Crochet Beret Hat Tutorial – Step-by-Step Guide for a Stylish & Cozy Design
A beret hat can change the feel of an outfit with just a little shape and texture, and this crochet version gets its relaxed look from a wide crown and a snug ribbed band.
A good crochet beret has a particular kind of shape: the crown needs enough room to sit softly on the head, while the band needs enough structure to keep the hat comfortably in place. That balance is what gives this crochet design its classic beret look rather than making it feel like an ordinary fitted hat.
The interesting part of this crochet pattern happens as the flat crown grows and then begins to taper. The increase rounds build the wide top, the two even rounds create the body of the beret, and the decreases gradually bring that width back in before the ribbed brim takes over. Once you can see that change happening in your work, the round sequence becomes much easier to follow.
Credit Dabs Crochet
Materials & Tools Needed
- Yarn: Medium Worsted Weight (#4) yarn, approximately 150–200 yards
- Crochet Hook: 5.0 mm (US H-8), or the size needed to obtain gauge
- Tapestry / Yarn Needle: For weaving in ends
- Scissors
- Stitch Marker: Optional, for keeping track of round starts
The supplied yarn amount is approximately 150–200 yards. If you change the finished size, yarn thickness, or tension, your yardage needs may change as well.
Size & Fit
The supplied pattern is designed to fit an average adult head circumference of approximately 21–23 inches (53–58 cm).
The crown measures approximately 10.5–11.5 inches across when worked flat before the decrease section. Treat these measurements as approximate because crochet tension and gauge can change the finished dimensions.
If you want a more relaxed, slouchier beret, the supplied instructions suggest adding 1–2 additional expansion rounds after the established increase pattern and before beginning the decreases.
For a snugger brim, you can use a 4.0 mm hook for the final ribbing rounds.
You can also create a two-tone look by changing colors after Round 9, separating the crown from the rim visually.
Pattern Abbreviations
- MR: Magic Ring / Magic Circle
- ch: Chain
- sl st: Slip stitch
- sc: Single crochet
- dc: Double crochet
- Inc / Dc Inc: Double crochet increase — 2 dc in the same stitch
- Dec / Dc Dec / Dc2tog: Double crochet decrease — 2 dc together
- FPdc: Front Post double crochet
- BPdc: Back Post double crochet
- st(s): Stitch(es)
- [ ]: Repeat the instructions inside the brackets as indicated
Turning Chains: Ch 2 or Ch 3 at the beginning of each round acts as the starting chain. Join every round with a slip stitch into the top of the initial turning chain or first stitch, according to the supplied instructions.
Steps: Start with the Crown
The crown begins at the center of the beret and expands outward. During these first rounds, the stitch count increases evenly, so the flat circle gradually becomes wider.
The easiest way to keep your place is to pay attention to the increase rhythm. Each new round adds another regular stitch before the next increase, so the spacing between increases grows as the crown expands.
Round 1 – Magic Ring & Base Crown
Round 1: Start with a Magic Ring (MR); ch 2 or ch 3, counting it as the first dc; work 11 dc into the magic ring; pull the tail to tighten the ring securely; join with a sl st to the top of the starting chain; 12 dc total.
Before moving on, make sure the center of the magic ring has closed securely. This center becomes the starting point of the entire crown, so a loose opening here can remain noticeable even after the hat is finished.
Round 2 – First Expansion
Round 2: Ch 2 or ch 3; work 2 dc in every stitch around, making a dc increase in each stitch; join with a sl st into the first stitch; 24 dc total.
This is the first major expansion of the crown. Every stitch receives an increase, so the stitch count doubles from 12 to 24.
Round 3 – Expanding the Crown
Round 3: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in the next stitch, 2 dc in the following stitch] around; join with a sl st; 36 dc total.
Notice the change from the previous round: you now have one regular dc between each increase.
Round 4 – Continue the Increase Rhythm
Round 4: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the following stitch] around; join with a sl st; 48 dc total.
The crown should continue spreading outward rather than beginning to cup sharply. Keep your tension consistent as the circle grows.
Round 5 – Crown Diameter Growth
Round 5: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 3 stitches, 2 dc in the following stitch] around; join with a sl st; 60 dc total.
The increase spacing is now getting wider. Rather than thinking of each increase as a separate instruction, look for the repeating rhythm of three regular dc stitches followed by an increase.
