Baby hat sizes
Crochet baby hat sizes: head, hat and yarn by age
A crochet hat for a 0 to 3 month old is about 33cm round and 14cm tall in the middle of the published patterns we checked, for a head of roughly 34 to 40.5cm, and takes 55 to 100 metres of yarn. Those figures come from the WHO growth standards, ten designers’ size charts and 16 published baby and child hat patterns. The table below gives the same figures for every size from premature to 10 years. Measure the baby if you can, because heads grow fast and age labels vary a lot between designers.
The quick answer, by age
Find the age, then read across. The head column is the World Health Organization median, the middle value for healthy babies, at the start and end of each age band. The hat columns are the middle value of the finished sizes designers publish. The yarn columns are the middle value of what 16 patterns ask for, with the lowest and highest in brackets.
Most patterns stop at a size label, so we grouped them by the age each designer names. Toddler and 12 to 24 month sizes sit in the 1 to 3 year row, and child sizes up to 10 years in the last row. Sizes labelled only “baby” or “tween” are left out, as is Hanjan Crochet’s 6 to 12 year size, because they don’t fit one band. Where a designer has two sizes inside one band, such as Bella Coco’s 6 to 9 and 9 to 12 months, both count, so n is the number of sizes. The designer head column is from Hanjan Crochet’s ribbed and all-sizes beanie chart; other designers’ head sizes are in the next table.
| Size | WHO median head, girls / boys (cm) | To fit head, Hanjan Crochet’s nearest size (cm) | Finished hat circumference (cm) | Hat height (cm) | DK metres | Aran or worsted metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premature | Not covered | 30.5–33 | 25.4 (22.9–25.4, n=4) | 10.2 (n=2) | 64 (n=1) | 55 (46–69, n=4) |
| Newborn | 33.9 / 34.5 at birth | Not given | 30.5 (27.9–35.6, n=7) | 12.7 (11.2–13.3, n=6) | 64 (63–65, n=2) | 88 (56–120, n=2) |
| 0–3 months | 33.9–39.5 / 34.5–40.5 | 33–35.6 | 33 (25.4–40.6, n=8) | 14 (13.5–14, n=6) | 72 (71–73, n=2) | 88 (55–100, n=5) |
| 3–6 months | 39.5–42.2 / 40.5–43.3 | 35.6–38.1 | 35.8 (27.9–43.2, n=8) | 15.1 (13.5–16.5, n=6) | 80 (79–82, n=2) | 86 (64–114, n=4) |
| 6–12 months | 42.2–44.9 / 43.3–46.1 | 38.1–40.6 | 38.6 (30.5–45.7, n=8) | 16.5 (14.6–18, n=6) | 91 (n=1) | 100 (82–139, n=6) |
| 1–3 years | 44.9–48.5 / 46.1–49.5 | 40.6–45.7 | 40.3 (33–48.3, n=10) | 17.8 (15.9–19.1, n=7) | 110 (88–146, n=3) | 122 (96–160, n=10) |
| 3–10 years | 48.5–49.9 / 49.5–50.7 (WHO tables end at 5) | 48.3–50.8 | 44.5 (35.6–50.8, n=11) | 19 (16.8–20.3, n=8) | 146 (98–174, n=3) | 145 (106–206, n=10) |
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Head size: growth charts and pattern charts disagree
The UK-WHO charts that the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) publishes for children up to age 4 are based on the WHO Child Growth Standards, and include head circumference. We took the head figures from the WHO’s own tables. The median newborn girl’s head is 33.9cm and the median boy’s is 34.5cm. By 3 months that is 39.5cm and 40.5cm, and by 12 months 44.9cm and 46.1cm.
Age labels on crochet and knitting charts don’t line up neatly with those medians. Hanjan Crochet’s 6 to 12 month hat fits a 38 to 40.6cm head, below the WHO median at 6 months, while Woolly Wormhead and Jane Burns give 35.5cm for a newborn, above it. Both use the same typical sizes, from 30.5cm for a premature baby to 50.5cm for a child. The Craft Yarn Council chart gives no ages at all: preemie 23 to 30.5cm, baby 35.5 to 40.5cm, toddler 40.5 to 46cm and child 45.5 to 51cm. Jane Burns’s advice is to go by the measurement, not the age.
