining Sizes:
Round 4: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt st, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 2 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 11 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 48 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst.
For Size 12-18 Months, Child Small, and Child Medium, STOP here.
- For 12-18 Months: Continue to Body of Hat.
- For Child Small: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 10 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 11 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 3 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 52 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
- For Child Medium: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 4 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 5 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 7 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 56 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
For All Remaining Sizes:
Round 5: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 2 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 3 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 11 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 60 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst.
- For Child Large: Continue to Body of Hat.
- For Adult Small: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 13 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 14 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 3 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 64 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
- For Adult Medium: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 5 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. Dc in nxt 7 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 6 sts, 2 dc in nxt st, dc in nxt 7 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 3 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 68 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
- For Adult Large: CSDC in same st, dc in nxt 3 sts, 2 dc in nxt st. *dc in nxt 4 sts, 2 dc in nxt st* 11 times around. Join with invslst. You should have 72 sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst. Continue to Body of Hat.
Body of Hat
Round 1: CSDC in same st, dc in ea st around. Join with invslst. You should have 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72) sts, including CSDC, but not including invslst.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 4 ½” (5”, 5 ½”, 6 ½”, 7”, 7 ½”, 7 ½”, 8”, 8”, 8 ½”) long, from the chain st ring we started with to the bottom edge. Tie off, weave in ends.
This pattern is intended for your personal use only. You may not share it, copy it, sell it, give it away, or mass produce the finished product. However, you may sell the finished items on a small scale, as long as you convey in an item description that you used a Yay For Yarn pattern.
Yay For Yarn Copyright©️ 2018 – Current. All patterns and photos are owned by Yay For Yarn.
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Have you tried the invisible join method yet?
Hi,
I have followed the pattern up to medium adult size, but when I am done following the pattern with 68 stitches at the the end, I have still 4 stitches left to actually join the round. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Maya. I’d be happy to help! Did you have 68 stitches after completing the final increase round for Adult Medium (after Round 5)? If you finished that round for Adult Medium with 68 stitches, it could be that you have accidentally added stitches as you worked the rows of the Body of the Hat.
Thank you for the answer. In the round 5 I have 60 stitches, in the round 6 (adult small) I have 64 but in the next round (adult medium) following the pattern I finished with 68 stitches before finishing the whole round….
Oh, I see. After Round 5 (which applies to all remaining sizes), there is one final round that adds stitches before moving on to the body of the hat. There is a round listed for Adult Small, a round listed for Adult Medium, and a round listed for Adult Large, but each of those rounds only applies to that specific size. So if you’re making Adult Medium, you don’t need to work the round for Adult Small. Instead, after Round 5, you only need to work the round that is specifically for Adult Medium. Then you can move onto the body of the hat. It sounds like you worked the round for Adult Small AND the round for Adult Medium. Just skip the instructions for that round that is marked “Adult Small” and only work the round that is for Adult Medium. Does that make sense?
Last night I followed along and actually was able to do that wrap-around invisible join – more practice is necessary but thank you VERY much for your wonder-filled teaching style.
My symptoms commonly referred to as ADD mean I learn in a different way … and your way of teaching is perfect for me!
My red Caron Simply Soft practice piece is now ready for Row 5. I might switch to blue for a few rows.
Then make another hat for the brother starting with blue and then switching to red.
I’m shocked at how neat my work seems – only because of your teaching video.
So glad the tutorial was helpful to you! Thanks for sharing!
Last night I finished Adult Medium – ending with 68 stitches – and it’s a tad over 8″.
How do I send you a picture of my finished hat?
Hi Marny! If you’d like to send a photo, you can email it to me at blogger[at]yayforyarn.com. Thanks!
Hi there, I am usually quite adept at managing new crochet techniques, but every time l try this chainless dc stitch the YO on the hook is really loose in the end result. I hold the yarn fast right to the last pull through, but it just unfurls each time. How can l amend this, please? Also, wondering if you achieve this with all other crochet stitches?
Hi! If the yarn over is too loose in the finished stitch, you might try shortening the length of the stretched loop. How long you stretch the loop determines the tension of the stitch, so if the loop is a bit too long, the stitch will be looser. And yes, you can do this with the other crochet stitches. I have tutorials on that here and here. I hope this helps!
In the video on the hat you do round 4 twice. Is it only done once? Is it because you show how to twist the yarn? I do love the invisible stitch! Thanks
Hi Nicole! Round 4 is only worked once. I did show how to twist the yarn and change colors in between rows in the video, but round 4 was only shown once. Hope this helps! I’m so glad you are enjoying the invisible join method!