Free Crochet Pattern: Tidepool Beanie Hat
🌊 Tidepool Beanie
I’m super excited to share this crochet pattern for a worsted weight ribbed beanie hat with a subtle wave design!
Solid, tonal, and variegated yarns all look great in this pattern, though the wavy design will be most highlighted with a solid color. The effect is reminiscent of faux cable brioche knitting. It conveniently uses just under 100 g of the suggested yarn (Malabrigo Rios) so it can work as a one-skein project.
View the pattern’s page on Ravelry.
A PDF of a condensed version of the pattern suitable for printing is also available to download for free here.
To keep patterns accessible they are free by default, but if you would like to pay for them or otherwise send me a tip, you can do so through this listing.
💕 Thank you!
Specs
Sizing – The hat in this pattern is for one size that should fit adults with a 21” to 24” head circumference (to varying degrees of snugness). The finished fabric is stretchy, and the beanie is meant to fit with negative ease, and be worn with a 2” to 2.5” cuff.
Measurements – The finished hat measures 10” across at the base when laid flat (i.e. 20” brim circumference) and 11.5” long after seaming.
Gauge is (12 rows in pattern = 4”) and (17 stitches = 4”) for worsted weight yarn with a suggested 5.0 mm crochet hook.
Techniques
Stitches used – chain, single crochet, half-double crochet, double crochet, yarn over slip stitch, working in back loops only. This pattern does not include tutorials for basic stitches (ch, sc, hdc, dc) or working into back loops but includes instructions for yarn over slip stitch.
Construction – The hat is worked in a single piece, with the rows running vertically (so the foundation chain determines the length, and the hat grows width-wise as it works up). The crown is shaped using short rows.
Finishing – The fabric is joined into a tube with a seam of single crochet. There is an additional ~2” of hand sewing (mattress stitch suggested) to close the hole at the top.
Materials
Yarn – About 200 yards of a plied, worsted weight yarn. Wool or acrylic fiber recommended, avoid plant-based yarns which will result in a less elastic hat.
Recommended yarn is one skein of Malabrigo Rios, a 4-ply 100% superwash merino wool yarn.
The hats in the cover page image are in the colorways (left to right) Arco Iris, Teal Feather, and Apple Green.
You can use yarnsub.com to find yarn with similar properties. Cascade 220 Superwash is a good alternative. Generally I would say Malabrigo Rios runs on the thin side for a worsted weight yarn.
5.0 mm crochet hook – You may want to try a 5.5 mm if you generally crochet with a tight tension.
Tapestry needle / Darning needle
Ruler or measuring tape (use a ruler instead of a measuring tape for the stitch gauge to make it easier to measure across the wavy pattern)
Scissors
Pattern Notation
This pattern uses US crochet terms and the following notation.
sc = single crochet
hdc = half-double crochet
dc = double crochet
blo = back loop only
ch = chain
st(s) = stitch(es)
yoslst = yarn over slip stitch
(instructions)*n = Work the stitches specified in (instructions) x n times. e.g. (1 sc, 1 dc)*3 expands to “1 sc, 1 dc, 1 sc, 1 dc, 1 sc, 1 dc”.
R# [#] – …instructions… = If the text says “R01 [50] –” this means “for Row 1, there are a total of 50 stitches.
🪡 Techniques
Yarn Over Slip Stitch
This is one of my favorite crochet stitches to add a knit look and some drape to crocheted fabric, and it’s no harder than a half-double crochet. In fact, I would describe this stitch (abbreviated from here on out as “yoslst”) as “yoslst is to slst, as hdc is to sc”. As the name implies, it’s literally just a slip stitch but with a yarn over. Sometimes this stitch is also called “hdc slip stitch”.
To make one yoslst:
Yarn over.
Insert hook into next stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop. Note that at this point, the steps are identical to making a hdc and you should have 3 loops on your hook.
Pull the loop you made in step 3 through the other two loops to finish off the stitch.
To keep your stitches even, make sure to tension the yarn so that the yarn over is the same tension as the rest of the loops in the stitch.
You may find it easier to make the stitches even if in step 4 you pull the yarn through the loops one at a time.
For reference, here is a swatch of yoslst in the back loop with alternating color rows. In the first photo the foundation chain is on the bottom and was started at the lower left corner of the piece.
Make sure you’re working through the back loop of the stitch, as there are v’s formed by the front loop + back loop, but also the front loop + yarn over parts of each stitch.
Yarn Over Slip Stitch Join
When working a yoslst into a stitch directly after a short row ends, the stitch is slightly modified to reduce holes in the fabric. It’s essentially an invisible decrease over the turning chain.
