Retro Scrunchie Brim Preemie Beanie Free Crochet Pattern

Retro Scrunchie Brim Preemie Beanie: A Free Beginner Crochet Pattern

Introduction

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first project to fall in love with. This tiny preemie beanie is worked almost entirely in one simple stitch, so you only need to learn a single technique to make something genuinely adorable. The finished hat is a soft, rounded little beanie about 5.5 inches tall, with a smooth closed crown and a straight little tube for the body. The magic happens at the bottom: four deliberately loose rounds puff out into a puffy, retro scrunchie-style brim, and a bright coral drawstring gathers it into soft ruffles tied in a little bow at the back. It looks like a 90s throwback, feels squishy and gentle, and works up in an evening or two. Whether you are making it for a hospital donation or a tiny new arrival in your life, this hat is small in size but huge in heart.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (Category 4), acrylic or a cotton blend. You will need approximately 40–50 yards of Main Color (MC) — the sample uses soft mint green — and 15–20 yards of Contrast Color (CC) — the sample uses hot coral pink — for the drawstring.
• Crochet hook for the hat body: G/6 (4.0 mm).
• Crochet hook for the scrunchie brim: H/8 (5.0 mm).
• Stitch marker (one is enough; a safety pin or scrap of yarn works too).
• Tapestry needle (a blunt, large-eyed needle for weaving in ends and threading the drawstring).
• Scissors.
• Finished size: Fits a preemie head of 11–12 inches (28–30 cm) circumference. The finished hat measures approximately 5.5 inches (14 cm) tall and about 11.5 inches (29 cm) around the brim before cinching. After the drawstring is pulled, the gathered brim measures about 9.5–10 inches (24–25 cm) around, while the hat body above it stays at its full 11.5 inches.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every pattern is written in shorthand. Here is every abbreviation used in this pattern, explained as if you have never crocheted before. All terms are US crochet terms.

• ch – chain. Make a loop of yarn on your hook, wrap the yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop. That is one chain. A chain looks like a tiny braid.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. It makes a very short, flat stitch.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over the hook, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), wrap the yarn over again, and pull it through both loops. That is one single crochet — the only stitch you need for this whole hat.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together (a decrease). Insert your hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert your hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap the yarn over, and pull through all 3 loops. This turns two stitches into one. (Listed for completeness — this pattern does not use it.)
• st(s) – stitch(es). One completed stitch, or several.
• rnd – round. One complete circle of stitches worked around the hat.
• MC – Main Color (the mint green hat).
• CC – Contrast Color (the coral pink drawstring).
• 2 sc in next st – work two single crochets into the same stitch. This is an increase: it adds one stitch and makes the circle grow.
• Magic ring – an adjustable loop of yarn you crochet into, then pull closed so there is no hole in the middle. If it feels tricky, you can instead chain 2 and work your first round into the first chain.
• Fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and tug gently to lock it.
• Weave in ends – thread a yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the fabric so it disappears and will not unravel.

Gauge

Gauge: 16 single crochet stitches x 18 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm) with the G/6 (4.0 mm) hook, worked in the round. The loose brim rounds worked with the H/8 (5.0 mm) hook measure about 3.5 single crochet per inch.

Why gauge matters: Gauge simply means how big your stitches turn out. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern's, the hat will be too large for a preemie head; if they are smaller, it will be too tight. Gauge is not critical for fit on a preemie hat, but you should check that your finished brim circumference is close to 11.5 inches before cinching.

How to make a gauge swatch: With your G hook and MC, chain 20. Work single crochet in each chain across, then work about 20 rows of single crochet, turning at the end of each row. Lay the swatch flat and measure a 4-inch section in the middle. Count the stitches across and the rows up. If you have more than 16 stitches in 4 inches, your tension is tight — try a hook one size larger. If you have fewer, your tension is loose — try a smaller hook. Either way, do not worry: this hat is forgiving.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker. This hat is worked in a continuous spiral, so the rounds blend together. Place a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go, so you always know where a round begins and ends.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Beginners tend to grip hard. Relaxed, even tension gives a soft hat — and it is essential for the brim rounds, which must be worked loosely on purpose.
• Count your stitches at the end of every increase round. The numbers in parentheses tell you exactly how many stitches you should have. If you are off, fix it now rather than later.
• Switch hooks at the right moment. The brim only puffs out because you change to the larger H/8 hook for Rounds 21–24. Do not skip this step.
• Keep the magic ring tail handy. Give it a gentle tug after Round 2 to close any hole at the crown, then weave it in at the end.
• Work the brim rounds a little taller and looser than feels natural. That deliberate slack is what creates the retro scrunchie flare.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Construction note: This hat is worked in one continuous spiral from the crown down to the brim. Do not join rounds and do not turn unless instructed. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go. The last 4 rounds form the scrunchie brim: they are worked with the larger H/8 hook and with a deliberately relaxed tension so the fabric puffs out. A contrast yarn drawstring is then threaded through the brim and cinched into a retro scrunchie shape.

