Stacked Stripe Street Bun Hat Free Crochet Pattern
Introduction
If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the project to start with. The Stacked Stripe Street Bun Hat is a chunky, bold, streetwear-inspired messy-bun beanie that looks like it came from a boutique but is built from the simplest stitches in crochet. You work the whole hat body flat as a rectangle, seam it into a tube, and add a snug ribbed band at the top so your bun or ponytail can pop out. The finished hat is about 20 inches around and 9 inches tall, with crisp stacked stripes in charcoal, mustard, and off-white, a punchy neon-lime "tape" stripe across the brow, and a soft, slightly fuzzy matte texture from the bulky yarn. It feels squishy and warm, sits slouchy or cuffed, and comes together in just a few evenings of beginner-friendly stitching.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Bulky (weight 5) acrylic or acrylic-wool blend, approx. 150–170 yds total:
- Charcoal (A): ~70 yds (1 skein)
- Mustard (B): ~40 yds (1 skein)
- Off-White (C): ~30 yds (1 skein)
- Neon Lime (D): ~20 yds (1 skein)
- Crochet hook: 8 mm (US size L/11)
- Stitch markers: at least 4 (to mark the bun opening and color changes)
- Tapestry needle (yarn needle): a large-eye blunt needle for seaming and weaving in ends
- Scissors
- Measuring tape (for your gauge swatch)
- Finished size: Approx. 20 in (51 cm) circumference unstretched (fits 21–23 in / 53–58 cm head), 9 in (23 cm) tall. Bun opening approx. 3 in (7.5 cm) diameter.
Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary
- ch – chain: wrap yarn over hook, pull it through the loop on your hook. This makes a small loop; a row of chains is your starting foundation.
- sl st – slip stitch: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through the stitch and the loop on your hook all at once. Makes an almost invisible joining stitch.
- sc – single crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops. A short, tight stitch.
- hdc – half double crochet: yarn over first, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. A medium-height stitch — this is the main stitch of the hat.
- hdc2tog – half double crochet 2 together: a decrease that turns 2 stitches into 1. Yarn over, insert hook into first stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all loops on hook.
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together: insert hook into first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. Turns 2 stitches into 1.
- BLO – back loop only: each stitch has two top loops (front and back). Working in the back loop only means you insert your hook under just the loop farthest from you, which creates a raised rib texture.
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- turning chain – the ch 1 you make at the start of a flat row so the edge stays tall enough to turn; it does not count as a stitch here.
- right sides together – placing the "good" outside faces of the fabric against each other so the seam hides on the inside.
- whipstitch – a simple seaming stitch: pass the needle through matching stitches on both edges, over and over, like lacing.
Gauge
10 hdc x 8 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in half double crochet worked flat.
Gauge (also called tension) is how many stitches and rows fit into a square of fabric. It matters because it decides whether your hat actually fits — if your stitches are looser than the pattern, the hat comes out too big; tighter, and it comes out too small. To check: with your 8 mm hook and yarn A, chain 14, hdc in the 2nd ch from hook and each ch across (13 hdc). Work 10 rows of hdc. Lay the swatch flat, measure 4 inches across the middle and count the stitches, then measure 4 inches up and count the rows. If you have more stitches than 10, try a larger hook; if fewer, try a smaller hook.
Beginner Tips Before You Start
- Count every row. The stripes are your built-in row counter — every color change is a checkpoint. Count your 23 stitches at the end of each row before you turn.
- Use stitch markers at color changes. Pop a marker in the first stitch of each new color so you never lose your place in the stripe sequence.
- Don't pull the yarn too tight. Beginners tend to choke the hook. Keep your loops relaxed and even; tight stitches make a stiff hat that won't stretch over your head.
- Change colors on the last pull-through. To switch colors cleanly, work the final yarn-over of the last stitch of the old color using the new color. This keeps the stripe edge crisp.