| Designer | Sizes | To fit head (cm) | Finished hat circumference (cm) | Height (cm) | Negative ease stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woolly Wormhead | Preemie to child, teen or small adult | 30.5, 35.5, 40.5, 45.5, 50.5 | Not given | Head length 11 to 18.5 | 5–7.5cm, about 12% |
| Jane Burns | Premature to about 2–11 years | 30.5, 35.5, 40.5, 45.5, 50.5 | Not given | Head length 11 to 18.5 | Around 2–3cm for babies and young children |
| Hanjan Crochet (ribbed DK hat) | Premature to 3–10 years | 30.5–33 to 48.3–50.8 | 25.4 to 43.2 | 15.2 to 27.9, including turn-up brim | Not stated; 5.1–10.2cm by the chart |
| Oombawka Design (DK hat) | Preemie to 6–10 years | Not given | 25.4 to 48.3 | 10.2 to 17.8, to mid-ear | About 5cm |
| Maisie and Ruth (Willow Ridge Beanie) | Newborn to 3–10 years | Not given | 30 to 44 (twice the flat width) | 13 to 19 | Not stated |
| Bella Coco (Prim Beanie) | 3–6 months to child | 31.75–36.75 to 45.75–50.75 | 30.5 to 45.5 | 14 to 19, band folded | Not stated |
| Annie Design Crochet (striped hat) | Newborn to 3–6 months | Not given | 30.5 to 35.6 | 11.4 to 16.5 | Not stated |
| Hookfully (Grace’s hat) | Newborn to toddler (1–3 years) | Not given | 35.6 to 48.3 | 12.7 to 17.8 | Not stated |
| Crochet Dreamz (baby hat) | Newborn to 6–12 months | Not given | 33 to 43.2 | 12.7 to 16.5 | Not stated |
| The Loophole Fox (Hazel Beanie) | Toddler and child | 45.7, 48.3 | 40.6, 43.2 | 17.8, 19.1 | 5cm |
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How much smaller the hat should be
A finished hat is smaller than the head so it stays on. Woolly Wormhead builds 5 to 7.5cm of this negative ease into her hats, or about 12%. Jane Burns puts it at around 2 to 3cm for babies and young children. The Loophole Fox and Oombawka Design both use about 5cm (2 inches).
In our sample the designers’ finished hats sit well under the WHO medians. The middle finished size for 6 to 12 months is 38.6cm, against a median head of 42.2 to 46.1cm over those months. If you’re making a hat before the baby arrives, Jane Burns suggests the newborn row of her chart as the safest starting point. If the baby is already here, she measures around the widest part of the head, just above the ears and across the forehead.
How much yarn a baby hat takes
We opened each pattern and noted the yarn quantity for every baby and child size. Yards became metres at 0.9144. Where a designer gave only grams, we used the yarn’s metres per gram from the pattern page. We haven’t crocheted these hats ourselves. The quantities are the designers’ own, and every pattern is linked at the bottom of this page.
Every quantity we found fits in one 100g ball of Stylecraft Special DK (295m). In Stylecraft Special Aran (196m) all but one do: Hanjan Crochet’s granny hat in the 3 to 10 year size asks for 225 yards, which is 206m (the pattern’s own conversion says 203m), just over one ball. Six of the 16 patterns are Hanjan Crochet’s and three are Hooked on Homemade Happiness’s, so treat the medians as a guide rather than an average of all hats.
Leftovers go a long way at these sizes. A 0 to 3 month hat in DK took 71 to 73m in the two patterns that give it, so one ball of Special DK holds about four. A premature hat in aran or worsted took 46 to 69m, or 23 to 35g of Special Aran.