Before you start, identify the back bump of the previous row’s turning chain so that you are working into that and not the stitch directly before it. The following image shows a stitch marker in the turning chain of the short row that was just finished:
Yarn over.
Insert your hook in the “back bump” loop of previous row’s turning chain.
Insert the hook into the back loop of the next available stitch (i.e. if you are on row 6, you start out working the stitches into row 5, but after row 5 runs out, you start working into row 1).
Yarn over and pull up a loop. You should now have 4 loops on the hook.
Pull the loop you made in step 4 through the other 3 loops.
It should look like this after completing step 2 (insert into the turning chain):
After completing steps 3 and 4:
Alternate view of yoslst join after completing steps 3 and 4:
Completed yoslst join:
Mattress Stitch
I used a mattress stitch to sew up the horizontal seam at the top of the hat. This stitch is sewn by pulling the needle from the inside to the outside on alternating sides, like how you would thread a shoelace. Pictured below is a mock-up of just the top of a hat where the seam is worked in a different yarn. Note the sample has been turned inside-out.
I like this stitch because it pulls evenly on both sides of the seam, but it shouldn’t matter too much if you want to just sc the seam closed or use a whip stitch.
I don’t fuss too much about where exactly I work each stitch into, as long as it comes out to about one stitch per row. Below is an image of a mattress seam pulled tight, with the work still inside-out.
When the work is turned right-side out, less of the seam is visible (and it shouldn’t be noticeable when you stitch it with the same yarn).
📝 Pattern
Swatch Pattern
Gauge on washed and dried swatch is (12 rows in pattern = 4”) and (17 stitches in pattern = 4”).
⚠️ Heads up – If you are using Rios or a similar yarn that comes in 210-230 yd range per skein, you will almost certainly need at least part of the gauge swatch yarn to complete the hat.
Here’s a sample of the wavy rib pattern with alternating rows worked in different colors in a cotton yarn:
And the same swatch from the back.
Beanie Pattern
Pattern notes
Odd numbered rows work towards the bottom of the hat, and even numbered rows work toward the top.
ALL STITCHES ARE MADE IN THE BACK LOOP ONLY, except the last stitch in every odd numbered row is worked into both loops to create a smoother edge.
All rows end in “1 ch and turn”, and this chain is not included in the stitch count for the row.
The “right side” of the fabric (the side that faces outwards on the finished hat as pictured) is the side where the yoslst is raised. But if you like how the other side looks more, you can totally use that as the outside. Just make sure to crochet the side seam on the opposite side so it isn’t visible.
Length – You can adjust the length of the hat by adding or removing stitches in the foundation chain. Extend or shorten the rows by adding or removing stitches on the side that will be the bottom of the hat (i.e. beginning of even numbered rows, end of odd numbered rows).
If you adjust the length of the foundation chain, keep the number of stitches to a multiple of 5 in order to keep the hdc’s at the bottom edge for a neat finish. For example, if you decide to make the hat 55 stitches long instead of 50 stitches, your edited R01 and R02 would be
R01 [55] – 5 sc, (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*5.
R02 [45] – 45 yoslst.If you decide to make the hat 45 stitches long, your edited R01 and R02 would be
R01 [45] – 5 sc, (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*4.
R02 [35] – 35 yoslst.Width – The row height affects the hat circumference. You can change the hat circumference slightly without modifying the pattern by adjusting gauge. I recommend not changing it more than +/- 1”, otherwise the hat may be too stiff or floppy
Variables that can affect row height:
How tall you make the stitches – If you work with a looser tension, or use a hook with a relatively tall head, this means the loops that make up each stitch are taller/looser, and each row will come out taller and the hat will overall be wider.
Thickness of yarn – If you use a worsted weight yarn on the thicker side, or an aran weight yarn this will result in either a denser fabric and/or a slightly larger hat overall as each stitch takes up more space.
If you are feeling adventurous and want to experiment with the number of rows in each wedge segment, keep the following invariants so that the wavy segments fit together:
The number of rows in each segment must be divisible by 4.
R01 should be the full length of the beanie.
If each segment has n rows, then the first short row (i.e. R02) will end with ((n/4) - 1)*5 stitches from the top.
Example 1: As written, each segment has 12 rows, so the short row ends 10 stitches from the top, i.e. R01 has 50 st and R02 has 40 st.
Example 2: If you wanted each segment to instead have 16 rows, the first short row would end 15 stitches from the top. And R01 would start with “13 sc, 2 hdc”.
The actual pattern! Finally!
R00 [50] (Leave a tail of yarn at least 6” to ensure you are able to weave in the end) – 50 ch.
R01 [50] – 5 sc, (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*4, 3 sc, 2 hdc.
After completing R02, you will leave 10 stitches in R01 unworked when you turn and start R03.
