Charcoal Sunburst Earflap Chapeau: Free Crochet Pattern for Cats

Charcoal Sunburst Earflap Chapeau: A Free Beginner Crochet Pattern for Cats

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first project to fall in love with. The Charcoal Sunburst Earflap Chapeau is a tiny, charming half-sphere cap worked almost entirely in one simple stitch, then dressed up with two soft oatmeal earflaps and a raised folk-art sunburst on the front. It is made for cats with heads measuring 10 to 12 inches around, and it looks like a little piece of handmade folk art perched on your favorite feline. The finished hat is dense and cozy in worsted-weight acrylic, with a smooth charcoal crown, warm beige flaps that frame the ears, and a golden sunburst center that catches the eye. Every step uses only the most basic crochet skills, so you can truly start from zero and finish with something adorable.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4) acrylic yarn, approximately 60–70 yards total: 50 yards charcoal (Color A), 10 yards oatmeal (Color B), and 5 yards gold/mustard (Color C).
• Crochet hook: Size G/6 (4.0 mm), or the size needed to match the gauge below.
• Stitch marker: At least one, to mark where your earflaps begin.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt-tipped needle with a large eye for weaving in yarn ends.
• Scissors: Sharp craft scissors for cutting yarn.
• Finished measurements: Hat circumference approximately 11 inches (fits a cat head of 10–12 inches); hat depth from crown to lower edge approximately 4.5 inches; each earflap approximately 2 inches long.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every abbreviation used in this pattern is listed here in plain English. Read through this list once before you begin, and come back to it any time a term feels unfamiliar.

• ch – chain. Make a loop of yarn on your hook, then pull the yarn through the loop on your hook. Each one you make creates a small link. Chains are used to start a round or to create spaces.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the next stitch, wrap the yarn over the hook and pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), wrap the yarn over again, and pull it through both loops. One single crochet made.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert your hook into the next stitch, wrap the yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. It creates almost no height and is used to join rounds.
• dc – double crochet. Wrap the yarn over the hook first, insert the hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over and pull through 2 loops, wrap yarn over again and pull through the last 2 loops. It is taller than a single crochet.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 stitches together. This is a decrease: it turns two stitches into one. Insert your hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop, insert your hook into the following stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
• st(s) – stitch or stitches. One completed loop or unit of crochet.
• beg – beginning. Refers to the start of a round or row.
• rnd – round. One complete circle of crochet worked in the round (as opposed to a row, which goes back and forth).
• magic ring – an adjustable loop of yarn used to start crocheting in the round. Wrap the yarn around your fingers to form a loop, insert your hook, pull up a loop, chain 1 to secure it, then work your stitches into the loop. Pull the tail to close the hole tightly.
• overlay crochet – a technique where stitches are worked on the surface of finished fabric to create a raised design. Here, the sunburst is worked directly onto the front of the hat.
• front-post double crochet – a double crochet worked around the front of the post (the vertical body) of a stitch rather than into its top, which makes the stitch pop forward and creates a raised texture.

Gauge

Gauge: 4 single crochet stitches = 1 inch; 4.5 single crochet rounds = 1 inch.

Gauge simply means how big your stitches turn out. It matters because it is the only way to guarantee your hat will actually fit a cat. If your stitches are bigger than the gauge, the hat will be too large and slip off; if they are smaller, it will be too tight. To check your gauge, crochet a small flat swatch: make a chain of about 20 stitches, then work single crochet rows until the piece is about 4 inches tall. Lay a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 1 inch, then count how many rows fit in 1 inch. If you have more stitches per inch than the gauge, try a larger hook; if you have fewer, try a smaller hook. Because this hat is worked in joined rounds, you can also simply begin the crown and measure after Round 8 — it should measure about 3 inches across.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count every round. The crown grows by exactly 6 stitches each round, so after each round count your stitches and compare to the number in parentheses. Catching a mistake early is much easier than fixing it later.
• Use your stitch marker. Place it in the first stitch of each round so you always know where the round begins and ends, and use it again to mark where the earflaps start.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Hold the yarn with a relaxed, even tension. Tight stitches make the hat stiff and hard to work into; loose, even stitches give a smooth fabric.
• Join with a slip stitch, then chain 1. Every round in this pattern ends by joining to the first stitch and begins with a chain 1. The chain 1 does not count as a stitch — it just gives a little height.
• Keep the sunburst flat. When you work the overlay motif, do not pull the gold or oatmeal yarn tightly. The rays should sit gently on the surface, not pucker the hat.
• Try it on your cat as you go. After the crown is finished, gently place it on your cat (or measure it against their head) to confirm the fit before adding the earflaps.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Hat Crown (worked in charcoal, Color A)

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1 (does not count as a st). Work 6 sc into the ring. Join with sl st to the first sc. (6 sc)

