Twist Stitch Messy Bun Crochet Hat in Caron Simply Soft - Downloadable PDF

Twist Stitch Messy Bun Crochet Hat in Caron Simply Soft – Pattern Summary

This Twist Stitch Messy Bun Crochet Hat is a free, downloadable PDF crochet pattern published by Yarnspirations, designed for intermediate skill level crocheters. The finished project is a stylish, women's-sized beanie featuring an open top that accommodates a messy bun or high ponytail — a practical and fashionable design that has become a popular staple in modern crochet hat making. The pattern is worked in the round from the brim upward, creating a snug, stretchy fit sized to suit the average adult woman's head.

What Is Being Made

The finished item is a messy bun hat — a crocheted beanie with an open crown. This style is specifically engineered to allow the wearer to pull a bun, ponytail, or braid through the top of the hat, keeping hair styled while the head stays warm. The hat is worked as a one-size-fits-most design intended for women. The defining visual feature is the twist stitch cable pattern that runs along the body of the hat, giving it a textured, woven appearance reminiscent of knitted cables.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in colorway Robin's Egg (39780) — 1 ball (6 oz / 170.1 g; 315 yds / 288 m). Caron Simply Soft is a smooth, medium-weight acrylic yarn classified as aran weight, known for its soft hand feel and easy care properties, making it well-suited for wearable accessories.
• Hook: Size U.S. H/8 (5 mm) crochet hook, or the size needed to achieve the correct gauge.
• Notions: 1 stitch marker.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 13 single crochet stitches and 14 rows = 4 inches (10 cm). Achieving the correct gauge is important for ensuring the hat fits properly around the head, so swatching before beginning is recommended, especially for intermediate makers working with post stitches that can affect fabric tension.

Techniques Used

• Working in the round: The hat is constructed entirely in joined rounds rather than flat rows, beginning with a foundation chain of 72 stitches joined into a ring. This circular construction creates a seamless tube that forms the body of the hat.
• Post stitch cabling (Cr6F): The signature technique in this pattern is the Cr6F — a front-post cable cross worked over 6 double crochet post stitches. This is the crochet equivalent of a cable twist seen in knitting, created by skipping stitches, working into later stitches, and then returning to work the skipped stitches. The result is a visually striking twisted rope or braid effect across the hat's surface.
• Front post and back post double crochet ribbing: The brim and body structure rely on alternating front post double crochet (Dcfp) and back post double crochet (Dcbp) stitches, which create a deeply textured, elastic ribbed fabric. Post stitches are formed by inserting the hook around the vertical post of a stitch from the previous round rather than into the top loops, producing raised ridges on the fabric surface.
• Crown shaping with decreases: The upper portion of the hat is shaped using Dcfp2tog and Dcfp3tog decreases — post stitch decreases that reduce the stitch count while maintaining the textured pattern. This draws the fabric inward to create the open-top messy bun opening.
• Half double crochet (Hdc) integration: Half double crochet stitches are incorporated into the cable pattern rounds, working alongside the post stitches to space and frame the cable twists evenly around the hat.

Stitches Used

• Chain (Ch) — used for the foundation and turning at the start of each round
• Slip stitch (Sl st) — used to join each round
• Single crochet (Sc)