- Work your first row into the "bump" of the chain if you can — it gives a neater bottom edge. If that's confusing, just work into the top loop; it will still look great.
- Leave long tails. The 24 in (61 cm) tail at the end is your seaming thread — don't trim it short.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Hat Body (worked flat, turning at the end of each row)
Note: The hat body is worked side-to-side in horizontal stripes, then seamed into a cylinder. Each row has 23 hdc.
With A (Charcoal), ch 24.
Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (23 hdc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across. (23 hdc)
Rows 3–4: Repeat Row 2 in A. (23 hdc; 4 rows A total)
Rows 5–6: Change to B (Mustard). Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 7–8: Change to C (Off-White). Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 9–10: Change to A. Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 11–12: Change to B. Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 13–14: Change to C. Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 15–16: Change to A. Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 17–18: Change to D (Neon Lime) for the brow stripe. Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc)
Rows 19–22: Change to A. Repeat Row 2. (23 hdc; 4 rows A)
Fasten off, leaving a 24 in (61 cm) tail for seaming. You now have 22 rows total, which at 8 rows per 4 inches gives roughly 11 inches of fabric — enough to wrap the head with a slouchy fold.
Seam Into a Cylinder
Step 1: Fold the panel in half with right sides together, matching the first row to the last row.
Step 2: Thread the long tail onto your tapestry needle. Whipstitch (or slip stitch with your hook) the two short ends together, going through matching stitches on both edges, all the way up to form a tube.
Step 3: Fasten off and weave in the end. Turn the tube right side out — the seam is now hidden inside at the center back.
Shape the Bun Opening
Step 1: The top edge of the tube is the crown. Mark the center 9 sts along the top edge with stitch markers (approx. 3 in / 7.5 cm — this is your bun opening).
Step 2: With A, join yarn at one marker and work sc evenly around the marked opening edge. (9 sc)
Step 3: Work 1 round of sc around the entire top edge to reinforce it. Fasten off.
Ribbed Bun Band (worked in the round around the opening)
With A, join yarn at the bun opening edge.
Round 1: Ch 1, work 24 sc evenly around the opening. Join with sl st to first sc. (24 sc)
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around. Join with sl st. (24 sc)
Rounds 3–5: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around. Join with sl st. (24 sc)
Round 6: Ch 1, sc2tog around. Join with sl st. (12 sc)
Round 7: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join with sl st. (12 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull gently to close the band snugly around the bun, leaving a small opening for hair. Weave in ends.
Assembly and Finishing
Weave in all ends. Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and run it back and forth through the back of several stitches (about 2 inches), then trim close to the fabric. Never knot your ends — weaving hides them invisibly.
Check the seam. Turn the hat inside out and look at the center-back seam. If any gaps show, re-whipstitch those spots with the leftover tail.
Steam-block. Hold a steam iron (or a kettle's steam) about 2 inches above the seam and the neon brow stripe — do not press the iron directly onto the yarn. Steam relaxes the fabric so the seam lies flat and the stripes settle into crisp lines. Let it dry completely before wearing.
Final fit check. Slip the hat on and adjust the bun band so the neon stripe sits at the front. Wear it slouchy or fold the brim up for a cuffed look.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Change the color story. Swap the mustard and off-white for any two colors you love, or make the brow stripe a different neon (hot pink, electric blue) for a fresh streetwear look. Keep the charcoal as your base so the stripes pop.
- Adjust the size. For a smaller hat, chain 22 instead of 24 (21 hdc per row) and work the same number of rows. For a larger hat, chain 26 (25 hdc per row). The bun band stays the same — just work sc evenly around the opening.
- Substitute yarn. Any bulky (weight 5) yarn works. If you only have worsted (weight 4), hold two strands together and use the same 8 mm hook, checking your gauge first.
- Make it reversible. Because the hat is worked flat and seamed, the inside is just as tidy as the outside — wear it inside out for a softer, fuzzier look with the seam showing as a design detail.
