Yes, I'm still trying to customize hat sizes. Over the last few months, I've gotten numerous comments and questions about hats sizes. Considering we all crochet with different tensions/ gauges, it's impossible to give definite numbers of stitches. The charts are great but they do not tell us when to stop increasing. This has always been my problem with gifts. If I make something for Ireland, I'll just put it on her head and see how it fits and then adjust from there. But when you have to make a gift, it's tough to guess.
I've decided to get all of Ireland's hats that I've made for her since birth to use for my experiment. I have compared the hats to photos of her wearing them. I've looked at the dates to determine how old she was when wearing. This is how I've measured for sizes.
This is a general chart, but still pretty helpful...Better than nothing. The measurements listed in the chart represent the size of the circle you should have when increasing. When you reach the desired size then stop increasing and just crochet evenly thereafter.
Age Diameter of circle
Newborn 4 inches
3-6 months 5.5 inches
9-12 months 6-6.5 inches
24 months 6.5-6.75 inches
Toddler and small child 7-7.5 inches
Adult woman 8 inches
For instance if you are making a hat for a 12 month old... increase until you have a circle that measures 6-6.5 inches across, then continue to crochet each round evenly with no increases.
The hat in the photo above will be for a child about a year old. So as you can see the circle measures right at 6 inches.
The finished length will also vary according to age
Age Finished Length
Newborn 5 inches
3-6 months 6-6.5 inches
9-12 months 7 inches
24 months 7-7.5 inches
Toddler and small child 7.5- 8 inches
Adult woman 8.5-9 inches
Large adult 10 inches
The blue hat above will be for a 12 month old, so I'll need to keep crocheting for a couple more inches.
This green hat is for a teen or adult woman, so I'll stop at about 9 inches.
Edit: If you are making an ear flap hat, then the length will decrease slightly.
Of course these measurements are not exact for each child and adult. I have made hats for large adult women heads that measure more than 10 inches in length. These are general measurements intended to offer a little bit of help, instead of trying to make a hat blindly without a clue:D
I hope this helps.
Have a great week!
i find it difficult to count stitches let alone measuring...thanks for the help!
ReplyDeletevery helpful. thanks!
ReplyDeleteReally,really helpful - thank you so much - I'm adding it to my favourites bar for easy access. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI find this very helpful, hats are my bugaboo.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant post! I have been having the same problem. It's fine when the hats are for your own children, or nearby children!! But for gifts it's hard. So a huge thanks for your experiment - I will jot these notes down right now.
ReplyDeleteLeah
This is great! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGenevieve
really kind !!!
ReplyDeletexxx Alessandra
Liz, thanks for sharing your experience! I hope it is ok that I pinned this post to my crochet board and that I have put Crochet in Color on my blog roll.
ReplyDeleteJoy to you and yours,
Gracie <3
Thank you so much, Liz! This will be very helpful in the future.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Kate
Good information and so helpful. I have a hard time with fitting hats. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHow did you know I've been breaking my head over this exact problem lately??!!You have absolutely answered my crochet prayers... thanks so much! Love your blog, keep up the good work,
ReplyDeletexxx Merav
Thanks for the tip! I always just go by trial and error hoping it fits right. Most of the time with some good success!
ReplyDelete-Andréa
stitchsilly.com
Thank you, Liz! This information is very very helpful!
ReplyDeleteHave a sunny day!
Olga :)
thank you so much for this! I have made numerous hats and for adults I tried them on! For the younger ones though, I had no idea! I guessed! This will help take the guess work out!
ReplyDeleteNorma
Excellent information. Thanks for sharing!!! I am going to PIN this.
ReplyDeleteReally helpful. Ive used it twice today already!
ReplyDeleteI think I love you.
ReplyDeleteI would hug you right now if we were face to face. THANK YOU !
Hahaha...you're welcome:)
DeleteI found you on Pinterest and I'm so happy I did! This is an awesome size chart, thanks so much for taking the time to figure it out! I was slightly confused because you used the word 'circumference' but the top picture shows you measuring the diameter, So you may want to change that for Math Nerds like me ;)
ReplyDeleteHello, and I'm so happy that you found me. Thanks for the correction. You're right, I was meaning to type diameter...just got ahead of myself. The diameter determines the correct circumference...lol.
DeleteMy circles come out as hexagon while i'm increasing yours look like a real circle, are you doing something different
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteDon't worry about the hexagon effect. That is normal and how it's supposed to look. Mine is folded under in photo above. I had went further with my rounds. As you crochet it won't even matter.
