Waistcoat Stitch Crochet Hat | Knit-Look Beanie Pattern

This waistcoat stitch crochet hat may look knit, but it's not! This free crochet pattern uses only single crochet stitches to create a modern, double-brimmed beanie.

When your hat is finished, use a simple trick to replicate the look of intarsia knit stitches without creating any extra ends to weave in.

Get the free waistcoat stitch beanie pattern below or purchase the ad-free, printable PDF.

This waistcoat stitch beanie pattern is part of a collaboration with Lion Brand Yarns. This post contains affiliate links.

Jump to:

• A Crochet Stitch That Looks Knit
• Intro to This Waistcoat Stitch Hat Pattern
• Crochet a Double-Brimmed Beanie
• Skills You'll Practice
• Yarn Suggestions
• All-in-One Crochet Kit
• Print this Pattern
• Waistcoat Crochet Stitch Video Tutorial
• The Everyday Beanie - Free Pattern
• Invitation to our Facebook group

A Crochet Stitch That Looks Knit

The crochet waistcoat stitch, also known as the center post stitch or center single crochet, resembles the look of knitting. It's worked by inserting the hook between the "V" of the stitch from the previous row rather than the top loops.

This creates a dense, knit-like fabric that works well for crocheting mittens, hats, and baskets.

If you want to create the look of classic knit stockinette with crochet stitches, this is the best way I've found to do it. Check out our full video tutorial on the waistcoat stitch for lots of helpful tips.

Complete beginner? Check out our guide on How to Crochet for Beginners

Intro to This Waistcoat Stitch Hat Pattern

Can we agree that the last few years were all about the bun beanie? Holy ponytails. Those topless hats sure struck a cord. (You can see my take on this style with my free Faux-Cabled Bun Beanie pattern.)

This year, I feel like a new, quieter trend is happening with the knit double-brimmed beanie. I see these classic knit hats all over Etsy and Instagram and in every outdoorsy-clothes-for-people-who-work-mostly-at-the-computer catalog we get in the mail.

Double-brimmed hats are timeless. They keep your ears warm. And in the case of this easy hat pattern, they can be made with crochet basic stitches.

Crochet a Double-Brimmed Beanie

While I've seen a lot of double-brimmed hats made with knitting, I hadn't come across many crochet versions.

So when I was using the waistcoat stitch to design the free Morning Mittens pattern, I started dreaming up this knit-look beanie design.

And again in this crochet hat pattern for beginners, the waistcoat stitch proved the perfect way to achieve a knit-look with crochet stitches.

Yarn Suggestions

To make this center single crochet hat, we used Lion Brand Hue + Me yarn. We love this chunky weight yarn and have used it in the Cinque Chunky Scarf and Nove Knit Blanket patterns too.

Hue + Me has a really nice range of colors available, making and ideal pallate to mix and match to achieve your perfect intarsia knit-look.

Substituting Yarns

If you'd like to use yarn from your stash, you have two great options:

• Use a category 5 chunky weight yarn similar to Hue + Me. You'll need about 260 yards of the main color.
• Hold two strands of category 4 worsted weight yarn together. You'll need double the amount of yarn for this approach (about 520 yards).

Explanation:
Bad hair day? Below freezing temps? No worries here. This easy beanie pattern uses single crochet stitches to achieve the smooth, clean look of knitting.

The folded over double brim makes this basic hat feel modern and on trend, while keeping your ears extra toasty. After you’re done crocheting, add some simple embroidery stitches to create the look of intarsia with zero color changes. No one will believe your “knit” hat is actually crocheted! 

Supplies + Materials

Order an all-in-one hat and mitten kit from Lion Brand.
• Lion Brand Hue and Me (Weight: 5/Bulky - 137 yds, 4.4 oz/125 g) 

- Color A: Rose Water (617-101AZ) - 2 skeins (approx 240 g) 

- Color B: Spicy (617-134R) - 1 skein (approx 8 g) 

• Size M (9 mm) crochet hook (to make smaller size) 

• Size N (10 mm) crochet hook (to make larger size) 

• Stitch markers or safety pins 

• Pom pom maker, toilet paper tube or fur pom pom 

Skill Level

Confident Advanced Beginner: You should feel comfortable crocheting in the round and maintaining even stitch tension to make this hat pattern.

Overall Pattern Notes

• The pattern is written for one size. Follow notes within for appropriate hook size to make either S or L beanie 

• Hat is worked in the round, using the spiral method. Do not ch 1 at the beginning of each round. 

• Round 2 and beyond are worked into the middle of each single crochet stitch rather than the top loops. See photo below for hook placement. Besides inserting your hook in a slightly different location, you will still work regular single crochet stitches. 

• Take care to keep stitches loose so that it’s easier to insert hook as described in the tutorial below. As you work each single crochet, it’s helpful to raise your hook a bit after picking up your second loop so as to ensure the two posts remain loose enough for next round.

