Best Friends Forever – Free Crochet Hat Pattern

Best Friends Forever Hats

Two lovely variations on the same theme: these best friend forever hats celebrate the unity and diversity within friendship. You will love making, wearing, and giving these classic styles!

Want the PDF to download for safekeeping?

It’s only $1.99 and you help support The Firefly Hook!

 

Want the Ravelry Download for $2.00?
Find this pattern on Ravelry here and use the code TAKE3 at checkout for $3.00 off (Reg. price $5.00).

 

Need pattern support? Join our facebook community!

Leisure Arts books by Abbey Swanson of The Firefly Hook. Your purchase helps support this site!

Click here to shop.

Materials

Yarn: This yarn was purchased from an indie dyer in San Francisco California while my photographer was on a trip visiting a friend. The yarn is a 3-ply fingering weight. Each hat used approx. 50g of yarn. This would be a fun stash-diving project or a great opportunity to buy a delicious skein of yarn at a farmer’s market or craft fair. If you need a solid suggestion – I highly recommend Malarbigo Finito or Mechita.

Hook: 4.0 mm

My favorite hooks:

Shop here.

Before we get to the pattern, let’s take a moment to drool over all these Finito and Mechita color choices by Malabrigo.

Click on any photo to shop!

Your purchase helps support The Firefly Hook. Thank you!

Finito


Mechita


Pattern Info

Gauge: 16 rows and 25 sts = 4 inches in pattern

Sizes: Baby, Toddler, Child, Teen/Adult

Dimensions:

Baby – 16” circ., 6” height

Toddler – 17” circ., 7” height

Child – 18” circ., 8” height

Adult – 19” circ., 9” height

Notes

  • This hat is worked sideways, the edges of the rows form the top and bottom of the hat. First and last rows are sewn together then the top is closed by decrease rnds.
  • This hat has a lot of negative ease. Be sure your gauge and yarn/hook combo allow for 3” negative ease for the adult size hat (the smaller sizes will have slightly less negative ease).
  • Turn chains do not count as a stitch.

Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Abbreviations

BL        back loop

ch        chain

dc        double crochet

hdc      half double crochet

rep       repeat

sc         single crochet

st         stitch

RS        right side

Pattern

Mauve hat

Create a chain based on which hat size you’re making: Adult 9”; Child 8”; Toddler 7”; Baby 6”.

Row 1: (RS) Sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across. (Stitch count based on ch.)

Row 2: Ch 2, turn, hdc in each st across.

Row 3: Ch 3, turn, dc in BL only of each st across.

Row 4: Ch 2, turn, hdc in each st across.

Row 5: Ch 1, turn, sc in BL only of each st across.

Rep rows 2 – 5 until hat measures: Adult 19”; Child 18”; Toddler 17”; Baby 16”.

Finishing

Fold hat in half with first and last row even and right side facing, sew together by working a sc through both layers, do not finish off.

Closing the top:
Note: Work this section in a spiral with no visible transitions between rnds; do not connect rnds.

Rnd 1: Begin where last sc from seam ended, work 1 sc in the end of each row around. (st count = number of rows worked).

Rnd 2: Dc2tog around (work 1 dc at the end if there’s an uneven st count).

Rnd 3: Sc2tog around (work 1 sc at the end if there’s an uneven st count), finish off leaving a 6” tail for sewing.

Whip stitch around row 3 to close hole.

Peach Hat

Create a chain based on which hat size you’re making: Adult 9”; Child 8”; Toddler 7”; Baby 6”. Be sure the chain count is a multiple of 4 + 11. (4 + 1 is for the stitch pattern, 10 is for the brim)

Row 1: Hdc in third ch from hook and in next 7 chs, dc in each rem ch. (Stitch count based on ch.)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, [sc in next st, ch 3, sk 3 sts] rep across to last 9 sts, sc in next st, hdc in BL of each rem st.

Row 3: Ch 2, turn, hdc in BL of next 8 sts, sc in next st, [ch 3, sc in next sc] rep across row.

Row 4: Rep row 2.

Row 5: Ch 2, turn, hdc in BL of next 8 sts, [sc in next st, ch 1, sc around all ch-3-sps below, ch 1] rep across, sc in last st.

Row 6: Ch 1, turn, [sc in next st, ch 3, sk 3 sts/chs] rep across to last 9 sts, sc in next st, hdc in BL of each rem st.

Row 7: Ch 2, hdc in BL of next 8 sts, dc in each st/ch across.