| Pattern | Yarn | Sizes | Stated quantity | Metres, smallest to largest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribbed DK hat (Hanjan Crochet) | Mary Maxim Mellowspun DK | Premature to 3–10 years | 70–160 yd | 64–146 |
| Boys crochet hat (Hanjan Crochet) | Hobbii Amigo DK | Newborn to 6–12 years | 69–130 yd | 63–119 |
| Willow Ridge Beanie (Maisie and Ruth) | Stylecraft Bambino DK to 6 months, then Caron Simply Soft worsted | Newborn to 3–10 years | 71–116 yd | 65–106 |
| Kelsey Beanie (Crochet Dreamz) | Premier Basix DK | Toddler and child | 160–190 yd | 146–174 |
| Beanie in all sizes (Hanjan Crochet) | Brava Worsted | Premature to 3–10 years | 50–140 yd | 46–128 |
| Granny hat (Hanjan Crochet) | Lion Brand Color Theory, worsted | Premature to 3–10 years | 75–225 yd (pattern gives 68–203m) | 69–206 |
| Easy hat for beginners (Hanjan Crochet) | Brava Tweed, worsted | 0–3 months to child | 88–145m | 88–145 |
| Puff stitch hat (Hanjan Crochet) | Herrschners Worsted 8 | Newborn to child | 120–145m | 120–145 |
| Easy Everyday Beanie (For The Frills) | WeCrochet Swish Worsted | Preemie to tween | 30–75g | 60–150 |
| Grace’s granny stitch hat (Hookfully) | Bernat Baby Velvet, worsted | Newborn to toddler | 61–105 yd | 56–96 |
| Prim Beanie (Bella Coco) | Caron Simply Soft Tweeds, aran | 3–6 months to child | 103.5–198 yd | 95–181 |
| Hazel Beanie (The Loophole Fox) | WeCrochet Twill, worsted | Toddler and child | 95–115g, 142–172 yd | 130–157 |
| Arctic Beanie (Shannon Holding, The Loophole Fox) | WeCrochet Twill Worsted | Toddler and child | 95–115g, 142–172 yd | 130–157 |
| Premie Baby Beanie (Hooked on Homemade Happiness) | WeCrochet Brava, worsted | Premature | 25g | About 50 |
| Cupcake Beanie (Hooked on Homemade Happiness) | Brava Worsted | Newborn to 3 months | 50g, 109 yd | 100 |
| Kid’s Vintage Hat (Hooked on Homemade Happiness) | Stylecraft Special Aran | Child | 65g | 127 |
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Hat height and the crown
The middle finished height runs from 12.7cm for a newborn to 19cm for 3 to 10 years. Woolly Wormhead’s head lengths, measured from the crown to the base of the ear, sit close to that: 12.5cm for a newborn, 14.5cm at 6 months and 16.5cm at 12 months. Some patterns quote a much taller height because it includes a brim you fold up, so check how the height is measured.
For a hat worked top down, the flat crown circle sets the fit. Maisie and Ruth gives a crown check for each size of its Willow Ridge Beanie, from 11cm across for a newborn to 16.5cm for 3 to 10 years, so check your crown against the pattern’s own figure before working the sides. To spread extra stitches evenly round a round, use the increase and decrease calculator.
Hats for premature babies and neonatal units
Bliss, the UK charity for babies born premature or sick, asks people knitting for premature babies to contact their local neonatal unit before they start, to find out what items it needs. Finished items go to the unit directly, not to Bliss’s head office. Writing about crocheted octopuses, Bliss also notes that hospitals have different criteria for infection control, so a unit may not be able to take them.
Sizes for premature babies vary more than any other row. The Craft Yarn Council’s preemie band is 23 to 30.5cm, and the finished premature hats in our sample are 22.9 to 25.4cm round.
Safety points from the NHS and designers
The NHS page on reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) says overheating can increase the risk of SIDS. Its advice includes: “remove hats and extra clothing as soon as you come indoors or enter a car, bus or train even if it means waking your baby”.
Writing about knitting for babies, Jane Burns says buttons need to be “extremely secure, double-sewn, and checked regularly”, and one of the safety questions she asks of her designs is “Will this ribbon tie stay attached or could it become a hazard?” On its smaller sizes, Maisie and Ruth attaches a faux fur pompom with a sew-on snap fastener, which the pattern calls “a more secure, lightweight attachment that is suitable for smaller beanie sizes”.
Check before you move on
- Baby’s head measured just above the ears and across the forehead, if you can
- Size chosen by head measurement, not the age on the pattern
- Finished hat a few centimetres smaller than the head
- Pattern quantity turned into metres before you swap yarn
- Neonatal unit asked what it needs before you make premature hats
- Buttons double-sewn and any ribbon tie checked, as Jane Burns advises
Ready to buy?
For a baby hat from one ball
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Stylecraft Special DK, White (1001)
One 100g / 295m ball, 100% acrylic, sold by The Great British Yarn Company.
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YINVA locking stitch markers, pack of 150
150 plastic locking markers in mixed colours.
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Flexible dual-sided sewing tape measure
150cm on one side, 60 inches on the other; soft tape for measuring squares and fabric.
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Try it with your own numbers.
Spread increases or decreases evenly across a round and get the instruction written in UK terms.
Write my round ↗Common questions
What size should a newborn crochet hat be?
The finished newborn hats in our sample measure 27.9 to 35.6cm round, with a middle value of 30.5cm, and about 12.7cm tall. The WHO median newborn head is 33.9cm for girls and 34.5cm for boys, so the middle hat is a little smaller than the head.