Liz
I have found that if I am sure to turn and go back around the other way at the end of every round it takes the hexagon effect from it. Might help you
ReplyDeleteI did not turn the other way. The hexagon effect will not hurt anything. It's actually the way it should look...It will look that way from each increase. It is normal. When you start on the rounds that are non-increasing then it will not even matter.
DeleteHope this helps.
Liz
Thanks for this!! What size hook do you normally use to make your hats?
ReplyDeletethanks for the chart. it definitely help.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the charts. Not all patterns increase the same way so it's good to have the base measurements.
ReplyDeleteAs an FYI what size needle and stich are you using as your examples? This is a great chart example it will come in handy, I use my 3 year old son's head as a model for everything Imake for people... ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteLOVE...I have been looking for something like this FOREVER! Thanks you, thank you, thank you!
ReplyDeletethanks for your help!
ReplyDeleteI found you through Pinterest. THANK YOU!!! I'm with the rest of the people that commented. I've been looking for something like this for awhile. I have found tons of places that give the circumference...but this is SO much easier! (I'm not a fan of math!)
ReplyDeleteIt's a very helpfull share, in this time I only have a chart of diameter for the head circumference but not for the circle of head crown ..so I always more confident to make a hat from bottom up..hehe..,now I'm ready to make it up to bottom, thx u so much.., btw about the length for earflap hat, how the best way to customized the length in your table to decrease for earflap hat ? In the mean time I'm always use trial and error for the length in earflap hat..thx u before for your attention and share..
ReplyDeleteNieke
not sure it's really working for me. when i made one that should have fit a 12 mo old, it fit my 9 yr old. i will keep trying though.
ReplyDeleteFor my hats, I use a circle starting with 6 stitches. To get rid of the hexagon effect on rows where i am increasing to an even number of stitches i subtract 2 divide in half, do that number of stitches, increase, then do the rest of the stitches for the repeat. on the ohter rows i increase at the beginning. for example:
ReplyDeleterow 1 - 6 sc, row 2 - 2 sc in each sc around, row 3 - 2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc around, row 4 - sc, 2sc in next sc, sc around, row 5 - 2 sc in first sc, sc in next 3 st around, row 6 - sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 stitches around, row 7 - 2 sc in first sc, sc in next 5 st around. And so on, gives nice round circle.
Thank you so much for doing this. I am making football beanies for my nephews for christmas but they live a state away so I could not use them to measure. I am doing double crochet so I noticed my work coming out to fit me, so I will just adjust by an inch and it should fit the 5 year old :)
ReplyDeleteI am making a beanie not for a small child but not an adult for like a 10 year old... So how big would that be?
ReplyDeletereally helpful thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey Liz, I can't tell you how many times I've come back to this. Really appreciate you're sharing with the masses. I'm finding that your numbers are holding up pretty well. What others may want to keep in mind are the bulk of the yarn their using and hook size. I typically use a 4 weight and H hook for my base caps. I also use your basic cap from your Hello Kitty pattern. I've made several other caps using that as a base. Since you use inches for measuring diameter, instead of stitch gauging, it really does seem to work fairly consistently. I've had to adjust for a yarn, once, that was simply too soft and my diameter was getting way up in increase numbers before I could hit the proper diameter (solving this problem by doubling the stands of yarn and going up to an I hook). I also think the half double really does make the best stitch as a base cap for the character caps such as Hello Kitty. I'm working on Brombee from Yo Gabba Gabba now. I tried a double and it just doesn't give a tight enough cap to hold up to appliqueing, etc. I'd love to hear from others how they've applied your techniques and to what success. Thank you again. Following with great interest - Diane from Dallas
ReplyDeleteThank you so so so much for this!! I really needed this and it has helped me so much!! You're a life saver. :)
ReplyDeleteLiz, Thank you so much for your blog. It is going to help me a lot. God bless.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea :) I find some of the measurements are slightly too big though, I usually do 7" length for an adult!!
ReplyDeleteTHANK you!! What a life saver!
ReplyDeleteThanks this is great information! I know I always feel like I'm guessing too and end up using my head, my 9 yr olds head or my 5 month olds head as gauges. Not very accurate or consistant! haha
ReplyDeleteI love this, I am making it into a chart on the wall of my craft room. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI have tried to make adult hats with my pattern, but how do I increase and make the circle bigger without it folding on itself? Is there a trick or do I just try and try again until I get it?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting this. I knit and crochet very tightly so my gauge never matches the patterns and I have started to do something similar to this. So glad to see I am not the only one and that your measurements match mine, so I feel much better in my guess work. This is great info! I found it via Pinterest and repinned it myself because it's so helpful. Hope you don't mind.
ReplyDelete