How To Choose The Best Yarn For Any Type Of Crochet Hats

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Comprehensive Guide For Choosing The Best Yarn For Crochet Hats Whatever The Weather

This is a comprehensive guide on how to choose the best yarn for crochet hats for all seasons. Whatever the weather and type of crochet hat, choose the right yarn that will make the perfect hat.

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Crochet hats are such popular makes with a lot of crocheters of different levels. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, crochet hats are an excellent choice of projects.

They are quick projects that can give you instant gratification from finishing a handmade project. They are especially great to work on after finishing a huge project.

Maybe you are like me and like to take a break during a large project by working on something smaller. A crocheted hat is the perfect project for exactly this.

I love to gift crochet hats. They are easy projects and if you make them slouchy you do not have to worry about the perfect fit too much.

However, the one thing you do need to worry about is choosing the best yarn for crochet hats. There are quite a few things you need to take into consideration.

Who is the recipient? Beanie hats lover, cancer patients or are you making crocheted baby hats?

What season is the hat intended to be worn in? Adult beanies for colder months will definitely require a different approach as opposed to summer hats.

What is the person’s preferred style? Slouchy, fitted?

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After you answer these few simple questions, it will be much easier to choose the best type of yarn for your crochet hat. A good choice for you & your wallet!

Types Of Hats And The Best Yarn Suggestions

Before I dive into the article, have a quick look into which yarns are best for certain types of crochet hats.

Type of hat	Suitable yarn
summer beach hat	aran weight cotton, raffia yarn, cotton cord,
bucket hat	cotton, linen yarn,
winter warm hat	alpaca wool, merino wool yarn, mohair,
cancer chemo hat	cotton, bamboo yarn, silk,
baby bonnets	baby acrylic yarn, cotton acrylic mix or wool blend

Wondering about the different was you can crochet a hat? Check out 3 Different Ways To Crochet A Hat & 50 Easy Crochet Hat Patterns.

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What weight of yarn is best for hats?

Once again there are a few things to consider before deciding what yarn weight to use.

For a summer hat with a brim you would normally wear to the beach, you will need to choose a yarn that will hold shape.

For such hats, natural fibers such as raffia yarn has all the qualities to deliver great results. If you opt for cotton yarn, try to use as thick yarn as possible. Aran weight cotton like Lily’s Sugar ’n’ Cream would be a great choice.

Winter hats come in two different styles – fitted or slouchy.

For a fitted winter hat, thicker yarn like aran or bulky weight yarn would be perfect. Secondly, the hat would also work up super quick.

I used bulky yarn for my Napoly Crochet Hat which uses a super fun stitch pattern.

If you are after a slouchy-looking hat, a thinner kind of yarn will work better. With soft yarn or superwash wool, the finished fabric will have more drape and will be much lighter. Many acrylic blends will be just as soft as alpaca yarn.

Check out some of these gorgeous hats 10 Free Cosy Crochet Hat and Beanie Patterns.

What yarn is best for crochet bucket hat?

When I think of crochet bucket hats and choosing the best yarn, I opt for a yarn that is going to keep my head cool but hold the shape a little.

Personally, I think the cotton fiber content yarn would be a perfect choice. It is airy, absorbent, and breathable, the perfect fiber for the summer season.

I would avoid synthetic fibers due to a lack of breathability.

Cotton also has enough strength to hold the shape of the bucket hat and give a good stitch definition.

Paired with a tighter stitch and smaller hook, you will have a stylish bucket hat that is also machine washable.

However, you always need to check the label for care instructions.

However, there are also buckets hats that you can wear in winter to keep your head warm in style.

For cold-weather bucket hats, the best yarn you can choose is faux fur yarn. It is a thick yarn that creates a super stylish and modern-looking bucket-style easy crochet hat.

If you are inspired to make a crochet bucket hat, you can check out my beginner-friendly Free Quick & Easy Crochet Bucket Sun Hat Pattern.

Or take a look at these 20 crochet bucket hat patterns for every season.

What size yarn is best for beanies?

If you are only just starting out with crocheting beanies the best choice of yarn is aran weight or 10-ply or worsted weight yarn.

It is a versatile perfect yarn weight I used in Adorable Free Crochet Hat Pattern For Babies.

If you are looking for an adult beanie pattern that showcases this yarn weight, my Crochet Beanie Easy Pattern – Anton Beanie is a great option using medium weight yarn.

It has a nice drape, uses basic crochet stitches and you can use a variety of colors based on personal preferences.

All three names mentioned above refer to the same weight of yarn depending on where you are, the terms might vary.

There are a number of reasons aran weight is a great size yarn to choose for a crochet hat. It is an easy yarn weight to work with if you are a beginner crocheter venturing out into crocheting hats.

It isn’t too thick or too thin. Just the perfect weight to make it easy for first projects.

Secondly, using aran weight and the recommended hook size also allows you to use a slightly larger hook, depending on your tension, hooks between 5 and 6 mm are a great choice.

The finished product will also work up much quicker without making your finished hat too bulky.

Aran weight is also a very popular choice of yarn amongst crocheters. For this very reason, there are various types of yarn in this weight category!

A wide range of fibers and colors are available to choose from.

Baby Crochet Beanies

Crocheters very often make baby items and beanies for new arrivals or as gifts for baby showers. The best option for baby hats and anything that touches a baby’s skin is the softest yarns.

Their sensitive skin might be prone to irritation when it comes to certain fibers.

For baby makes and hats I would choose thinner yarn so the finished item isn’t too heavy or bulky. The lighter weight of yarns also allows better breathability.

For best results opt for softer yarns like cotton in fingering weight, bamboo yarns, or very high-end acrylic yarns sometimes also referred to as “baby DK yarns”.

If all else fails, you can always pop along to your local yarn store and ask for advice and squish some yarns yourself.

Can you crochet a hat with chunky weight yarn?

The quick answer is absolute yes. You can see a good option in my Chunky Crochet Hat Pattern – A Shade of Grey. And here are a few reasons why this is a good idea!

Choosing chunky yarn for your crochet hat has many advantages. Firstly, your hat will work up super quick.

Using a thick chunky yarn paired with a large crochet hook and a simple double crochet stitch will see you finish a hat in as little as an hour.

It is also easy to crochet with chunky yarn, the stitches are big and clearly visible. So, there is no squinting or second-guessing where to place your crochet hooks.

Choosing chunky yarn is also super forgiving on the fit. Whether you get it a little wrong and make the hat a little bigger or smaller than the ideal fit, I think the chunky yarn is very forgiving and you will still have a modern hat.

Thirdly, big chunky crochet hats with the addition of a big yarn or faux fur pom pom are great craft stalls or Etsy shop sellers!

They sell great and because they are quick to make, you can replenish your stock pretty quickly!

Why not check out a full video tutorial on classic cinch or X closure for your crochet hat here How To Cinch A Crochet Hat – X Closure Free Video Tutorial.

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Final thoughts…

I hope you have found this guide on how to choose the best yarn for crochet hats helpful. If you think your crafty friends would find this tutorial helpful, why not share it with them? 

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How To Choose Best Yarn For Crochet Hats