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Sparrow Loop

Crochet in the round, counted stitch by stitch.

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PatternWearablesBy The Hook Desk8 Nov 2026

Ribbed beanie in the round, four sizes

How do I crochet a ribbed beanie that fits, from the crown down?

Hook
4.5 mm for the crown, 4.0 mm for the body
Yarn
Worsted (#4), approx. 90 g. A wool-acrylic blend holds the rib best.
Gauge
Crown in hdc on 4.5 mm: 13 hdc and 11 rounds = 10 cm. Body in the third loop on 4.0 mm: 19 sts = 10 cm unstretched
Finished
Toy 40 cm, child 46 cm, teen/small adult 50 cm, adult 54 cm — all 21 cm deep

Four sizes from one pattern, distinguished only by the crown's final stitch count. Adult medium lands at 54 cm, which fits most adults with a 4 cm negative ease.

Materials

  • 90 g worsted wool-acrylic blend
  • 4.5 mm and 4.0 mm hooks
  • Stitch marker
  • Blunt tapestry needle
  • A hat form or a balloon for blocking

Abbreviations

  • hdc = half double crochet
  • third loop = the horizontal bar behind the top two loops of an hdc
  • inc = 2 hdc in one stitch
  • MR = magic ring
  • sl st = slip stitch
Eleven rings to the adult crown: eight increase rounds then three flat, and the flat rings are where the hat stops growing and starts dropping.
Round-by-round schematic Eleven rings to the adult crown: eight increase rounds then three flat, and the flat rings are where the hat stops growing and starts dropping.

Round by round

Open any round to read what happens in it.

R1 · 8 sts

CROWN on 4.5 mm. MR, 8 hdc, join with sl st.

R2 · 16 stsinc

inc in each stitch around, join.

R3 · 24 stsinc

(1 hdc, inc) around, join.

R4 · 32 stsinc

inc, 2 hdc, (inc, 2 hdc) seven times, join.

R5 · 40 stsinc

(3 hdc, inc) around, join.

R6 · 48 stsinc

(4 hdc, inc) around, join. Crown is now 37 cm around — a child's size.

R7 · 56 stsinc

(6 hdc, inc) around, join. 43 cm around — teen/small adult. Stop here for that size.

R8 · 64 stsinc

(7 hdc, inc) around, join. 49 cm around. Adult medium continues one more round.

R9 · 70 stsinc

(9 hdc, inc) around, join. 54 cm around — adult. Do not exceed this; the rib adds 3 cm of give.

R10 · 54 sts

BODY: switch to 4.0 mm. hdc in the third loop of each stitch around, in a spiral from here. Marker at the start of the round.

R11 · 54 sts

hdc in the third loop of each stitch. Repeat this round until the body measures 12 cm from the crown edge.

R12 · 54 sts

Brim: 5 rounds of hdc in BOTH loops, which is a tighter fabric than the body and stops the brim flaring.

R13 · 54 sts

Final round: reverse sc (crab stitch) around. Fasten off and weave in.

Finishing

  1. Steam-block over a balloon inflated to your target head size. Wool needs steam, not soaking, to open the rib.
  2. Never hang a beanie to dry. Lay it flat round a dinner plate so the crown keeps its shape.
  3. If the rib has relaxed after a month, mist the body only and let it dry on the balloon; the crown does not need re-blocking.

If it goes wrong

There is a diagonal line running up the hat.

That is the spiral step and it is unavoidable in a spiral. Move the round start to the back by marking it and rotating the hat when worn.

The third-loop ridge disappears halfway up.

You started working into the top two loops out of habit. Run your thumb along the back of the fabric after every few stitches to feel the bar.

The hat is too tight across the forehead.

The crown is one size small. The rib gives about 3 cm, not 7; go up one crown size rather than blocking it bigger.

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