Create a stylish Lightweight Crochet Beanie suitable for all seasons with this pattern. The wide variety of stitches will hold your interest, no matter your skill level.
“Sweet Pea Beanie” free crochet pattern by Kim Guzman © Jul. 2023. All rights reserved.
Technique: Regular Crochet.
Skill Level: Intermediate.
Crochet Pattern At A Glance
Sweet Pea Lightweight Beanie Pattern
Designer: Kim Guzman © 2022-24. All rights reserved.Rate the Pattern
Yarn
- Stylecraft “Special DK”, 100% acrylic, 322 yds/295m per 3.5 oz/100g per skein: 1 skein, approx. 250 yards used, color Magenta
Other Materials
- Suggested Crochet Hook Sizes H-8 (5mm) or hook needed to meet gauge (larger hook) and G-7 (4.5mm) for Ribbing only (smaller hook)
- Yarn Needle for weaving ends
- Pom Pom optional
Instructions
- Ribbing is made in back loop only single crochet.
- Work round 1 directly onto the long edge of the Ribbing.
- Work 20 more rounds without decreasing.
- Work 7 rounds with decreasing.
- Using yarn needle, cinch the top and seam the Ribbing. Attach pom pom, if desired.
Full Free Crochet Pattern Below
This is a free crochet pattern and the written instructions are below. If you prefer a printable download, a PDF is also available for purchase.
My Crochet Pattern Notes
This hat is worked from the bottom to the top, starting with ribbing worked horizontally and the remainder built onto the long edge of the ribbing.
There is a wide variety of stitches, some perhaps new to you. Together, they make an elegant lightly-lacy stitch pattern.
Working In The Third Loop
In the single crochet round of the stitch pattern, the single crochets are made into what is called “the third loop”.
I’ve made lots of designs working into this loop, but I called them something different in my traditionally published designs. When I used it in the past, I called it a short single crochet.
My most popular design using short single crochet is the Luna Sweater from the December 2009 issue of Interweave Crochet magazine.
I’ve already purchased yarn to republish this design here at Make It Crochet as soon as I have cleared off a place to block it without dog hair. Seriously, for a short haired dog, Pepper sheds an extreme amount of hair!
What Is The Third Loop?
If you look at any crochet stitch, there is a FRONT loop, the one on the top, closest to you. There is a BACK loop, the one on the top, furthest away from you.
The Third Loop is on the literal back of the stitch, below the top two loops. With some stitches, it’s a little tough to get your hook in there because it’s so tight. Half double crochet, for instance is easier than single crochet.
Over the years, I used the term “short single crochet” but I had also seen it called “camel crochet”. Camel crochet was trademarked, though. It took me forever to find a reference in a publication.
Several years ago, though, Tamara Kelly of Moogly Blog made up the name “third loop”. Because the term was so easy to remember and seemed so incredibly obvious, the term stuck and now, most everywhere I see it called Third Loop.
How Do You Crochet Into The Third Loop?
Because the Third Loop is literally on the back of the stitch, you need to work it differently, depending on whether you are working flat or in-the-round.
You can view a short single crochet worked in the round on YouTube.
When working in the round, you insert the hook from top to bottom in that back back loop. If you are working on a flat project, however, the stitch is completed by inserting your hook from bottom to top. These are simply physical differences due to how the work and yarn are held.
Since it’s a whole lot easier to work into the third loop of a half double crochet, I’ve used a half double crochet before a third loop round. I wanted to introduce the technique if you were unfamiliar, but I didn’t want to scare you!
So, for this pattern, the round after a half double crochet round is a single crochet round, worked in the third loop. This gives that little decorative feature on the beanie that looks like knit stockinette stitch.
Sweet Pea Matching Set
If you’re interested in gifts of matching sets. I also have Sweet Pea Mitts available to match this beanie.
Pin It For Later
Finished Size
Height: 9″, Circumference: 20″.
Yarn
Stylecraft “Special DK”, 100% acrylic, 322 yds/295m per 3.5 oz/100g per skein: 1 skein, 250 yards used, color Magenta.
“Special Double Knit” is classified as a DK weight (size 3) yarn and is currently available in 100 shades.
Available at LoveCrafts (aff link). If you’re in the US, look up at the top right to switch to US Dollars. I’ve purchased from them for years and love the selection.
If you are unable to use Stylecraft Special DK, any acrylic or acrylic blend in size 3 lightweight yarn will be close enough.
Yarn Substitution
I‘ve used DK weight yarn (size 3) because I love this size. There’s a lot of yardage on a 100g skein of Stylecraft Special DK. I like that it’s so economical. You could use any yarn you like, using the hook size you prefer. You may need to make changes to the number of stitches and the amount of yarn required.
Other Materials
Suggested Crochet Hook Sizes H-8 (5mm) or hook needed to meet gauge (larger hook) and G-7 (4.5mm) for Ribbing only (smaller hook).
Yarn Needle for weaving ends.
Pom Pom, optional.