How much yarn do I need for a baby hat?
For 0 to 3 months, 71 to 73m of DK in the two patterns that give it, which is 24 to 25g of Stylecraft Special DK. In aran or worsted, 55 to 100m. By 6 to 12 months the aran and worsted patterns ask for 82 to 139m.
What size hat for a 6 month old?
The WHO median head at 6 months is 42.2cm for girls and 43.3cm for boys. Pattern sizes labelled 3 to 6 months often fit smaller heads, such as 35.6 to 38.1cm on Hanjan Crochet’s chart, so measure the baby and pick by head size. A 6 to 12 month size may fit better.
How many baby hats can I make from one ball?
By the middle values here, about four 0 to 3 month hats from a 100g ball of Stylecraft Special DK (295m), and about two in Stylecraft Special Aran (196m). Premature hats use less, at 46 to 69m in aran or worsted.
Can I crochet hats for premature babies in hospital?
Bliss asks you to contact your local neonatal unit first to find out what items it needs, and to send finished items to the unit directly rather than to Bliss. On crocheted octopuses, it notes that hospitals have different criteria for infection control, so a unit may not be able to take them.
Sources and scope
- www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards/standards/head-circumference-for-age
- cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/child-growth/child-growth-standards/indicators/head-circumference-for-age/hcfa-girls-0-5-zscores.xlsx
- cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/child-growth/child-growth-standards/indicators/head-circumference-for-age/hcfa-boys-0-5-zscores.xlsx
- www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/uk-who-growth-charts-0-4-years
- www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/head-circumference-chart
- woollywormhead.com/blog/2009/09/26/hat-sizing-guide
- janeburns.co.uk/childrens-hat-size-chart-knitting/
- janeburns.co.uk/baby-childrens-knitting-size-guide-measurements/
- janeburns.co.uk/knitting-for-babies-and-how-to-get-it-right/
- www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/
- www.bliss.org.uk/support-bliss/volunteer/knit-for-premature-babies
- www.hanjancrochet.com/dk-crochet-hat-pattern/
- www.hanjancrochet.com/boys-crochet-hat-pattern/
- www.hanjancrochet.com/free-crochet-beanie-pattern-all-sizes/
- www.hanjancrochet.com/crochet-granny-hat-pattern/
- www.hanjancrochet.com/easy-crochet-hat-pattern-for-beginners/
- www.hanjancrochet.com/puff-stitch-crochet-hat-pattern/
- web.archive.org/web/20260618232045/https://maisieandruth.com/easy-crochet-baby-hat-a-free-pattern/
- crochetdreamz.com/simple-beanie-hat-crochet-pattern/
- crochetdreamz.com/crochet-baby-hat/
- richtexturescrochet.com/easy-childrens-crochet-hat-free-pattern/
- web.archive.org/web/20260207173933/https://forthefrills.com/crochet-easy-tapered-beanie-free-pattern/
- hookfully.com/graces-crochet-granny-stitch-baby-hat-pattern-newborn-to-toddler/
- blog.bellacococrochet.com/how-to-crochet-a-beginner-friendly-beanie-in-8-different-sizes/
- web.archive.org/web/20260206200736/https://theloopholefox.com/free-crochet-beanie-pattern/
- www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-arctic-beanie
- www.hookedonhomemadehappiness.com/premie-baby-beanie-crochet-pattern/
- www.hookedonhomemadehappiness.com/cupcake-beanie-crochet-pattern/
- www.hookedonhomemadehappiness.com/kids-vintage-hat-crochet-pattern-cal-for-a-cause/
- web.archive.org/web/20260915214517/https://oombawkadesigncrochet.com/dk-double-crochet-hat-pattern/
- www.anniedesigncrochet.com/easy-crochet-striped-baby-hat-pattern-in-3-sizes/
- www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/yarns/special-dk
- www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/yarns/special-aran
Sources checked 2 October 2026. Label facts come from the linked references; worked purchase examples and arithmetic are our own illustrations.
Keep planning
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- Crochet dishcloth yarn: how much, and which cotton?
- Does crochet use more yarn than knitting? Pattern pairs
- How much yarn for amigurumi? Grams by finished size
- How much yarn for a crochet tote or market bag?
- How much yarn for a crochet shawl? Triangle, virus and more
- Stylecraft Special DK: metres, quantities and planner
- Stylecraft Special Aran: metres, quantities and planner
These are planning methods, not physically tested crochet patterns. Read our method and editorial approach.