Party Hats in Lion Brand Ice Cream - Downloadable PDF

Lion Brand Ice Cream Party Hats – Free Knitting Pattern Summary (PDF Download)

Despite the product listing referencing knitting, these Party Hats are worked entirely in crochet using Lion Brand® Ice Cream® yarn, making them a wonderfully quick and beginner-friendly project. The pattern number is M24049 IC, published by Lion Brand Yarn Company in 2024. One ball of yarn yields approximately four finished hats, making this an exceptionally economical choice for party favors, birthday celebrations, or festive photo shoots involving children.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces small, conical party hats sized to fit a child's head. Each finished hat measures approximately 12 inches (30.5 cm) in circumference (measured from the inside brim) and stands approximately 6½ to 7 inches (16.5–18 cm) tall, not including the decorative pom-pom on top. The hats are designed to be worn and secured to the child's head using a length of elastic cord tied on after construction. Colorful scrap yarn dots and a pom-pom are added as embellishments, giving each hat a festive, playful appearance.

Important safety note from the pattern: the dots, pom-poms, and elastic cord can present choking hazards. The pattern explicitly advises never leaving a baby or child unattended while wearing these hats.

Materials Required

Yarn

• Lion Brand® Ice Cream® (Art. #923) – the primary yarn used for the hat body. The colorway shown in the pattern is #259 Turtle Tracks. Rated as a sport weight yarn, Ice Cream® is a smooth, easy-care fiber ideal for small accessories and children's items.
• Scrap yarn in colors of your choice – used to create the decorative dots applied to the surface of the hat. Approximately 1 yard (1 meter) of scrap yarn is needed per dot.

Hook and Additional Tools

• Crochet hook size E-4 (3.5 mm) – the recommended hook size for achieving the correct gauge with Lion Brand® Ice Cream® at sport weight.
• Lion Brand® stitch markers – essential for tracking rounds, as the hat is worked in continuous spiral rounds rather than joined rounds.
• Lion Brand® large-eyed blunt needle – used for weaving in ends and attaching embellishments.
• Elastic cord – approximately 12 inches (30.5 cm) per hat, tied on after completion to secure the hat under the chin.
• Pom-pom maker (optional) – helpful for creating the pom-pom topper, though not strictly required.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 single crochet stitches and 21 rounds = approximately 4 inches (10 cm). Checking gauge is recommended to ensure the finished circumference and height match the pattern dimensions, particularly since these hats are sized for children.

Techniques and Construction Method

The hat is constructed from the top down, beginning at the very tip of the cone and expanding outward through a series of evenly spaced increase rounds. This top-down conical shaping is a classic approach in crochet hat construction and is particularly well-suited to pointed party hat silhouettes.

Working in Continuous Spiral Rounds

Rather than joining each round with a slip stitch, the hat is worked in continuous spiral rounds. A stitch marker is placed in the last stitch of each round and moved up as work progresses, helping the crocheter track the beginning and end of each round without a visible seam. This technique creates a smooth, uninterrupted fabric that is ideal for shaped accessories like hats.

Increase Rounds

The cone shape is achieved by working increase rounds on every even-numbered round, interspersed with plain single crochet rounds on every odd-numbered round. The increases follow a structured repeat pattern:

• Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch – 8