Drexel Beanie, free crochet pattern
Satisfy your obsession with texture when you make the Drexel Beanie, a FREE crochet pattern from TL Yarn Crafts x WeCrochet!
When I first signed on as an ambassador for WeCrochet (sister site to KnitPicks), I knew I was in for a treat. But I didn’t realize how much the plethora of yarns on the WeCrochet website would inspire me. I’ve created the trendy Mika Vest, as well as the versatile Skyward Kerchief. Each one was heavily influenced by the yarn I chose. For the Drexel Beanie, I went with the bulky weight Mighty Stitch Bulky, a fantastic acrylic/wool blend. The result is a slouchy, bobbly, playful hat that’s perfect for even the coldest winter days.
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Pin It Now, Make It Later!
Find a printer friendly, ad-free PDF version of the Drexel Beanie in my Ravelry shop and on TLYarnCrafts.com. The PDF version is a full-color, single page set of instructions with a full supply list.
Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Drexel Beanie.
Drexel Beanie Construction
The Drexel Beanie is worked from the bottom-up, starting with a cozy brim. The brim is a series of back loop stitches, creating a faux-ribbing like you would see at the bottom of a knit hat. From there, the short ends of the ribbing are joined to begin working in the round.
The body of the hat is worked in turned rounds, incorporating nubby bobble stitches and columns of post stitches. The overall effect is highly structural yet playful at the same time.
Picking the Perfect Yarn
To really help the color and texture of the Drexel Beanie pop, I needed to pick the right yarn. WeCrochet has so many amazing options on their site. A heavier yarn seemed appropriate for the wintertime, so I looked through the bulky weight, category 5 selection.
I instantly fell in love with the vibrant color palette of Mighty Stitch Bulky (also available in worsted and super bulky). This yarn is great because it has just a touch of wool in it, only 20%, which gives the finished project some additional warmth and structure. Finally, Mighty Stitch Bulky is very affordable, at just $4.50 for a 100g ball. You’ll need two balls for the Drexel Beanie, making it a great choice for craft markets or even holiday gifts.
Community Makes
The Drexel Beanie is a big hit among crocheters of all skill levels. I originally released it as a FREE Ravelry download to celebrate the kickoff of Make It CAL 2020. In the short weeks since I shared the pattern, I’ve seen dozens of finished Drexel Beanies. Check out a few of the finished projects below for inspiration. Make It CAL is a fun, casual crochet along. Learn more about how to participate and win awesome prizes here!
TOP ROW: YarnOverFloyd | Turtles.Dream.Crochet | Nicole_Crochets | KittyMumCrochet
BOTTOM ROW: CreationsMisfit | LittleBirdsCrochet | Yarnfully_Yours | KikuHandcrafts
Find a printable version of the Drexel Beanie on Ravelry and TLYarnCrafts.com. And don’t forget to upload your projects to Ravelry!
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Drexel Beanie Details
MATERIALS:
- 2 balls Knit Picks Mighty Stitch Bulky (category 5 bulky weight yarn)
- 6mm crochet hook
- 5mm crochet hook
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Faux faur pom pom (optional)
FINISHED SIZE:
10″ wide x 9″ tall when lying flat. Sized for an average adult with a head circumference of 20″-23″
ABBREVIATIONS:
- BLO = back loop only
- Ch = chain
- Dc = double crochet
- Fptr = front post treble crochet
- Fptr2tog = front post treble crochet 2 together
- Hdc = half double crochet
- Hdc2tog = half double crochet 2 together
- Pc = popcorn
- RS = right side
- Sc = single crochet
- Sl st = slip stitch
- St(s) = stitch(es)
- Tch = turning chain
- WS = wrong side
NOTE: Starting chain 2 DOES NOT count as a stitch.
SPECIAL STITCHES:
- Front post treble crochet 2 together (fptr2tog): yarn over twice, pull up loop around first post stitch, (yarn over, pull through 2 loops) twice, yarn over twice, pull up a loop around the second post stitch, (yarn over, pull through 2 loops) twice, yarn over, pull through remaining 3 loops.
- Popcorn (pc): work 5 dc in indicated stitch, drop loop from hook, insert hook into first dc of 5 dc group, pull dropped loop through stitch.
Drexel Beanie Pattern
More of a visual learner? Make the Drexel Beanie with this tutorial video:
BRIM
ROW 1: With smaller hook, ch 9, sc in 2nd ch from hook and each remaining ch, turn. (8 sc)
ROWS 2-61: Ch 1, sc BLO across row.
Bring ends of Brim together, join first and last row with sl sts. Rotate Brim to work into row ends.
BODY
ROUND 1 (RS): With larger hook, ch 2, hdc in the end of each row around, sl st in tch, turn. (61 hdc).
ROUND 2 (WS): Ch 2, hdc around, sl st in tch, turn.
ROUND 3: Ch 2, hdc 2, *fptr in next 2 sts 2 rounds below, hdc 1, pc 1, hdc 1; repeat from * around to last 4 sts, fptr in next 2 sts 2 rows below, hdc 2, sl st in tch, turn. (11 pc)
ROUND 4: Ch 2, hdc around, sl st in tch, turn.
ROUND 5: Ch 2, hdc 2, *fptr in next 2 sts 2 rounds below, hdc 3; repeat from * around to last 4 sts, fptr in next 2 sts 2 rows below, hdc 2, sl st in tch, turn.
ROUND 6: Ch 2, hdc around, sl st in tch, turn.
ROUNDS 7-18: Repeat Rounds 3-6 three times.