Rnd 2: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each st around. Join with sl st to the first sc. (12 sc)

Rnd 3: Ch 1. *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; repeat from * around. Join with sl st. (18 sc)

Rnd 4: Ch 1. *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; repeat from * around. Join with sl st. (24 sc)

Rnd 5: Ch 1. *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; repeat from * around. Join with sl st. (30 sc)

Rnd 6: Ch 1. *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; repeat from * around. Join with sl st. (36 sc)

Rnd 7: Ch 1. *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts; repeat from * around. Join with sl st. (42 sc)

Rnd 8: Ch 1. *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts; repeat from * around. Join with sl st. (48 sc)

Rnds 9–15: Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Join with sl st. (48 sc) — this is 7 identical rounds; repeat the instruction exactly as written for each one.

Fasten off charcoal and weave in the ends. The hat should measure approximately 11 inches in circumference and 4.5 inches deep.

Earflaps (make 2, worked in oatmeal, Color B)

With the right side of the hat facing you, locate the side of the hat. Count 6 stitches from the center back on each side to place the earflaps symmetrically. Mark the starting stitch of the first earflap with a stitch marker.

Row 1: Join B with a sl st to the marked stitch. Ch 1. Sc in the same st and in the next 5 sts. Turn. (6 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1. Sc in each st across. Turn. (6 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1. Sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. (4 sc)

Row 4: Ch 1. Sc in each st across. Turn. (4 sc)

Row 5: Ch 1. Sc2tog twice. Turn. (2 sc)

Row 6: Ch 1. Sc2tog. Fasten off. (1 sc)

Repeat Rows 1–6 for the second earflap on the opposite side, making sure both flaps sit at the same height on the hat.

Overlay Crochet Sunburst (worked on the front of the hat, centered)

The sunburst is worked directly onto the front surface of the finished hat. Use gold/mustard (Color C) for the center and oatmeal (Color B) for the rays.

Center circle: With C, join the yarn to a stitch at the center front of the hat, approximately 1 inch below the crown top.

Rnd 1: Ch 1. Work 8 sc evenly around the joining point in a small circle, working into the fabric surface. Join with sl st to the first sc. (8 sc)

Rnd 2: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each st around. Join with sl st. (16 sc)

Fasten off C.

Rays: With B, join the yarn to any st of Rnd 2.

Rnd 3: Ch 3 (counts as the first dc). Work 1 dc in the same st. *Ch 2, skip the next st, work 2 dc in the next st; repeat from * around. Join with sl st to the top of the beg ch-3. (8 pairs of dc, 8 ch-2 spaces)

Rnd 4: Ch 1. *Work 1 sc in each of the next 2 dc, work 3 sc in the ch-2 space; repeat from * around. Join with sl st to the first sc. (40 sc)

Fasten off B and weave in all ends securely.

Assembly and Finishing

This hat needs very little assembly because the crown, earflaps, and sunburst are all worked directly onto the piece. Here is exactly how to finish it beautifully:

• Weave in the ends. Thread each loose yarn tail onto your tapestry needle. Turn the hat to the wrong side and pass the needle through the backs of several nearby stitches, then back through the same stitches in the opposite direction to lock it. Trim the tail close to the fabric. Do this for every tail, including the ones on the back of the sunburst.
• Check the earflaps. Gently tug each flap to smooth it, and make sure both sit at the same height and point downward evenly. If one is slightly off, you can unpick the joining slip stitch and rejoin it one stitch over.
• Steam block. Fill a kettle or pot with water and let it steam. Hold the hat about 6 inches above the steam for a few seconds, then gently pat the crown into a smooth half-sphere with your hands and lay the earflaps flat. Do not touch the hot steam directly. Let the hat dry completely before wearing.
• Flatten the sunburst. While the hat is still slightly warm from steaming, press the sunburst motif gently with your fingertips so the rays lie flat against the surface. This is the final touch that makes the folk-art design look crisp.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors. Swap the charcoal for deep plum, forest green, or navy, and make the sunburst center in bright orange or turquoise for a completely different folk-art mood. The pattern works with any three colors you love.
• Adjust the size. For a smaller cat, stop the crown increases at Round 7 (42 sts) and work Rounds 8–14 even. For a larger cat, add one more increase round (54 sts) and work two extra even rounds. Always check the fit against your cat's head before adding the earflaps.
• Substitute the yarn. Any worsted weight (category 4) yarn works here, including cotton or a wool blend. Just crochet a gauge swatch first, because different fibers behave differently and the fit depends on matching the gauge.
• Add a tie or pom-pom. For extra charm, crochet a simple chain of 20 stitches in oatmeal and attach it to the tip of each earflap as a tie, or sew a tiny yarn pom-pom to the top of the crown.