Print This Pattern: purchase the ad-free, printable PDF

How to Decrease in the Waistcoat Stitch

We use single crochet decreases (sc2tog) to shape the top of the beanie. Here's how this is done when using the waistcoat stitch:

Step 1. Insert hook in center of next stitch.

Step 2. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (2 loops on hook)

Step 3. Insert hook in center of next stitch.

Step 4. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Keep this loop quite loose by pulling it higher than normal. (3 loops on hook.)

Step 5. Yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook. (Decrease complete)

Main Beanie Instructions

Notes: 

• See photo above for hook placement in sc2tog stitches. 

Size small: Use size M hook. 

Size large: Use size N hook.

Foundation: Leaving a 35” tail at the beginning of the chain before the slip knot: ch 42, sl st to first ch to create a circle. (Tail will be used later for seaming.) 

Round 1 (RS): Sc in each ch; do not turn. (42) 

Rounds 2 - 34: Sc in each sc. (42) 

Size large: Repeat Round 2 once more. 

Round 35: [sc in each of next 12 sc, sc2tog] 3 times. (39) 

Round 36: [sc in each of next 11 sc, sc2tog] 3 times. (36) 

Round 37: [sc in each of next 10 sc, sc2tog] 3 times. (33) 

Round 38: [sc in each of next 9 sc, sc2tog] 3 times. (30) 

Round 39: [sc in each of next 8 sc, sc2tog] 3 times, sl st in next 3 sc (working between posts, just as in previous sc sts). (27sc + 3 sl sts) 

Fasten off, leaving 25” tail to close hat top later. 

Doubling the Beanie Brim

Notes: 

• The brim is seamed with hat turned inside out for ease of working. Once complete though, brim seam will be on inside of hat. 

You may notice the rows of knit-looking stitches in your beanie have a slight slant in the direction of your non-dominant hand. You can remedy this while seaming the beanie brim, but it takes a little more focus. (If you’re not interested in straightening out the columns, just skip the step on aligning the stitches and move on to seaming the brim.) 

Turn beanie inside out. Fold brim toward the outside until there is 3” of brim (about 9 rounds.) 

Pin brim using stitch markers or safety pins. To straighten out the slanted rows, use your finger to trace a column of stitches from the beginning of the chain round to the st where the ch round will need to be sewed to secure the brim.

Pin these two sts together, thereby aligning each column of stitches with itself.

With a tapestry needle and yarn tail from initial chain, whip stitch around brim. For cleanest look, work whip stitch around horizontal strands of yarn that run between each column of ‘v’ sts. Fasten off and weave in tail. Turn hat back so RS is facing out. 

Adding “Intarsia” Hearts

Notes: 

• Using the duplicate stitch technique is an easy way to give an intarsia look to your beanie without the need to change colors as you crochet. The duplicate stitch is essentially basic embroidery on top of your finished crochet fabric. 
  
• Work a duplicate stitch in every other stitch of round and every other round. This will create a staggered placement of duplicate stitches. 

• Take care to keep the tension of your duplicate stitch yarn even as you carry it along the inside of the hat. This will ensure your hat has some stretch and doesn’t pucker anywhere. 

• See photos below for step-by-step tutorial. Check out our article on how to cross stitch on crochet for extra tips. 

Using a tapestry needle threaded with a strand of Color B yarn, place first round of duplicate stitches in the round just above the double brim.

Note for the first round only: Because the beanie is worked in a spiral, you will need to drop down a stitch about half way around your beanie to ensure you end up in the same round you begin in. This will also follow the brim seam. 

Rounds 2-8: Repeat steps 1-4 around hat, staggering first stitch of round between two stitches from previous round. Leave one row unworked between each round. 

Fasten off and weave in ends. 

Closing Beanie Top 

Beanie top is closed using a technique commonly used in amigurimi stuffed animals where the yarn needle is worked through only the front loops of each single crochet stitch. Here’s a helpful tutorial with more details on this method of closing a crochet tube.

Thread tail from beanie top onto the tapestry needle. Insert needle from inside of beanie, under front loop of first sc, out toward you. Repeat in each single crochet around, taking care to always work from inside beanie to out. Do not tighten down as you go. 

Once you return back to first sc stitch, gently cinch circle together until it closes as much as possible. Pom pom will cover any slight gap. Do not weave in the remaining tail yet. 

Attaching a Pom Pom 

Use remaining yarn to create a pom pom or purchase a fur pom pom. Yarn pom pom pictured in sample was created with a 5” pom pom maker. Learn how to make a pom pom with a toilet paper tube if you don’t have a pom pom maker.

Use the remaining tail from closing beanie top to attach pom pom to top of hat. 

Pull your new ode to handmade style over your chilly ears and get to work making a beanie for everyone you know!