ROUND 19: Ch 2, hdc 2, *fptr2tog over next 2 sts 2 rounds below, hdc 1, pc 1, hdc 1; repeat from * around to last 4 sts, fptr2tog over next 2 sts 2 rounds below, hdc 2, sl st in tch, turn. (49 sts)
ROUND 20: Ch 2, hdc 3, hdc2tog over next 2 sts, *hdc 2, hdc2tog over next 2 sts; repeat from * to last 4 sts, hdc 4, sl st in tch, turn. (38 sts)
ROUND 21: Ch 2, hdc 2, *fptr in next st 2 rounds below, hdc2tog over next 2 sts; repeat from * to last 3 sts, fptr in next st 2 rounds below, hdc 2, sl st in tch, turn. (27 sts)
ROUND 22: Ch 2, hdc2tog over next 2 sts around to last st, hdc 1, sl st in tch. (14 sts)
Fasten off leaving a long tail. Weave tail through each stitch. Pull tail to close top. Weave in all ends securely. Add faux fur pom pom.
PURCHASE THE PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE DREXEL BEANIE HERE!
And that’s it! I just love the easy yet engaging nature of the Drexel Beanie pattern. I hope you enjoyed making it too. Special thanks to my friends at WeCrochet for sponsoring this project. Find more of my collaboration projects with WeCrochet by clicking here.
Please take a moment to upload your projects to Ravelry and don’t forget to PIN this pattern on Pinterest so you can make it again next time. Share your Drexel Beanie on Instagram with hashtag #DrexelBeanie, then drop by the TLYCMakers Facebook group and share it there too!
How would you recommend altering this pattern to fit newborn and toddler sizes?
Hi Sarah! You’ll want to do less row on the starting band, and fewer repeats to make it not so tall. There are crochet hat sizing guides on Pinterest that should help 🙂
I love the pattern! Also, where did you get the gorgeous wooden handle crochet hooks? They look like the Amour but with wooden handles.
Hi Tisa! Thanks for checking out this post. These hooks are from BQueen Collection. They are Clover Amour tips with wooden handles and I love them. You can find out more about BQueen Collection here:
Do you have a video. I don’t know what is going on with my brain, but my first row with PS just never comes out right. 🤔
I sure do have a video – I’ve just updated the blog post to include it 🙂
Thank you for making this look like a beginner could actually feel confident making an adorable hat! I have the yarn, I think. Now I need the deep breath and go!
You’ve got this! Thanks for dropping by my blog 🙂
Just watched the video for this beanie. I can’t wait to get started. I’ve been looking for a pattern like this and just found it! Thank you. I just hope my color of yarn shows the beauty of this pattern!
OMG I loved your tutorial and I only wish I could crochet with such ease. I so want to stitch this beanie but lack the confidence. May just watch your video over and over and go for it. You are an amazing crocheter!
The yarn you used is unavailable where I live in Canada. I can’t seem to find the gauge in the pattern in order to substitute the yarn. I love the look of this hat; would you please provide this so I can make the hat. Thanks very much.
Hi! For the Drexel Beanie, the gauge is a little tough to gather as this hat is so squishy. Any bulky weight yarn should do just fine. When you finish with the brim, it should be 18-19″ long. Hope that helps 🙂
I loved your video tutorial and just finished my hat! Thank you so much! Where do you get your little tags? I love the look they give the hat! Thank you again!
Hi! I get my tags from a handmade shop called Angie + Brit. They’re wonderful and do custom work. You can find their site HERE.
Hi my name is Felicia I want to make this hat for my granddaughter she’s going to be 2 years old. what are the measurements for her size? Please respond
Hi! A quick google search for crochet hat sizing charts should get your started on adjusting the pattern 🙂
Thank you for posting this free pattern!! And for adding one with a video!
Hi,I have problem,How many hdc should be in row 4? 61 or more ?Because I creating more,and I am not sure if it is correct?
Hi! Please send pattern support questions to [email protected] 🙂
Thank you,I Found my mistake.
I finished my hat today,thank you for pattern.
Best wishes 🙂
Hi lovely, I am making the hat for chrimbo presents and am on hat number 4 now. One colour choice has changed and not needed anymore. Is there a way that I can sell the spare hat? Don’t want to infringe the copyright or step on toes, but also don’t want to have a beautiful hat sitting in a drawer. Many thanks
Hi! Thanks so much for asking. Yes, you’re more than welcome to sell anything made from my site 🙂
Hi Toni,
I have a lovely soft yarn in worsted weight, can I use two strands to substitute the recommended yarn? Thanks for your lovely blog and channel.
Yep! Using two strands should work just fine 🙂
Hi. I am using hue and me yarn which it seems same type being bulky weight. I’ve sized down to a 5.5 hook but after 4 sets of r owe 3 to 6 the hat appears massive. Is this a big beanie on?
I am wondering if I frog and try something else
Hi Darling – while Hue + Me is considered a category 5 bulky weight just like the original yarn, it is much denser than the yarn I used. You may want to remove a repeat in the pattern or adjust to another yarn. Lion Brand Hometown USA might be a good choice 🙂
Would love to hear from those of you who made this hat for a toddler 2 years old.
Send me the number of rows for brim and also how many rows to complete hat.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I would love a matching cowl! I get the gist of the pattern, but do you recommend a “number+turning chain” for that? Do you think just doubling it would work? Thank you!!!
Great question. I’d just continue the pattern repeat to the width you want. Doubling it would make a cowl about 20-24″ around. Try a swatch to see how it works up 🙂
Hi Toni,
Thank you so much for the pattern and the wonderful video tutorial! Would you mind sharing where you purchase your faux fur pom poms with the strings? I’d love to try your method of tying them on to make washing a breeze!
Sure! I get my pom poms from HERE!