Crocheting Hats for Preemies – Tutorial & Pattern

Making hats for preemies not difficult and it is a quick project for charity or hospital donations.

PREEMIE HAT SIZES

First we need to discuss sizing. Preemies come in all sizes. Below is a chart I developed based on head circumference.

Baby’s Weight	Head Circumference	Hat Circumference	Hat Height- edge to crown	Hat Crown Diameter
1-2 lbs.	9”-10”	8”	3”	2.5”
2-3 lbs.	10”-11”	9”	3.25”	2.8”
4-5 lbs.	11”-12”	10”	3.5”	3.2”
5-6 lbs.	12-13”	11”	4”	4”

Crochet hats have 1” – 1 ½ “ stretch. That is why the hat circumference is smaller than the head circumference. Hat height is measured before brim. If you want to add a rolled up brim continue for ½ “ to 1” longer. 

So now that we have some approximate measurements for preemie hats. Here is how to design your own hats.  Following this method you may use any yarn, hook and stitch combination to get the size you want.  Here is how.

IMPORTANCE OF CROWN DIAMETER

The Hat Crown Diameter is the key to achieving the right hat circumference.  To understand this, we need to go back to geometry.  And you said you would never need to use that stuff! :-)

To figure out how large to make the hat crown you take the desired hat circumference and divide it by 3.14 (remember your good friend π). For those of you who are mathematically minded it looks like this.

Crown Diameter = Desired Circumference / 3.14

HOW TO INCREASE THE CROWN

You simply increase evenly until you reach the desired crown diameter, then stop increasing and continue to add rows until desired hat length from crown to bottom edge.  If this is Greek to you here is how to increase evenly and shape your hat crown.

Your first step is to decide on what stitch you want to use and the number of sts to start with. Usually when I am crocheting in the round I start with 6-8 if using sc, 8-10 if using hdc and 10-12 if using dc.  Now to increase evenly you will increase each round by the same number of stitches you started with in the first round.  Here is the general pattern

R1: Start with your beginning number of sts in a magic loop – join with sl st (every round)

R2: ch up as many as you need to for your sts (every round), 2 sts in each st

R3: 1 st in first st, 2 sts in the next st (this is the “increase”)– repeat around to end

R4: 1 st in the first 2 sts, 2 sts in the next st– repeat around to end

R5: 1 st in the first 3 sts, 2 sts in the next st - repeat around to end

R6: 1 st in the first 4 sts, 2 sts in the next st - repeat around to end

Continue rounds in this pattern, adding one more st between each increase with each round, until you reach the desired Crown Diameter.  Then continue in each round crocheting one st into each previous st until you reach the desired height from edge to crown.

You may need to play around with sts and hook size to get the Crown Diameter you want.

Below is a pattern to get you started.

PATTERN FOR BASIC PREEMIE HAT 

 This hat should have a circumference of about 11” and height of 4”

Supplies:

Chunky Weight Yarn Level 5

Size L Hook

  *Join each round with a slip st in first st*

   

R1: Magic Loop, Ch. 1, 8 hdc

R2: Ch1, 2 hdc in each st

R3: Ch1, *1 hcd in the first st, 2 hdc in the next st* repeat * to * until end

R4 -7: Ch1, hdc in each st around.

R8: Ch1, crab stitch around for edge. Join with invisible join. OR you could sc around or use any edge st you like.

Here is another website that has some more pattern to get you started. 

 http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/Jeanaries/Hats.html

Have fun making hats for the littlest littles!!

You may download this tutorial in PDF Form Here or Here

***** You may do anything you like with items you make using my patterns.  If you sell them on-line I only ask that you link back to the post. You may also link back to this post on any blog or website. Please do not copy any part of this pattern and claim it as your own or copy and re-post it elsewhere. Thank You *****