This crochet plaid hat is a classic. You need one in every color! You will love this fun and unique crochet plaid technique! Once you start crochet plaid, you can’t stop. The free pattern includes instruction for adults, but you can get additional sizing in the downloadable PDF!
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Growing up, we spent most of our holidays in the very tip-top of Utah at my Grandma’s house. She made delicious meals, personal-sized pies for each grandchild, and the most amazing cheeseball you ever tasted. It was always snowy and wonderful. My grandpa, a retired dairy farmer, also wore a plaid jacket around the house during the cold months, and I especially remember it during our Christmas get-together. Every time I see red and black checked plaid, it reminds me of those wonderful snowy Christmas’s surrounded by family and my beloved grandparents. I don’t incorporate a ton of plaid into my wardrobe (I don’t wear a lot of red), but it screams HOLIDAY to me, and I love how this crochet plaid  hat turned out, perfect for this time of year!

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This crochet plaid hat is almost ALL dc stitches (yay!), and works up pretty quickly. The color changes can slow you down a bit, but I made this hat in just a couple hours. My first plaid hat I put a yarn pom-pom on top which was okay, but when so many people suggested adding a fur pom-pom I decided I must give it a try! Quite a winning combination, I must say. 

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Looking for a top-down version? Get it here!

CROCHET PLAID HAT  – FREE CROCHET PATTERN

Please remember: You are free to use this pattern to make and sell, but do not republish or distribute this pattern in any way. DO NOT use my photos in your listings. Please do share my blog links! It’s a quick and FREE way of supporting Whistle and Ivy and more free crochet patterns in the future. 

Watch a video tutorial for how to make a women’s size crochet plaid hat: 

What you need: 
Medium Weight Yarn (Knit Picks Brava in Red, Wine and Black, plus Dove Heather for pom-pom)
I Hook
Darning Needle

Abbreviations: (click for videos)
St – Stitch
Sc – Single Crochet
Ch – Chain
Hdc – Half Double Crochet
Dc – Double Crochet

Gauge: 14 dc = 4″ (gauge pattern)

This free version includes one size: Women/Teen.  You can get a downloadable PDF with all 6 sizes (Newborn, 6-12 months, Toddler, Child, Women, Men). 

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Get it on Ravelry 


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WOMEN/TEEN SIZE:

Note: The height of the hat is a slouchy fit, to make it more fitted, simply work fewer rows. 

Ribbed Band (use black)
Ch 7. 
1. Hdc in 2nd ch from hook. Hdc 5. Turn. (6 sts)
2. Ch 1. Hdc in same st. Hdc 4 in BLO. Hdc in last st, going through both loops. Turn. (6 sts)


Repeat row two until your band reaches about 18″ – 19″ for adult. 

You will get this measurement by gently stretching your band and measuring the length, not the pre-stretch length. You want the hat to be snug and due to differences in yarn stretchiness, I am not providing a row count. Instead, use your measuring tape. Don’t break yarn.

Note: You can make the hat band longer to make the hat larger ( or visa versa). When you begin the hat body, make sure your first round is worked in multiples of 6. 

Fold long piece in half and sl st up the side, making a band. Turn so the seam is on the inside and your loop is at the top. 

Hat Body: 
1. Continuing where you left off from the band, Ch 1 and sc in same space. Sc all around the top of the band, achieving a total of 71 sts (multiples of 6 minus 1) . Join with a sl st. 

Watch this video to see why the “minus 1” in the multiples: 

Join Wine. 
2. Ch 2. Dc in same st. Begin a 2nd dc, but finish the final pull through with black. Drop wine and carry it through the next 3 stitches. Work 2 dc with black. Finished 3rd dc with wine. Continue this pattern all around the hat. Join with a sl st. (71 sts)

how to crochet buffalo plaid step one

Join Red.
3. Ch 2. Dc in same st. Begin a 2nd dc, but finish the final pull through with Wine. Drop Red and carry it through the next 3 stitches. Work 2 dc with Wine.  Finished 3rd dc with Red. Continue this alternating pattern all around the hat. Join with a sl st. (71 sts)

how to crochet buffalo plaid step 2

4. – 15. Repeat rows 2 and 3 respectively until you reach 14 total rows. 
Tie off your yarn and weave in ends. 

