Hat Sizing Chart
Getting the sizing right can be very frustrating when you’re designing a new hat pattern. I recently put this hat sizing chart together to try and make that process a little smoother. This hat sizing chart gives you the approximate measurements for a simple beanie style hat.
How to Use this Chart:
Each finished hat size is determined by the Crown Circle Diameter. Simply work an increasing circle in any style/pattern you like until the circle measures the diameter stated for the size you want. Stop increasing once you meet that crown circle diameter. As you continue the hat, the brim will work out to be the circumference you need for the size you want.
Click photo to view PDF
This is the formula I used to get the Crown Circle Diameter necessary to obtain the finished hat circumference you want: Head Circumference / 3 = ___ – 1 = Crown Circle Diameter.
EXAMPLE: Let’s say you’re making hat for a 0-3 Month old baby. You know that babies that old usually have a head circumference of 13½-14″ around. You want this hat to be a little on the larger side so the baby can wear it longer, so you decide to go with 14″. You know that you will need to factor in some negative stretch, and this formula does that for you. So, the equation is as follows: 14″ /3 = 4¾” -1 = 3¾”. Now you know you should work your beginning crown circle to a diameter of 3¾”. That will give you a finished hat circumference of 13″ which will have 1″ of negative stretch. Voila!
This is the formula I used to get the Hat Height: Head Circumference x 0.4 = Hat Height.
EXAMPLE: Lets use our 0-3 Month old baby hat again. Our head circumference was 14″. So the equation is as follows: 14″ x 0.4 = 5½”. So you would want to work this hat to a length of 5½”.
You can use these equations for any hat circumference you need to obtain.
If you like this Hat Sizing Chart, please share it!
To see how to use this chart to make perfectly sized Bottom Up Hats see this post: http://knitsycrochet.com/sizing-bottom-up-hats/
Can’t thank you enough for this chart. It is exactly what I’ve been needing for a long time. Thank you.
This is the best chart EVER ! I use it all the time and it makes perfect hat every time. I can’t thank you enough for this ! I will absolutely talk about this on my blog !
THANKS THANKS THANKS !
Thank you so much for the chart. I make tons of hats for donations and am always trying to figure out about what size kids need.
Thank you so much for the chart. It will be invaluable to me when making hats for my grandchildren, as well as for myself and others.
I love to make hats. Thank you for the great chart.
Could you explain why more yarn yardage is needed for a mens small than a womens large as they both have the same circumferences and height?
Hi Rosemary,
Thank you for mentioning that, I’ll take a look at it right away! But just to let you know, the yardage specifications were meant merely as a general guideline because the yardage required will vary greatly depending on what weight of yarn, hook size, and even the pattern you are using.
Have a great day!
Brandie
Just posted by Plymouth Yarn. Thank YOU so very much!
Thank you Linda! That is much appreciated! =)
Thank you for the chart. It looks like it is written for a hat that starts at the top center. How do you figure if you knit from the brim, or cuff?
Hi Charlotte, that is an excellent question! This chart is designed for working a hat from top to bottom but it can be used to work hats from the bottom up also. I’ll be outlining how to do that in a future blog post, so check back soon!
Brandie
Looking forward to help with hats made from bottom up. All my hat patterns are stated with a ribbed brim.
Really excellent chart. So helpful. Thank you very much
Is there a printer friendly version of this info?
Hi Diane, If you click on the photo in the article it will open up a PDF of the chart. From this page you can save or print the chart. If it’s the formula instructions you wanted, you can easily copy and paste the text to a Word document and print it from there. Simply click and drag on the screen the text you want to save. Right click on the highlighted portion and choose “Copy”. Open up a Word document and right click on the page. Choose “Paste”. Then you can use the Word document to print out the text.
Have a great day!
How are you measuring the hat height? from the bottom of the crown or from top to bottom?
This is the hat sizing chart of my dreams! Thank you.
Hi Dana, it’s measuring from top to bottom.
Thank you for the chart Knitsy Crochet.
Hi. Love the chart – it’s very helpful. Do you have a bind off you’d recommend?
Thanks Mary! No particular bind off to recommend, just make sure you don’t bind off too tightly or you’ll lose your stretch! Have a good one!
thank you so much. This is great!