Crochet Tripod Hats in Caron Simply Soft and Simply Soft Brites - Downloadable PDF

Crochet Tripod Hats in Caron Simply Soft and Simply Soft Brites by Brenda Lewis

This free downloadable PDF pattern by designer Brenda Lewis offers instructions for crocheting cheerful, colorful Tripod Hats sized for babies, toddlers, and young children. The design features bright, eye-catching stripes and signature floppy tassels — the "tripod" detail that gives the hat its playful name. Two distinct colorway options are provided: a Boys' Hat and a Girls' Hat, each using a carefully chosen trio of contrasting shades from the Caron Simply Soft yarn line. This is an ideal project for beginner crocheters looking to practice fundamental skills while producing a practical, adorable finished item.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a striped crochet hat with three floppy tassels on top, designed to fit children in two size ranges:

• 12–18 months — approximately 15½"/39.5 cm circumference
• 2–4 years — approximately 18"/45.5 cm circumference

The hat is worked flat in rows from the striped lower cuff upward, then seamed to create the finished tube shape. Tassels are added at the completion of the hat using a piece of heavy cardboard measuring 3½"/9 cm as a winding guide.

Boys' Hat Colorway

The Boys' Hat uses three contrasting shades of Caron Simply Soft, one skein of each:

• Contrast A: Berry Blue (9609)
• Contrast B: Pistachio (0003)
• Contrast C: Melon (0016)

Girls' Hat Colorway

The Girls' Hat also uses three contrasting shades of Caron Simply Soft, one skein of each:

• Contrast A: Strawberry (0015)
• Contrast B: Pistachio (0003)
• Contrast C: Lemonade (9776)

Materials Required

• Yarn: Caron Simply Soft (170 g/6 oz; 288 m/315 yds per skein) — an aran/worsted weight yarn known for its soft, smooth texture and vibrant color range, making it especially suitable for children's accessories
• Crochet Hook: One size US H-8 (5 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge
• Notions: Yarn needle for seaming; 3½"/9 cm heavy cardboard for forming the tassels

Techniques and Construction Method

The hat is constructed using a straightforward flat crochet method, meaning all rows are worked back and forth rather than in the round. Once the body of the hat is complete, it is seamed to form the cylindrical hat shape. This approach makes the pattern particularly accessible for beginners who may not yet be comfortable working in the round or managing circular joins.

A key technique throughout the pattern is colorwork via yarn carrying. Colors not currently in use are carried along the wrong side of the fabric rather than being cut and rejoined, which keeps the back of the work tidy and reduces the number of ends to weave in. Color changes are executed by working the last stitch of the old color up to the final yarn over, then drawing through with the new color — a clean and beginner-friendly method for producing crisp stripe transitions.

The three floppy tassels are made separately using the cardboard winding method and attached to the top of the finished hat, creating the distinctive "tripod" silhouette.

Stitches Used

• Chain (ch) — used to start the foundation and to turn at the beginning of each row
• Single crochet (sc) — the primary stitch used throughout the entire hat body, worked in rows to build the striped fabric
• Sc2tog (single crochet two together) — a basic decrease stitch used to shape