Feb
When I Actually Made My First Skull Cap
So back in spring 2022 I decided to make a skull cap because my brother kept complaining his ears were cold on his motorcycle rides and honestly I was binge-watching Ozark at the time and just needed something mindless to do with my hands. The first one came out way too small though, like doll-sized, because I didn’t really understand gauge back then and just started crocheting with whatever hook I grabbed.
The Basic Approach That Works
You’re gonna start from the top and work your way down in rounds. I use the magic circle method because it’s tighter and doesn’t leave that weird hole in the crown. Make the magic circle, then chain 2 (doesn’t count as a stitch for me, but some people do it differently). Work 10 half double crochets into the ring. Pull it tight. That’s round 1.
For round 2, you increase in every stitch so you end up with 20 stitches. Round 3, you do the whole increase-every-other-stitch thing so now you’ve got 30 stitches. Keep going with this pattern where you add one more stitch between increases each round. So round 4 is increase every third stitch, round 5 is every fourth, and I usually go to round 7 or 8 depending on head size.
Measuring Without Actually Measuring
The crown should be about 7 to 8 inches across when you lay it flat for an adult. I never actually measure though, I just hold it up to my head or whoever I’m making it for. You want it to cover from like mid-forehead to the back of your skull without stretching. Once you hit that width, you stop increasing and just work even rounds all the way down.
The Annoying Part Nobody Warns You About
Here’s what drove me absolutely crazy: keeping track of where your rounds start and end. I hate stitch markers with a passion because they always fall out or I forget to move them, so I just use a small piece of yarn in a different color and weave it through the first stitch of each round. But even then, you lose track after watching three episodes of something and suddenly you’re like wait did I increase this round or not.
Also your skull cap will look weird and ruffly if you increase too much or too fast. Mine did that the second time I made one and I had to frog the whole thing back to round 4 and redo it.
Yarn Choices That Worked For Me
I used Red Heart Super Saver for that first motorcycle beanie because my brother definitely wasn’t gonna baby it and that yarn is indestructible. It’s scratchy as hell though so if you’re making it for someone with sensitive skin, don’t. I tried Lion Brand Wool-Ease for a different one and it was way softer but also way more expensive and my cat kept trying to attack the ball while I worked.
Caron Simply Soft is actually my go-to now for skull caps. It’s cheap enough that I don’t feel bad if someone loses it, and it’s actually soft against your forehead. I made one in that grey color they have (I think it’s called Grey Heather?) in summer 2024 for my cousin who’s always cold even in July because of some thyroid thing, and she wears it constantly.
Hook Size Matters More Than You Think
Most worsted weight yarns say use a 5.5mm hook but I go down to 5mm for skull caps because you want a tighter fabric. If your stitches are too loose, the beanie won’t hold its shape and it’ll stretch out all weird. Plus wind just goes right through it which defeats the whole purpose. I learned this the hard way after my brother was like “um this doesn’t actually keep my head warm” and I realized I could literally see through the fabric when I held it up to the light.
How Long To Make The Body
After you stop increasing, you just work in continuous rounds of half double crochet (that’s my preferred stitch but you can use double crochet if you want it looser or single crochet if you want it really thick and warm). For a skull cap that sits just past your ears, you need about 6-7 inches of straight sides. I usually do like 20-25 rounds but again, I don’t really count, I just try it on every so often.
If you’re making it for someone else and they’re not around to try it on, you gotta guess. Adult men usually need about 7 inches of straight sides, women maybe 6 to 6.5 inches, and kids are all over the place depending on age. I made one for my neighbor’s kid and had to ask her to come over twice to try it on because kids’ heads are—wait I was gonna say something about proportions but honestly I just wing it with kids.
Different Stitch Patterns You Can Try
The basic half double crochet in continuous rounds is the easiest and fastest. But if you want texture, you can do ribbing around the brim. I do this by switching to back loop only single crochet for the last inch or so. It creates that stretchy ribbed edge that looks more professional.
Front post and back post stitches also work but they take forever and I usually lose patience. I tried making one with a basket weave pattern once and gave up after four rows because it was taking too long and I couldn’t watch TV and do it at the same time without messing up.
The Colorwork Thing
Stripes are easy enough, you just change colors whenever you want. I don’t do the whole “proper” way of changing colors, I just cut the old yarn and tie on the new one and weave in the ends later. Probably not what you’re supposed to do but it works fine. Made a black and red striped one that looked kinda cool in a punk rock way.
Fair isle or tapestry crochet is way beyond my patience level for a skull cap. Too much work for something that’s gonna get shoved in a pocket or lost in someone’s car.
Finishing The Edge
You can just cut your yarn and weave in the end, that’s what I do most of the time. Some people do a final round of slip stitches or single crochet to make the edge cleaner but I think it makes it too stiff. The whole point of a skull cap is that it’s supposed to be stretchy and form-fitting.
Weaving in ends is the worst part of any crochet project and skull caps are no exception. I use a yarn needle and just kinda thread it through the back of stitches in a zigzag pattern for like 3 inches, then cut it close. Sometimes the ends work their way out after washing but usually it holds.
Adjusting For Different Head Sizes
If you need a bigger skull cap, you do more increase rounds at the beginning. Add round 9 and round 10 for really big heads. If you need smaller, stop increasing at round 6 instead of 7 or 8. The number of straight rounds also matters—more rounds means it’ll come down further over your ears.
I made one for my dad who has a huge head and I had to do 10 increase rounds plus like 30 straight rounds and it used almost two full skeins of yarn. Normal sized ones use maybe one skein or a bit more depending on how thick you crochet.
The Fit Thing People Don’t Talk About
Skull caps should be slightly tight when you first put them on. They stretch out as you wear them and as you wash them. If it fits perfectly loose right off your hook, it’s gonna be too big after a week of wear. This is especially true with acrylic yarns which stretch more than wool.
I always make mine feeling like they’re almost too small and then they end up perfect. The one time I made one that felt comfortable immediately, it ended up stretching so much it wouldn’t stay on my head.
Washing And Care
Acrylic yarn can go in the washing machine and dryer, I throw mine in all the time. Wool blends I hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry but honestly if I’m making a skull cap it’s probably with cheap acrylic so whatever. They hold up pretty well even with rough treatment.
The Red Heart Super Saver one my brother uses on his motorcycle has been washed probably fifty times and it still looks basically the same, maybe a tiny bit faded but that’s it.
