Preemie Hat Pattern Crochet

This preemie hat pattern crochet is a quick and simple project that turns a small amount of soft yarn into a sweet little hat for a premature baby. These make thoughtful handmade gifts for families, hospitals, and organizations that accept donated baby hats.

This preemie hat pattern crochet is part of my collection of free crochet patterns for hats. There are many different designs in colors and size options.

Preemie Hats Size

Always check the sizing requirements for donations at your local hospital or nicu organization you are making the hat for. This pattern makes a small preemie-size hat with an approximate:

• Finished circumference: 12 inches
• Finished height: 4–4½ inches

Materials

• Small amount of soft baby yarn medium 4 weight – I’ve used Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn in colorway pastel pink here. Red heart soft is a great substitute.
• Crochet hook – I’ve used a 5mm H8 hook
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• Measuring tape

Abbreviations used:

This pattern uses the following abbreviations.

• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Chain (ch) – How To Start A Crochet Chain Beginner Video
• Single crochet (sc) – How To Single Crochet For Beginners Video
• starter puff– ch 2, yo, (insert hook into space, pull up a loop) * twice, pull through all 5 loops on hook, chain 1 to close puff 
• puff – yo, (insert hook into space, pull up a loop) * 3 times, pull through all 7 loops on hook, chain 1 to close puff. Here is tutorial showing how to crochet the puff stitch step by step and a step by step Crochet Puff Stitch Tutorial video

If you’re new to textured cluster stitches or want to practice your loop tension first, take a look at my free crochet puff stitch scarf pattern. The secret to neat, plush puff stitches is pulling your yarn loops loosely to double-crochet height so your hook glides through easily.

preemie hat pattern crochet Tutorial

Finished hat measures 12 inches in circumference and 4 inch tall from rim to center of head

Start with a magic loop or ch 4 and sl st to first chain to form a loop

Round 1: into center loop make a starter puff, then make 5 regular puffs. Slip stitch into top of starting ch 2 to complete the round. Add a stitch marker to denote end of round if needed.

This beanie is worked top-down starting with crown increases. If you’d like a quick refresher on how round increases work so your crown stays smooth without ruffling, check out my step-by-step guide on how to crochet a flat circle.

Round 2: sl st to the space between puffs, make a starter puff + regular puff into that space, then make 2 regular puffs into next and remaining spaces, slip stitch to complete the round

Round 3: sl st to the space between puffs, make a starter puff + regular puff into that space, make 1 regular puff in next space, (make 2 regular puffs into next space, make 1 regular puff into next space) repeat till end of round, sl st to complete the round

Rounds 4 to 10: sl st to the space between puffs, make a starter puff, (make a regular puff into next sp) repeat till end, sl st to complete round 

Round 11: sl st to ch space, ch 1, 2 scs into the same chain space, (into next chain sp 2sc) repeat till end, sl st to complete round, trim and cast off.

preemie hat pattern crochet Pattern Pdf Download

DOWNLOAD HERE: Printable Preemie Hat Crochet Pattern Pdf

Looking for larger sizes or different textured beanies for family gifts? Explore my free shell stitch beanie pattern or try the quick 1 hour granny stitch beanie pattern.

Blog Hop

Check out more free patterns in this special blog bop by Sunflower Cottage Crochet

Conclusion

If you enjoyed making this premie hat pattern crochet, here is some matching blanket inspiration: a 3 Color Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern or single crochet chunky blanket. For even more inspiration, explore my collection of crochet wearables

I hope this little hat brings a little extra warmth and love to a tiny new baby. ❤️