If you’ve ever made a free lace or mesh crochet hat pattern online only to find it slides right off your head, you’re not alone.
This pattern was designed to fix exactly that problem. Using one simple repeating shell stitch and a bit of negative ease, this lacey mesh hat holds its shape, sits snugly, and actually stays put.
Watch the full step-by-step video tutorial on my YouTube channel, where I walk through each round and show you exactly how to prevent the pattern from slanting.
Skill Level
Beginner-friendly (confident beginner to intermediate). If you know how to work a double crochet, chain, and slip stitch, and you’ve made at least one hat or worked in the round before, you’re ready for this pattern.
The entire hat is built from a single repeating shell stitch, so once you learn it in Round 1, you’ll repeat the same motion all the way through.
Materials
- Yarn: Rico Design Fashion Cotton Metallisé DK (DK/Light weight, chained texture) — 53% cotton, 35% acrylic, 12% metallic. 50 g / 130 m (142 yds) per ball.
- You’ll only need about 26 g, so one ball is more than enough.
- Substitutes: Scheepjes Twinkle (92% match), Universal Yarn Constellation (92% match), Phildar Phil Timballo (91% match), Hobbii Panettone (90% match), Schachenmayr Original Summer Shine (72% match)
- Hook: 4 mm
- Care: Hand wash, do not iron, do not tumble dry
Finished Size
- Standard adult size: 55–57 cm head circumference, finished hat measures 52 cm (4–5 cm negative ease — this is what keeps it snug and stops it from sliding off)
- Height: 17–18 cm
- Smaller size variant: approximately 52–54 cm head circumference (PDF pattern included below)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch — chain
- dc — double crochet
- sl st — slip stitch
- sp — space
Note: Chain-3 at the beginning of a round counts as 1 dc.
Crochet Mesh Hat Pattern (Size 55–57 cm)
Round 1: Chain 4, slip stitch into the first chain to form the ring. Work into the middle opening: ch-3, 1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-1, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-1] three more times (4 shells total, ch-1 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 2: (Ch-3, 1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-2, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-2] seven more times (8 shells, ch-2 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 3: (Ch-3, 1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-3, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-3] seven more times (8 shells, ch-3 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 4: (Ch-3, 1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-5, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-5] seven more times (8 shells, ch-5 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 5 (turning row): Ch-3, turn to the other side, then (1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-7, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-7] seven more times (8 shells, ch-7 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 6 (turning row): Ch-3, turn to the other side, then (1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-8, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-8] seven more times (8 shells, ch-8 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 7 (turning row): Ch-3, turn to the other side, then (1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-9, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-9] seven more times (8 shells, ch-9 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 8 (turning row): Ch-3, turn to the other side, then (1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-10, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-10] seven more times (8 shells, ch-10 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Round 9 (turning row): Ch-3, turn to the other side, then (1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-11, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-11] seven more times (8 shells, ch-11 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Rounds 10–15 (turning rows, repeat this round 6 times): Ch-3, turn to the other side, then (1 dc, ch-1, 2 dc) into the same ch-1 space, ch-12, then [2 dc, ch-1, 2 dc, ch-12] seven more times (8 shells, ch-12 spaces). Join with sl st into the first dc, then sl st into the next chain space.
Finishing: Cut the yarn and weave in the ends.
Quick Tips for Success
- Don’t skip the turn. From Round 5 onward, that ch-3-and-turn step is what keeps your mesh windows straight instead of slanting sideways as they get longer.
- Watch your chain spaces. They aren’t consistent throughout the pattern — they grow steadily through the crown, then hold steady once you reach the straight sides. Double check you’re on the right chain length each round.
- Adjust for your head size. If 52 cm feels too big, try the smaller size variant above, or simply drop down to a 3.5mm hook and follow the standard pattern — the whole hat will scale down proportionally.