Part 1: The Crown (G/6 hook, MC)

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring. (6 sc)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)

Rnd 3: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] around. (18 sc)

Rnd 4: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts] around. (24 sc)

Rnd 5: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts] around. (30 sc)

Rnd 6: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts] around. (36 sc)

Rnd 7: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 5 sts] around. (42 sc)

Rnd 8: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts] around. (48 sc)

The crown now measures about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across, which gives the correct preemie head circumference of about 11.5 inches once the sides are worked.

Part 2: The Hat Body (G/6 hook, MC)

Rnds 9–20: Sc in each st around. Do not increase. (48 sc)

That is 12 identical rounds. The tube should measure about 4 inches (10 cm) from the crown edge down. Your total so far is 20 rounds.

Part 3: The Scrunchie Brim (switch to H/8 hook, keep MC)

Change to the larger H/8 hook now. Work the next 4 rounds loosely, letting the stitches relax so the fabric flares and puffs.

Rnd 21: Sc in each st around, working loosely. (48 sc)

Rnd 22: Sc in each st around, working loosely. (48 sc)

Rnd 23: Sc in each st around, working loosely. (48 sc)

Rnd 24: Sc in each st around, working loosely. (48 sc)

Fasten off MC and weave in the end. The brim rounds should now stand out from the hat body as a soft, puffy band about 1.25 inches (3 cm) deep. Total: 24 rounds.

Part 4: The Drawstring (G/6 hook, CC)

Drawstring: Leave a 6-inch starting tail. Ch 40, or chain until the cord measures about 12 inches (30 cm). Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch tail. Thread each end onto a tapestry needle.

Part 5: Cinching the Brim

Step 1: With the hat right side out, insert the tapestry needle with one end of the CC cord through the fabric at the top edge of the brim (the join between Rnd 20 and Rnd 21), about 1 inch from the center back.

Step 2: Weave the cord in and out around the top edge of the brim, skipping over about every 3rd stitch, until you come back to the starting point. Do not pull tight yet.

Step 3: Gently pull both ends of the cord to gather the loose brim rounds into a soft, puffy scrunchie shape. Cinch until the brim measures about 9.5–10 inches (24–25 cm) around, leaving the hat body at its full 11.5-inch circumference above the gathered band.

Step 4: Tie the cord ends in a small bow at the center back. Trim the tails to about 1 inch, or weave them in if you prefer a permanent cinch.

Assembly and Finishing

There is no seaming in this pattern — the hat is worked in one piece from the crown to the brim, so all that is left is tidying and shaping.

• Weave in all remaining ends. Thread each yarn tail onto your tapestry needle. Working on the wrong side (the inside of the hat), sew the tail in and out through the backs of several stitches, change direction once, and trim close to the fabric. This hides the tail and locks it so it will not work loose.
• Shape the brim. Gently shape the brim with your fingers so the gathers are even all the way around. Slide the gathers left or right along the drawstring until the ruffles look balanced.
• Blocking (optional but lovely). Lightly mist the hat with cool water, pat it into shape on a clean towel, and let it air-dry flat. Do not stretch the brim — you want it to stay puffy. Never wring or hang the hat, which can distort the gathers.
• Care: Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and lay flat to dry to keep the scrunchie brim puffy.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors. The mint-and-coral pairing is what gives this hat its retro 90s feel, but any two colors work. Try lavender with mustard yellow, or classic white with a red drawstring. Use up leftover worsted weight from your stash.
• Adjust the size. To make the hat slightly larger, add one more increase round before the body: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts] around (54 sc), then work the body rounds in single crochet without increasing and add 1–2 extra body rounds. To make it smaller, stop increasing after Round 7 (42 sc) and work the body and brim rounds over 42 stitches instead.
• Substitute the yarn. A soft cotton or cotton-blend worsted weight gives crisp, defined stitches; acrylic gives a squishier, fuzzier hat. Avoid fuzzy or textured novelty yarns for your first attempt, since they make stitches hard to see.
• Make the drawstring permanent or removable. Weave the cord ends in instead of tying a bow for a hospital-safe, permanent cinch, or leave the bow loose so the brim can be adjusted. Always secure the bow with a double knot if the hat will be worn by a baby.