How to Make a Crochet Kitty Hat – Free Crochet Pattern

Introducing the Meow xD Crochet Kitty Hat pattern—a bold and edgy twist on the classic beanie style, inspired by emo culture and the trendy TikTok cat hats! Crafted with a unique gingham pattern and adorned with playful kitty ear shapes, this beanie is the perfect accessory for alternative fashionistas looking to express their style with a touch of attitude.

The beanie’s fusion of retro gingham and emo-inspired elements result in a statement piece that’s both nostalgic and on-trend. The combination of the iconic kitty ear shape with the rebellious spirit of emo culture adds a playful yet edgy vibe to any outfit, making it a must-have for those seeking to make a bold fashion statement.

The decision to design this pattern was driven by a desire to celebrate individuality and self-expression within the crochet community. As a fan of emo culture and alternative fashion myself (Anyone else want to be a scene queen in their teens? No, just me? Oh okay….), I wanted to create a pattern that resonates with those who march to the beat of their own drum. With its trendy appeal and unique design, the Meow xD kitty hat pattern offers crocheters a chance to showcase their personality and stand out from the crowd in style.

Need help styling your new crochet hat? Try pairing it with the Meow xD Fingerless Gloves!

An ad-free version of this crochet pattern with helpful graphs and extra images of the crocheting process can be purchased on my Pattern Store.

Redistribution and Selling

This pattern is copyrighted and for personal use only. Sharing or selling any part of, or information from this pattern, is prohibited. You cannot publish (whether its printed or online), reproduce, alter, swap or resell any part of this pattern or the pattern as whole.

You can sell finished products created using this pattern. You may not use my photos of the finished product to advertise your listing, this is to avoid confusion as our work might differ slightly. When selling online, please link back to my original pattern listing or tag me where possible.

Notes

The hat is worked in one long rectangular panel from side to side and then joined to create the signature cat-likeshape.Theginghampatterniscreatedusingtapestrycrochettechnique. Thebowisthencreated from a long chain stitch string and sewn onto the hat.

This pattern uses US terminology.

This pattern is written in made to measure style, meaning there aren’t exact sizes or stitch numbers to follow. While stitches used to create the sample size are included, you should follow the measure-yourself style instructions and check the fit as you’re working on the piece. This allows you to create the hat in literally any size and achieve the perfect fit every time!

This pattern is for adventurous beginners or advanced beginner level crocheters. While the shaping and constructions of the hat are fairly simple for beginners to follow, it does include some colour changes that might be hard for complete beginners.

You can use any yarn and a matching hook of your choice to create this hat. When choosing the yarn, remember that using thinner yarns creates thinner ribbing and therefore changes the texture slightly. It also changes the size of the gingham pattern squares, meaning you’ll have more squares per row and you’ll also need more rows to create a full hat. The opposite applies for thicker yarn – you’ll have thicker ribbing and less squares that make up the gingham pattern.

You can easily make a checkered hat instead by using the same yarn for both Yarn B and yarn C.

Materials

• Crochet hook that matches your yarn
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Yarn A – Your choice of yarn for medium colour | My choice: Knitcraft Everyday DK in Mint Green
• Yarn B – Your choice of yarn for the lightest colour | My choice: Cygnet Pato DK in White
• Yarn C – Your choice of yarn for the darkest colour | My choice: Stylecraft Special DK in Cypress

Make sure all 3 yarns are the same weight/thickness.

For reference, I used about 20g each of Yarn A, B, and C with a 4mm hook.

Gauge

As this is a made to measure style pattern, matching gauge is not necessary.

Good to Know

This is an advanced beginner level crochet pattern.

This pattern is written using US crochet terminology.

Instructions are given as measurements compared to your body (ex. work until the hat fits around your head) to ensure perfect fit. If working the pattern for someone else, I recommend following average head size/hat measurements where measuring isn’t an option.

When changing colours, new colour is pulled through when finishing the previous stitch. Ex. when theres 2 loops on the hook when doing SC.

Stitches & Abbreviations

• CH – chain
• ST – stitch
• SL ST – slip stitch
• SC – single crochet
• BLO – back loop only
• *…* repeat x times – repeat instructions written in between asterisks specified number of times.
• {…} – states which colour is to be used for the next stitches.

Meow xD Crochet Kitty Hat Pattern

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Using Yarn A and a matching hook, CH to create the total length of the hat (must be multiple of 5), then CH + 1. You’ll be working into the 2nd CH from the hook. The sample has 40 CH + 1 for 41 CH total.

It’s important to note that you’re not chaining the length of the hat but the total length of the hat. This means you have to add enough stitch to allow the bottom of the hat to be folded back to create a brim.

If the number of CHs was a multiple of 10:
Row 1. *{A} 5 BLO SC, {B} 5 BLO SC* repeat across, CH1 and turn. 
Row 2. *{B} 5 BLO SC, {A} 5 BLO SC* repeat across, CH1 and turn. 
Row 3. RepeatRow1.
Row 4. Repeat Row 2.
Row 5. Repeat Row 1.
Row 6. *{A} 5 BLO SC, {C} 5 BLO SC* repeat across, CH1 and turn. 
Row 7. *{C} 5 BLO SC, {A} 5 BLO SC* repeat across, CH1 and turn. 
Row 8. Repeat Row 6.
Row 9. Repeat Row 7.
Row 10. Repeat Row 6.

If the number of CHs was a multiple of 5 but not 10:
Row 1 – 5. *{A} 5 BLO SC, {B} 5 BLO SC* repeat across, finishing with {A} 5 BLO SC, CH1 and turn. 
Row 6 – 10. *{C} 5 BLO SC, {A} 5 BLO SC* repeat across, finishing with {C} 5 BLO SC, CH1 and turn.

When counting ST, you should have the same amount of ST total as you had CH in the beginning. For the sample, this means 40 SC per row, which makes 8 different coloured sections per row.

Repeat Rows 1 – 10 until your rectangular panel is long enough to fit around your head comfortably. The sample has 70 rows in total, which makes 14 different coloured sections/squares around the head.

Without fastening off, fold the rectangular panel in half with the right sides facing inwards. Pinch the open side of the hat together and turn so you‘re working alongside that side of the hat. SC through both sides of thepanel (through the beginning CH of the first row and BLO of the last row) to join. Fasten off. Turn the hat inside out to reveal the right side of the hat and hide the seams on the inside.

You should have the same number of ST in the side seam as you had in the rows of the panel. The sample has 40 SC in the side seam.

With the right side (outside of the hat) facing towards you, attach yarn into the rightmost stitch of your folded hat. We’ll be SC through both the front and back of the hat to join the top of it together. Make sure you go both through the front and the back of the hat as you place on SC into every row and work your way across. Fasten off.

You should have half the number of ST in the top seam as you had rows in the rectangular panel. For the sample, this means 35 SC in the top seam.

With the right side (outside of the hat) facing towards you, turn the hat upside down and attach yarn into any ST on the bottom of the hat. You’ll be working the stitches into ONE side of the hat. Do NOT join the front and the back side together. SC into every row and work your way around the hat until you reach the first SC. SL ST to join to the first SC, fasten off.

You should have the same number of ST in the bottom border as you had rows in the rectangular panel. For the sample, this means 70 SC in the bottom border.

To create the bow, you’ll want to CH until the string of chains is long enough to be tied into a pretty bow, leave a long end after you fasten off. You’ll then sew the bow onto the hat using the long end.

The sample had 30 CH in the string of chains used to create the bow.

Weave in the ends and….

Congrats! You’ve done it! ❤