Crochet Chicken Hat Pattern Free For Toddlers

Yellow DK yarn, brown bobble combs and a stitched chick face shape this crochet chicken hat pattern, free for toddlers and worked on a 3.5 mm hook. Ribbed rounds run down to a rolled brim, and each curly comb piece takes about ten minutes.

Easter baskets and spring photo sessions are where the crochet chicken hat earns its keep. It fits farm birthday parties, school nativity chicks, and the first cold snap of autumn. Family photos in April look different with one on. Gift the crochet chicken hat before hatching season and it gets worn on repeat.

Crochet Chicken Hat

Brown bobbles cluster at the top like a comb, with two rounded yellow ears sticking out on either side of them. The face is worked flat onto the front, black eyes with white glints, a brown triangle beak, and orange cheek patches. Ribbed rounds run the whole way down the yellow crown to a rolled brim. Parts break down into the hat body, two ears, the bobble comb, the beak, the eyes and the cheeks. Sewing placement matters more than stitch skill here since the face has to sit level. The hat itself is plain repeat rounds once the crown increases are done.

Why I Love This One

Three curly comb pieces at the top do more visual work than any other detail on the hat, and they take about ten minutes each to make.

Materials And Tools

• DK or 8-ply yarn in yellow for the hat body, ears and comb
• Brown yarn in the same weight for the comb, beak and ear details
• Black yarn for the eyes
• White yarn for the eye glint
• Crochet hook in 3.5 mm
• Stitch marker
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors
• Optional: powder blush for the cheeks

Colour notes for my version. The original pattern uses white for the hat, red for the comb and beak, and black for the eyes with a white outer ring. Mine uses yellow throughout the hat body, brown for the comb and beak, and solid black eye circles with a small white catch stitch. The ears are worked in yellow to match the hat. All stitch counts stay unchanged.

The Pattern

Abbreviations

• st and sts mean stitch and stitches
• ch means chain
• sl st means slip stitch
• sc means single crochet
• hdc means half double crochet
• dc means double crochet
• inc means increase, two stitches in the same stitch
• dec means decrease, two hdc worked together
• After Round 1 the hat is worked in continuous spiral rounds of hdc without a starting chain, so keep a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go

Hat Body In Yellow

• Ch 4 and sl st into the 1st chain to form a ring
• Round 1: Ch 1 and work 8 sc into the ring, then sl st into the 1st sc to join and pull the tail tight [8 sts]
• Round 2: Work 2 hdc into every stitch around [16 sts]
• Round 3: Repeat 1 hdc in the next stitch then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [24 sts]
• Round 4: Repeat 1 hdc in each of the next 2 stitches then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [32 sts]
• Round 5: Repeat 1 hdc in each of the next 3 stitches then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [40 sts]
• Round 6: Repeat 1 hdc in each of the next 4 stitches then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [48 sts]
• Round 7: Repeat 1 hdc in each of the next 5 stitches then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [56 sts]
• Round 8: Repeat 1 hdc in each of the next 6 stitches then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [64 sts]
• Round 9: Repeat 1 hdc in each of the next 7 stitches then 2 hdc in the next stitch around [72 sts]. Measure the flat circle now. It should reach 6 inches across. If you are using slightly thicker yarn, stop at Round 8 or when 6 inches is reached
• Rounds 10 to 19, ten rounds: Work 1 hdc into every stitch around with no increases [72 sts per round]. These straight rounds drop the hat into a tube shape, and keeping your tension even here is what stops the sides from flaring outward

Brim

• Round 20: Sl st into every stitch around, keeping the stitches loose and not pulling them tight
• Rounds 21 to 22: Work 2 more rounds of sl st, inserting the hook into the back loops of the previous sl st row each time. Working into back loops only gives the brim those visible horizontal ridges you can see at the edge in my photo
• Fasten off and weave in the end