(If you still need help, I have an extensive plaid course. You can enroll in Learn Crochet Plaid course here, OR you can join my all-access pass and get ALL my patterns, ALL downloads, ALL videos and MORE!

how to crochet buffalo plaid

Alternately, to give your hat a bit more stretch, you can carry the yarn behind instead of working it inside. This gives you the strings on the inside of the hat, however, so you can decide which way you prefer.

You can also make the hat with larger-sized color blocks. To do this, just make sure your count will work with 72 sts (minus one). For the black and white hat, I made my blocks 8 sts wide, 3 rows tall. The multiple needs to be 16 (the width of two blocks) so you don’t end up with two blocks of the same color meeting up at the seam.

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To close the hat, cut a length of yarn longer than the circumference of the hat and thread it through your darning needle. Turn your hat inside-out. Sew a running stitch all around the top of the hat.

running stitch across the top of a buffalo plaid hat

Once you reach the beginning, pull the thread tight cinching the hat closed.  Tie a firm and sturdy knot. Clip ends. Turn hat right-side out.

Make and attach a pom-pom, you can make it with yarn or fur or plush sherpa! Learn how here.

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Are you mad about crochet plaid?!
I hope you love your new crochet plaid hat :)


Love this pattern but want MORE? You will LOVE The Endless Bundle – my membership program full of patterns, videos, full tutorials, courses, community, and much more. See you on the inside!

xoxo,

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239 Comments

  1. I bought this pattern from you on January 5, 2022. I couldn’t get it to print. Is there anyway that you could send it to my email?

    1. Hi Brenda! Where did you buy the pattern? Please either reply to the comment reply email if you get one, or send me an email at Bethany (at) whistleandivy (dot) com and please include the email you used to purchase as well. Thanks!

      1. I bought this pattern from Ravelry. I have forwarded you the copy of my email from them. Thank you so very much!!! Great pattern!!

  2. I keep trying to watch the 7 minus 1 video but it goes to an ad and comes back as something else! Frustrating to say the least. Also I make my band the length I want (around 19 “) but can’t get the sc row above it to come to 71 stitches. I tried increasing but it just makes bulky spots. Help!

  3. I’m not very smart with computers but how can I get the PDF, love these hats wow , hope you can help this nanny.

  4. I’m a little confused about the sizing… The title says a child’s hat,but the pattern says for a women/teen. I am following your YouTube video foe visual instruction and made it 15 inches without stretching it… Is this for measurement for a women/teen size ? I absolutely love the color combo! Thank you!

    1. Hi Kelly! This pattern is for adult, the PDF includes sizing from baby to men. The band is tricky, the length really depends on your yarn and how stretchy it is. Is you are using a nice soft acrylic, it should stretch 4 inches or so, but if it’s a bit scratchy and stiff and it doesn’t have much stretch, you will want to make it larger, it should stretch to be about 19-20″ for an adult for a snug fit.

  5. I already purchased the other sizes last year but I cannot find them. Is there any way to look it up and send me them again. Thank you so much.

  6. I’m very new to crochet (about two weeks now) and foolishly didn’t believe your 15 inch inch band and added a couple inches. I ended up with a super slouchy hat. The pattern is beautiful and super easy to follow. A beautiful mistake on my part. I’m planning another color for tomorrow!

  7. Hi there. I can’t wait to try this pattern, but I would also like to watch the video explaining this: “Watch this video to see why the “minus 1” in the multiples:”, but there is no link present?? Can you please attach the link? Thanks kindly, Simone

    1. Hi Simone! The video is actually embedded. However it won’t load if you are actively using ad Adblocker, so please disable to view all the content!

  8. I found the directions confusing. Once I looked at the photo I realized this is three stitches each color. From the directions it sounds like 2 and 3 because you said the chain two doesn’t count as a stitch, but yet you have to have the third stitch to make it work properly with the rest of the pattern.

    1. Yes, the first block will only have 2 because if you work 3, the chain will make it look like 4. However, if you count the chain as as stitch, the first block looks very “threadbare”. I have included a video that explains why the count is multiples of 3 minus one, did you have a chance to watch it?