R02 [40] – 40 yoslst. (Optional – place a stitch marker into the back bump of the turning chain before you start R03. This is the loop you will pick up in the “1 yoslst join” in R04.)
R03 [40] – (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*4.
Work R04 into R03 until you run out of stitches in R03. Then work the last 5 stitches in R04 into R01. When you turn to start R05, there will still be 5 stitches unworked in R01.
R04 [45] – 40 yoslst, 1 yoslst join, 4 yoslst.
R05 [45] – (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*4, 3 sc, 2 hdc.
R06 and R07 are worked for the full length of the hat.
R06 [50] – 45 yoslst, 1 yoslst join, 4 yoslst.
R07 [50] – (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*5.
After completing R08, leave 5 stitches in R07 unworked when you turn to start R09.
R08 [45] – 45 yoslst.
R09 [45] – (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*4, 3 sc, 2 hdc.
After completing R10, leave 5 stitches in R09 unworked when you turn to start R11.
R10 [40] – 40 yoslst.
R11 [40] – (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc)*4.
You will work R12 to the end of R11, then continue over R09 and R07 to crochet yoslst’s for the full length of the hat.
R12 [50] – 40 yoslst, (1 yoslst join, 4 yoslst)*2.
After R12 the hat should be approximately triangle shaped.
⚠️ Do you have enough yarn left? – You can weigh your completed segment to check that you will have enough yarn. If it weighs no more than 20% of your total yarn (e.g. not more than 20 g if you started with a 100 g skein), then you should have enough yarn to complete it.
⚠️ Will your beanie be the expected size? – Measure the width and height of the segment to check that it is (at least pretty close to) 11.5”-12” tall and 4” wide. This hat makes a quite stretchy fabric so if you’re slightly under 4” wide at this point, it should be fine.
Work R01-R12 four additional times for a total of 60 rows (plus the foundation chain). Don’t cut your yarn (yet) after completing the fifth segment!
Reference Photos
The following are photos of what the hat looks as you work up the fifth segment. (This original hat sample was crocheted with a tight tension on a 5.5 mm hook, and the length was adjusted to 55 sts.)
This is what the hat looks like after R01 of segment 5 (the row with the wave pattern repeat) completed:
R02 of segment 5 (row of yoslst) completed:
R03:
R04:
R05:
R06:
R07:
R08:
R09:
R10:
R11:
Detail image of short rows after completing R11 of segment 5 from the front:
and from the back:
After completing R12 of segment 5 (fabric of the hat is now complete)!
Finishing
The following describes the method I used as I liked the combination of convenience of sc for the side seam where it’s easy to see the stitches you need to work into, and a more low-profile mattress stitch for the top.
You can alternatively cut the yarn after finishing the last section and either sc or mattress stitch the side and top shut in a single seam.
Side seam
Fold the hat lengthwise so that the wrong side of the fabric is on the outside.
Ch 1, and seam the hat with a row of 50 sc working from the top of the hat to the bottom. Work each sc through the foundation chain and the back loop of the final row.
Leave a ~6” long tail and cut the yarn. Finish off by pulling the tail all the way through the last stitch.
Weave in the two tails/ends. I suggest weaving them in along the raised side of the closest yoslst row, so they are more hidden when the brim is folded up. Don’t cut the ends yet.
Top seam
Cut a piece of yarn about 8” long and use it to seam the hole at the top of the hat using mattress stitch and weave in these ends.
Wash and reshape
For initial wash, hand wash (in case the dye bleeds), then reshape and lay flat to air dry. Note that superwash yarn stretches a lot when wet. Seriously, it stretches a lot. Do not panic if this happens. Just reshape it to the original dimensions and it should dry to the right size.
Below is a reference photo for working the sc’s for the side seam through the foundation chain and the back loop of the final row of yoslst’s:
The completed sc side seam should look like this:
Completed mattress stitch across the top seam (ends not woven in yet):
Completed top seam using mattress stitch.
🎉 and you’re done!
Sharing
I’d love to see your finished hats!
If you’re sharing your beanie on Instagram, use the tag #tidepoolcrochetbeanie and tag me @margaretmakesthings
Changelog
2025-01-21 – Adjust the gauge to match the (forthcoming) Tidepool Sweater pattern. The overall pattern design and the row gauge is the same. Also add notes to clarify how the short rows work, and a QR code linking to the blog post.
2024-06-10 – Add reminders in pattern to check gauge and yarn used after completing the first segment. Note exact number of loops at each step in yoslst instructions. Add Germantown Worsted as yarn option. Include abbreviations directly so readers don’t need to open the link. Separate how to read pattern shorthand from general pattern notes. Add notes on adjusting width of segments.
2024-03-01 – Add details on sizing including my head measurement.