Row 8: Rep row 2.

Row 9: Rep row 7.

Rep rows 2 – 9 until hat measures: Adult 19”; Child 18”; Toddler 17”; Baby 16”.

Follow finishing instructions for mauve hat.

Need a place to sell PDFs? Try SendOwl! More info here.

Hope you liked the pattern! Comment below with any questions. I added some YouTube videos from my channel below. Enjoy!

Crochet often. Create always!

Xoxo,

Abbey

Need pattern support? Join our facebook community!

51 thoughts on “Best Friends Forever – Free Crochet Hat Pattern”

  3. I made the hat with Yarn Bee, Comfy Cozy. It is a lightweight soft hat. I am going to donate it for a chemo hat.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I could – but I thought they were the same. I haven’t been able to look over any patterns this week ha! I need to change the finish on the peach hat so it might be a separate instruction anyway.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. At 19 inches I am at the brim. I don’t know if you would want to put in the instructions to finish on the brim edge.

    Like

    Reply

      1. I don’t think you can really finish this hat on the brim edge because of the pattern.

        Like

  7. Abbey, just going over the finishing instructions for the Peach hat & I found an error. We finish with a Row 9 (Row 7) repeat. The sc seam takes us from the top of the hat to the brim. We must then finish off & rejoin at the crown in order to complete the decrease rounds. Please correct me if I’m mistaken but that’s what happened to me.

    Like

    Reply

    1. It’s the same as the Tidepool finishing. So it depends if you want the seam to show or not – But as it’s written it’s the WS together with the RS facing out as you sew.

      Like

      Reply

  9. In order to finish the peach hat on row 9 it measures 20 1/2, if I end at the last section before this one it measures a little more than 18”. At the 20 1/2” the hat is big. I am not going to finish the top until I hear what I should do. Do you need to always stop on row 9?

    Like

    Reply

  10. On the peach hat it might be helpful to add: after you finish the body of the hat, cut the yarn then follow the finishing instructions for the mauve hat. (I had to think about it a little bit, since row 9 finishes at the top of the hat.)

    Like

    Reply

  11. On rows 3, 5, and 7 I am doing the half double crochets in the first stitch, where you usually start the single crochet stitches. On row 7, I am crocheting around the chains instead of into the stitches.

    Like

    Reply

      1. I think it would be helpful to add that you can go crochet a round the chains. It doesn’t change the overall look of the hat and is so much faster. I am almost finished with the body of the hat. I will take a picture before I start the top.

        Like

      2. It might need to be rewritten to start in the bottom of the stitch instead of the first stitch. I’m not sure how to word it.

        Like

    1. I worked into the chains because I liked how it looked – but it’s a preference thing too… It’s easier to work in the ch-sp but it doesnt pull the space open as well. For testing I’m really okay with you doing it how you want but it’s written to work into each chain 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  14. I’m on my 2nd repeat. My starting chain measured 9″ unstretched. The work in progress now measures 9″ stretched. Is this okay or should I frog & start over with more chains? it fits from the ear to the crown as shown on the model. What are your thoughts?

    Like

    Reply

      1. The finishing does add a few inches. I think you could block it and get some more length out of it without having to rip out.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Row 7: Ch 2, hdc in BL of next 8 sts, dc in each st/ch across.
      Is this better? I’m guessing the problem was the hdc ribbing was at the end instead of the beginning?

      Like

      Reply

  16. Row 6 should be amended to reflect that we are chaining 3, skipping the ch1 sc ch1 from row 5, then sc in the 2nd sc. I’m not quite sure how to word that so as not to be confusing 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    1. Row 6: Ch 1, turn, [sc in next st, ch 3, sk 3 sts/chs] rep across to last 9 sts, sc in next st, hdc in BL of each rem st.
      Would this work?
      Thanks for catching that!

      Like

      Reply

  18. I’m sorry; my brain lol. I don’t quite understand this: “Be sure your gauge and yarn/hook combo allows for 3” negative ease for the adult size hat.”

    Like

    Reply

    1. haha you are good! Some people were thrown off by the Tidepool hat because it’s uncommon to have so much negative ease in a crochet hat. So I added that note. I can make that more clear – add why I put the note, if that will help!

      Like

      Reply

    1. Hi Kelle!
      I’m assuming with the multiples? I’m trying to figure out how to write that simply. Should I just work out the math and give specific chain counts for each size instead?

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment