Make an adult woman’s crochet hat for a 22.5 inch head and about 11 inches from crown to brim. For a newborn, it is a 14 inch head and a hat about 6 inches tall. Then make the hat itself 1 to 2 inches smaller around than the head, so it hugs the head instead of sliding down over the eyes.
Below you will find the full crochet hat size chart from preemie to adult, in inches and centimeters. You will also see how to measure a head, how much smaller to make the hat, and how wide to make the flat circle at the top of a top-down hat.
Crochet hat size chart
Find the age, then read across. Head is the distance all the way around the head. Hat height is the hat measured from the top of the crown down to the brim. The crown circle column is for top-down hats, and it is explained further down.
| Size | Head | Hat height (crown to brim) | Crown circle across (top-down hat) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preemie (1 to 2 lbs) | 9 in (23 cm) | 3.5 in (9 cm) | 2.5 in |
| Preemie (3 to 4 lbs) | 11 in (28 cm) | 4 in (10 cm) | 3.25 in |
| Preemie (4 to 5 lbs) | 12 in (30.5 cm) | 4.5 in (11.5 cm) | 3.5 in |
| Preemie (5.5 to 6 lbs) | 13 in (33 cm) | 5 in (12.5 cm) | 3.75 in |
| Newborn | 14 in (35.5 cm) | 6 in (15 cm) | 4.25 in |
| Baby (3 to 6 months) | 17 in (43 cm) | 7 in (18 cm) | 5 in |
| Baby (6 to 12 months) | 18 in (45.5 cm) | 7.5 in (19 cm) | 5.5 in |
| Toddler (12 months to 3 years) | 19 in (48.5 cm) | 8 in (20.5 cm) | 5.75 in |
| Child (3 to 10 years) | 20 in (51 cm) | 8.5 in (21.5 cm) | 6 in |
| Pre-teens and teens | 21 in (53.5 cm) | 10 in (25.5 cm) | 6.25 in |
| Adult woman | 22.5 in (57 cm) | 11 in (28 cm) | 6.75 in |
| Adult man | 22.5-24 in (57-61 cm) | 11.5 in (29 cm) | 6.75-7.25 in |
Cross-check: Craft Yarn Council head sizes
The Craft Yarn Council gives a range for each age instead of one number. If the head you are making for is at the small or large end of an age group, use these ranges to double-check.
| Age | Head (inches) | Head (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Preemie | 9 to 12 in | 23 to 30.5 cm |
| Baby | 14 to 16 in | 35.5 to 40.5 cm |
| Toddler | 16 to 18 in | 40.5 to 46 cm |
| Child | 18 to 20 in | 45.5 to 51 cm |
| Tween | 20 to 22 in | 51 to 56 cm |
| Woman | 21 to 23 in | 53 to 58.5 cm |
| Man | 22 to 24 in | 56 to 61 cm |
Sources: head size and hat height from the Knit Picks hat size chart. Head ranges from the Craft Yarn Council head circumference standard. Centimeters are converted from inches and rounded to the nearest half centimeter. The crown circle column is worked out by DailyCrochet: (head – 1) / 3.14, rounded to the nearest quarter inch.
How to measure a head
A chart is a good guide, but the real head always wins. If you can, measure it. It takes less than a minute.
- Use a soft tape measure, the bendy kind you use for sewing.
- Wrap it around the widest part of the head: across the forehead just above the eyebrows, just above the ears, and around the fullest part of the back of the head.
- Keep the tape snug but not tight, and read the number where the tape meets.
- Write it down. This is the number you size the hat from.
Making a gift or a hat for charity, where you can’t measure? Use the chart above. For a hat you already love, lay it flat and measure from the top of the crown to the bottom edge of the brim. That is its height.
How much smaller should the hat be? (negative ease)
A hat that is exactly the size of the head will slip down. That is why most hats are made 1 to 2 inches smaller around than the head. This is called negative ease. Knit Picks suggests about 2 inches.
Crochet fabric does not always stretch the way knitting does. A firmer, less stretchy crochet stitch needs less negative ease, so stay closer to 1 inch. A stretchy fabric, like a ribbed hat, can take the full 2 inches.
For example, for an adult woman with a 22.5 inch head, that means a hat that measures about 20.5 to 21.5 inches around.
Working out the crown circle for a top-down hat
Many hats are worked from the top down. You start with a flat circle and increase round by round until it is wide enough. Then you stop increasing and work even down to the brim. So how wide should that circle be?
It comes from simple circle math. The distance around a circle is about 3.14 times the distance across it. So:
Crown circle across = (head size – 1 inch) / 3.14
We take 1 inch off the head first, so the hat comes out 1 inch smaller than the head. Then we divide by 3.14 and round to the nearest quarter inch. That is the crown circle column in the chart.
- Adult woman: (22.5 – 1) / 3.14 = 6.85, so about 6.75 inches across.
- Child: (20 – 1) / 3.14 = 6.05, so about 6 inches across.
- Newborn: (14 – 1) / 3.14 = 4.14, so about 4.25 inches across.
Working a stretchy stitch and want 2 inches of negative ease? Take 2 inches off the head instead of 1, then divide by 3.14.
Measure the circle flat on a table, straight across the middle, without stretching it. Once it is the right width, work even until the hat reaches the height in the chart.
Free hat patterns to try with this chart
These are free hat patterns we have featured on DailyCrochet. Several of them come in a full run of sizes, so you can put the chart to work straight away.
- Simple Basic Earflap Hat, preemie to adult, by Family Bugs Crochet. One pattern that covers the whole chart, from the tiniest preemie up to adult.
- Crochet baby hat patterns, preemie to toddler, a handful of simple baby beanies from different designers, most of them written in every baby size.
- Super Bulky Crochet Hat in baby, child and adult, by Melissa Hassler of Lovable Loops. It is worked from the top down, so the crown circle column is handy here.
- C2C Heart Hat for toddler, child and adult, also by Melissa Hassler, worked corner to corner with a heart on the front.
- Hinton Hat, a stretchy ribbed hat, by Banana Moon Studio. It is worked flat and seamed, and sized for babies, children and adults.
- Wynn Slouch Hat with a stretchy fit, by Harlee Wentworth of Noowul. The wavy ridges give it plenty of stretch.
- Lyra Hat, a quick textured beanie, also by Harlee Wentworth, with a bubbly texture. A lovely one for charity hats.
- One Hour Chunky Beanie, the Arctic Ice Beanie by Grace of For The Frills, made in super chunky yarn.
Making something for a baby as well? Our baby blanket size guide has the sizes for every kind of baby blanket.
Crochet hat size questions
What size should a crochet hat be for an adult woman?
Knit Picks lists a 22.5 inch head and a hat about 11 inches from crown to brim. Make the hat 1 to 2 inches smaller around than the head, so about 20.5 to 21.5 inches.
What size should a crochet hat be for a man?
Knit Picks lists a 22.5 to 24 inch head and a hat about 11.5 inches tall. Measure his head if you can.
What size is a newborn crochet hat?
A newborn hat is for a head of about 14 inches, and the hat is about 6 inches from crown to brim.
How much smaller than the head should a hat be?
Most hats are made 1 to 2 inches smaller than the head. A firmer, less stretchy crochet stitch needs less, closer to 1 inch.
How do I know when to stop increasing the crown?
Stop when the flat circle measures across what the crown circle column says for your size. You can work it out yourself: take 1 inch off the head size and divide by 3.14.
Why do hat size charts give different numbers?
Each source measures in its own way. Knit Picks gives one number for each age, and the Craft Yarn Council gives a range. That is why measuring the real head is always best.
