Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Seamless Crochet Ear Flap Hat




This is a simple double crochet beanie hat with ear flaps.  This hat is worked in a continuous spiral so there is no seam.  This hat can be a regular beanie or add optional ear flaps.





Seamless Crochet Ear Flap Hat

This pattern is written in US crochet terms.  I used worsted weight yarn and a size H crochet hook.  You will also need a measuring tape or ruler, scissors and a yarn needle to hide your ends.  You will need about 3 ounces of yarn


Notes: Think of this hat in 2 parts (3 parts if you are adding ear flaps). Part 1 is the crown or top of the hat, part 2 is the sides, and optional part 3 is the ear flaps. The crown is a flat disc or slightly cupping disc. With each round the disc will grow wider and wider. Once the crown is as wide as you need it for the size you are making, then you will skip to part 2, the sides of the hat. Part 2 is just 1dc in each st. Continue with part 2 until the hat is as long as you like. For a beanie you will want the hat to hit you around the earlobes or make it longer for a slouchy style or if you will roll the brim up. For an ear flap hat you will want to make your beanie a bit shorter, having it end near the middle of the ear. If you make your ear flap hat too long is will fall over the eyes.


Part 1 
The crown of the hat (this will be a flat or slightly cupping disc)
Begin with a magic loop
  1. Work 1 sc (mark this stitch), 1 hdc, 10 dc into the magic loop (working over the loop and the short tail). Pull the short tail to tighten the magic loop (12 stitches)
  2. Work 2 dc in each st around (be sure to move the stitch marker from the last round to the first dc of the new round for every round) (24 stitches)
  3. *Work 2 dc in the next st, then 1 dc in the next st, repeat from * around 11 more times (36 st)
  4. *Work 2 dc in the next st, then 1 dc in the next 2 st, repeat from * around 11 more times (48 st)
  5. *Work 2 dc in the next st, then 1 dc in the next 3 st, repeat from * around 11 more times (60 st)
  6. *Work 2 dc in the next st, then 1 dc in the next 4 st, repeat from * around 11 more times (72 st)
Can you see how this pattern continues? You will always increase by 12 stitches on each round.
The next row would be

  1. *Work 2 dc in the next st, then 1 dc in the next 5 st, repeat from * around 11 more times (84)
Continue until your disc is large enough. Below is a guideline but you can make the crown any size that you want. You do not have to finish a round, you can stop at any point once your disc is the appropriate size. Keep in mind that tightly crocheted hats will have less stretch and loosely crocheted hats will have more give to them

Diameter of hat crown (inches)
Baby : 4-5 inches
Toddler : 5-6 inches
Teen/Adult : 6-7 inches

Part 2 
The sides of the hat

Once the crown is the appropriate size you will continue working dc in a spiraling fashion. Using a stitch marker is no longer needed. You will no longer be increasing and instead of the disc growing wide and wider the disc will begin to cup and the sides of the hat will be formed.

  1. 1 dc in the next st and in each stith around until the hat is as long as you like.
  2. Once the hat is as long as you like you will need to taper down and fasten off. To do that you will work 1 hdc in the next 3 st, then 1 sc in the next 3 st, then 1 sl st in the next st, fasten off


Part 3 
The ear flaps (optional)
Turn the hat so that the tapering decrease at the end of Part 2 is at the center back, this will help make it less noticeable. You will want to make the location of the earflaps. You can put the hat and make where the ear flaps would need to be to cover the ears, or if that is not possible you will need to estimate. The ear flaps should be slightly set back from center, as this is how your ears are slightly set back.

  1. Join the yarn on at the mark where the ear flap starts. To join on you will pinch the new yarn with a spare finger onto the backside of your work (the inside of the hat), insert your hook into the appropriate stitch on the hat, pick up the yarn and pull it through the stitch. Ch 1 and pull on the short tail to snug that ch down and help hold the new yarn on. You will need to continue to hold the yarn on the backside of your work for several stitches until it is secure.
  2. Ch 1, starting in the stitch that you joined the yarn on to, dc2tog, dc in the next 6 st, dc2tog over the next 2 st, ch 1 turn your work
      To do dc2tog: yo, insert your hook, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook, yo, insert your hook into the next st, yo and pull up a loop, yo through 2 loops, yo and pull through all 3 loops on your hook
  3. dc2tog, dc in the next 6 st, dc2tog over the next 2 st, ch 1 turn
  4. dc2tog, dc in the next 4 st, dc2tog over the next 2 st, ch 1 turn
  5. dc2tog, dc in the next 2 st, dc2tog over the next 2 st, ch 1 turn
  6. dc2tog twice, fasten off


To finish: work a border of sc, work 1 sc into each stitch along the bottom edge of the hat and work 1-2 sc into the sides of each row of the ear flaps. More or less stitches may be needed for the sc border to lay flat and look smooth. Hide all the ends of the yarn with a tapestry or yarn needle. Add any embelishements you like such as pom pom, tassels or braids to the ear flaps and/or a pom pom to the top of the hat.

This pattern, tutorial and video are my own creation.  Please link back to this original patterns or video when sharing.  Be sure you check out all of my free crochet patterns.


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