Curly Comb, Make 3 In Brown

• Ch 20
• Row 1: Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work 3 hdc into every chain across. Working three stitches into every chain is what causes each strip to spiral into a tight curl as you work, and you will feel it curling almost immediately
• Fasten off leaving a tail for sewing
• Stack and cluster all three curls at the top centre of the hat, thread your needle through all three pieces together, stitch them securely into the top magic ring, and fasten off. On my hat all three curls sit at the very crown and lean slightly forward

Beak In Brown

• Ch 7
• Row 1: Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, hdc in each chain across [6 sts], ch 1 and turn
• Row 2: Hdc in each stitch across [6 sts], ch 1 and turn
• Row 3: Hdc dec over the first 2 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, hdc dec over the last 2 stitches [4 sts], ch 1 and turn
• Row 4: Hdc dec twice across the 4 stitches [2 sts]
• Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. The finished beak is a small flat triangle that narrows from 6 stitches at the base to a 2 stitch tip
• Position the beak centrally on the lower third of the hat front, with the wide end facing down, and stitch it down securely. On my hat the beak sits just below centre front and points slightly downward, which gives the face its alert chick expression

Eyes In Black, Make 2

• Ch 4 and sl st into the 1st chain to form a ring
• Round 1: Ch 2 to count as the first dc, work 7 dc into the ring [8 dc total], then sl st to the 1st stitch to close. My eyes are solid black circles only, with no white outer ring, so each eye is just this single small round
• Fasten off leaving a long tail
• Thread a short length of white yarn through the centre of each black eye, stitching over 1 to 2 times to create a small white glint, which is the detail that makes the eyes look alive rather than flat
• Position both eyes above the beak on either side, centred on the face, and stitch the edges onto the hat body using the black yarn tails

Ears In Yellow, Make 2

• The pattern does not specify ear rounds, so work two small flat rounded pieces in yellow to match the hat body, keeping them small enough to sit just above and outside the eyes without adding too much width
• Fold each piece slightly at the base before sewing so they stand away from the hat rather than lying flat, as in my photo
• Sew one ear on each side of the hat at roughly the same height as the top of the eyes

Face Finishing

• Optional: Apply a small amount of powder blush to the hat surface below each eye and to the sides of the face to give the chicken pink rounded cheeks, as in my photo

Tips For Getting The Face Right

Place the beak before the eyes. Getting the beak position settled first makes it much easier to judge where the eyes should sit, since the eyes should flank the beak rather than sitting independent of it. Pin all the face pieces in place and hold the hat at arm’s length before sewing anything down.

The white glint on each eye does more than any other detail to lift the face from flat to expressive. Even two small stitches of white make a visible difference, so do not skip this step even if it feels fiddly.

Keep the three comb curls close together at the crown so they read as a unit. Spreading them apart turns them into three separate blobs rather than one textured topknot.

Yarn Substitution

DK yarn in cotton gives crisp stitch definition for the face details. Acrylic DK is slightly softer and the hat will be warmer, which matters for a winter or early spring wear. Avoid anything with too much stretch, since the crown increases rely on the hdc holding its shape to produce a flat circle rather than a gathered dome. Keep all three colours in the same weight or the beak and ears will look out of proportion to the hat body.

FAQ

Does this fit a toddler or a baby? The pattern targets a toddler between one and three years old, with a crown diameter of 6 inches. Measure around the child’s head and compare to the straight section of the hat. Working fewer increase rounds or using thinner yarn brings it down to a baby size.

Why does my hat lean to one side? Usually the comb is sitting off centre rather than the hat itself. Un-stitch the comb and reposition it directly above the magic ring at the crown, then check it from the front before sewing it back down.

Can I make this for an adult? Yes, by continuing the increase rounds past Round 9 until the crown diameter matches the wearer. Add an increase round for every additional 8 stitches you need, then continue the straight rounds as written.

My beak looks more like a chin than a beak. How do I fix the angle? Tilt the wide end of the beak upward slightly before sewing and sew down only the very bottom edge rather than the whole perimeter. This lets the tip lift away from the hat surface, which reads more like a protruding beak.