Special Stitches
Double Crochet Crossed Stitch (Cross): Skip 2 single crochets, double crochet in next single crochet, chain 1, working in front of that double crochet, work a double crochet in the first skipped stitch. Do not work around the first double crochet, enclosing it. Push the first double crochet out of the way, if necessary. You want it to stand alone and the double crochets are literally crossed, one on top of the other. The center skipped stitch is left unworked.
Decrease (dec): Working in third loop only, insert hook in indicated single crochet, yarn over, pull loop through, insert hook in next single crochet, yarn over, pull loop through, yarn over, pull through 3 loops on hook.
Other Abbreviations
This crochet beanie pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
beg=beginning; ch=chain; hdc=half double crochet; rep=repeat; sc=single crochet; sk=skip; sl=slip; sp(s)=space(s); st(s)=stitch(es).
All numbers after the colon at the end of an instruction are stitch counts. Use the stitch count to check your work.
Gauge
When completed, ribbing is 1.5″ wide and the length is 18″ unstretched, 20″ stretched. For hat body, in stitch pattern, 20 stitches=4″, 15 rounds=4″.
Free Crochet Pattern Instructions
Ribbing
Note: The Ribbing is worked in back loop single crochet. The back loop is the top loop furthest away from you.
Row 1: Leaving 10″ strand (for seaming the ribbing later), with smaller hook (see Materials above), ch 9, sc in 2nd ch and in each remaining ch, turn.
Rows 2-90: Ch 1, working in back loops only, sc in 7 sc, sc in both loops of last sc (for greater stability), turn.
Begin working in rounds across long edge of Ribbing. Do not fasten off.
Ribbing measures 18″ unstretched, 20″ when stretched.
Hat
Round 1: With larger hook (see Materials above), ch 1, *2 sc in side of row, 1 sc in sides of next 9 rows, rep from * across long edge of Ribbing, without twisting the Ribbing, pull the first and last row of the Ribbing together and sl st to first sc: 100 sc.
Note; The beg ch-2s aren’t counted as a stitch when using the stitch counts provided at the ends of the rounds.
Round 2: Ch 2, sk same sc, *cross (see Special Stitches above), rep from * around, sl st to top of beg ch 2: 33 cross.
Round 3: Ch 2, 3 hdc in each ch-1 sp of cross around, sl st to top of beg ch 2: 99 hdc.
Round 4: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, working in third loop only (see Technique above), sc in each hdc around, sl st to first sc: 100 sc.
Rounds 5-19: Rep rounds 2-4.
Rounds 20-21: Rep rounds 2-3.
Round 22: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, working in third loop only, *dec (see Special Stitches above), sc in each of next 9 hdc, rep from * around, sl st to first sc: 91 sc.
Round 23: Rep round 2: 30 cross.
Round 24: Ch 2, *3 hdc in each of next 2 ch-1 sps, 2 hdc in next ch-1 sp, rep from * to last 3 ch-1 sps, 3 hdc in each of last 3 ch-1 sps: 81 hdc.
Round 25: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, working in third loop only, *dec, sc in each of next 7 hdc, rep from * around, sl st to first sc: 73 sc.
Round 26: Rep round 2: 24 cross.
Round 27: Ch 2, *3 hdc in each of next 2 ch-1 sps, 2 hdc in next ch-1 sp, rep from * to last 3 ch-1 sps, 3 hdc in next ch-1 sp, 2 hdc in each of last 2 ch-1 sps: 63 hdc.
Round 28: Ch 1, sc in same st as joining, working in third loop only, *dec, sc in each of next 5 hdc, rep from * around, sl st to first sc: 55 sc. Fasten off, leaving 15″ strand.
Finishing
With yarn needle, weave yarn through the tops of each stitch on the final round. Carefully pull to cinch together the top and secure.
With yarn needle and first strand, seam the first and last rows of the ribbing together, if you haven’t done so already.
Weave in all ends securely. Attach pom pom, if desired.
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TERMS: To my fellow crafters, you have my permission to use my patterns to make and sell your projects* anywhere you like. You cannot use my images to sell your projects, though. You must take photos of your own work. All patterns have been tested but mistakes can happen. If you find a mistake, please let me know. Everything at MakeItCrochet.com is protected by copyright to Kim Guzman. Other than the permissions previously given, no one other than Kim Guzman has permission to: reproduce, copy, publish or distribute this pattern, its parts or photos in any way or form, including, but not limited to, translations into foreign languages & video production.
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Pamela Montelongo says
love your designs!! Can’t wait to get , Thank you for your generosity.
Kim Guzman says
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy your pattern. 🙂
Violeta says
What a cute crochet beanie pattern!! I love this chic design, and your tutorial is amazing. I’ve featured your post on Crafts on Display again, here: https://craftsondisplay.com/crochet/lightweight-crochet-beanie-free-pattern-53126/
All the best,
Kim Guzman says
Thanks so much!
Susan says
I have always heard the “third loop” called the back bump. ♀️
Kim Guzman says
Funny how things evolve, especially now when we are no longer using only a few publishers. Back in the day when everything got funneled through the editors of Annie’s Attic and Leisure Arts, we stayed on a pretty precise course. Now, there’s been forced evolution. 🙂