Round 6 – Flat Wheel Expansion
Round 6: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 4 stitches, 2 dc in the following stitch] around; join with a sl st; 72 dc total.
The crown is now becoming a noticeably larger flat disc. If you are checking the shape as you work, this is a useful point to make sure the fabric is expanding evenly.
Round 7 – Full Crown Expansion
Round 7: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 5 stitches, 2 dc in the following stitch] around; join with a sl st; 84 dc total.
The increases are now spaced after five regular dc stitches.
Round 8 – Maximum Flared Diameter
Round 8: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 6 stitches, 2 dc in the following stitch] around; join with a sl st; 96 dc total.
This is the final increase round in the supplied pattern. The crown has now reached its widest point before the work moves into the body section.
Let the Crown Become the Beret
Rounds 9-10 – Body Wall
Round 9: Ch 2; work 1 dc in each stitch around with no increases; join with a sl st; 96 dc total.
Round 10: Ch 2; work 1 dc in each stitch around with no increases; join with a sl st; 96 dc total.
These two rounds are important because nothing is being increased or decreased here. The 96-stitch count stays the same, allowing the wide crown to develop into the body of the beret rather than continuing to spread outward.
This is also the point where the shape starts to feel less like a flat circle and more like an actual hat.
Bring the Shape Back In
The next three rounds reverse the expansion. The stitch count decreases from 96 to 84, then 72, then 60 stitches.
The decrease rhythm is straightforward: work the specified number of regular dc stitches, then bring the next two stitches together with a dc decrease.
Round 11 – First Decrease
Round 11: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 6 stitches, Dc2tog over the next 2 stitches] around; join with a sl st; 84 dc total.
Round 12 – Second Decrease
Round 12: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 5 stitches, Dc2tog over the next 2 stitches] around; join with a sl st; 72 dc total.
Round 13 – Final Crown Reduction
Round 13: Ch 2; repeat [1 dc in each of the next 4 stitches, Dc2tog over the next 2 stitches] around; join with a sl st; 60 dc total.
At the end of Round 13, the crown has been brought down to the 60-stitch base used for the ribbed band.
This change in stitch count is what moves the beret from its wider upper shape toward the part that will sit around your head.
Give the Beret Its Ribbed Band
The final three rounds create the textured brim. This is where the smooth dc fabric changes into alternating front-post and back-post stitches.
Round 14 – Begin the Ribbing
Round 14: Ch 2; repeat [1 FPdc into the first stitch, 1 BPdc into the next stitch] around to create the ribbed texture; join with a sl st; 60 stitches total.
The easiest way to read this round is to alternate the two post stitches rather than thinking of the round as a completely new technique.
Rounds 15–16 – Continue the Ribbed Brim
Rounds 15–16: Ch 2; work FPdc over each previous round FPdc and BPdc over each previous round BPdc across the round; join with a sl st; 60 stitches per round.
Keeping each post stitch over the matching post from the previous round is what allows the vertical ribs to develop.
If you want the brim slightly snugger, the supplied customization option is to change to a 4.0 mm hook for these final ribbing rounds.
Finish the Hat
Fasten Off
Fastening Off: On the last stitch of Round 16, cut the yarn leaving approximately a 6-inch tail, then pull the loop through to secure the final stitch.
Weave in the Ends
Weaving in Ends: Thread the yarn tail onto a tapestry or yarn needle and weave it back and forth through the inner side of the ribbed brim to secure it.
Secure the Magic Ring
Magic Ring Reinforcement: Thread the original tail from the magic ring onto the tapestry needle; pull firmly to eliminate any remaining center opening, then weave the tail securely in a circular motion through the base of the Round 1 stitches.
If the center has opened slightly while you were working, this is the point to pull it closed and secure it rather than leaving the opening to show through the finished crown.
Final Shape
The finished beret can be gently blocked with steam if desired to smooth and settle the top while preserving the elasticity of the ribbed headband.
The shape should now read as a beret: a wider crown that transitions into a narrower, textured band rather than a simple fitted hat.
The most useful thing to keep in mind while making this one is the change in rhythm: the crown expands through Round 8, stays at 96 stitches for Rounds 9–10, decreases back to 60 stitches through Round 13, and then settles into the ribbed band for the final three rounds. Once you can see those three stages in the shape of your work, the pattern becomes much easier to follow.
