I’m joining Oombawka Design Crochet and The Stitchin’ Mommy for the 2025 Hat of the Month Crochet Along with the Sunshine Squares Hat. The Sunshine Squares Hat is a crochet squares Hat with a simple circle-in-a-square motif with “sunrays” around the edging. It’s designed to bring a ray of light to you on a chilly day!
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It’s always fun to be invited back to Oombawka Design Crochet and The Stitchin’ Mommy’s annual Hat of the Month Crochet Along (get the details here on Oombawka Design Crochet and here on The Stitchin’ Mommy). Rhondda and Amy have invited guest designers, so each month you get 3 free hat patterns. Whether you like to make hats to wear, gift, or donate, this is the perfect CAL for you!
Last week, I shared the Sunshine Squares Scarf and today I’m sharing the matching Sunshine Squares Hat.
If you’re facing the gray days of winter weather and can’t wait for spring to arrive, this crochet squares hat is just right for you! Use cheerful colors to brighten your day. My version uses Big Twist Value yarn in Varsity Yellow for the sunny centers and Big Twist Value Print yarn in Sunrise Ombre for the outer squares and the hat shaping. Alternatively, you can make a scrappy version!
Scroll down for the free pattern for the Sunshine Squares Hat. Don’t forget to visit Oombawka Design Crochet to get Rhondda’s February pattern, the Everblooms Hat, and The Stitchin’ Mommy to get Amy’s February pattern, the Merry Go Round Hat. If you’re reading this blog post before 11:59pm Eastern on February 24, 2025, you’re in luck! You can also grab the PDF version of all 3 patterns free with coupon code. Visit Rhondda and Amy’s sites using the links above for their coupon codes. Use coupon code SUNhat to get the Ravelry version of the Sunshine Squares Hat for free, or click HERE to add the pattern with coupon code to your cart. Make sure your cart is set to $0 before checking out as there will be no refunds for accidental purchases.
If you make your own Sunshine Squares Hat, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter on on Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and private access to my vault of subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!
Add the Sunshine Squares Hat to your favorites or queue, or buy the ad-free PDF on Ravelry.
Sunshine Squares Hat
Crochet Squares Hat Pattern by Underground Crafter
This crochet squares hat uses a circle-in-a square motif. Use planned colors or make your version scrappy! This pattern was designed for the tenth annual Hat of the Month Crochet Along with Oombawka Design Crochet and The Stitchin’ Mommy.
Finished Size
- Teen/Adult Small: 21” (53.5 cm) circumference x 9.5” (23 cm) height.
Materials
- Big Twist Value yarn (100% acrylic, 6 oz/170 g, 380 yd/347 m) – 1 skein in Varsity Yellow (CA), or approximately 60 yd (55 m) in CA in any medium weight yarn.
- Big Twist Value Print yarn (100% acrylic, 4.3 oz/121 g, 269 yd/246 m) – 1 skein in Sunrise Ombre (CB), or approximately 165 yd (151 m) in CB in any medium weight yarn.
- KnitPro Waves 2.0 (available online at LoveCrafts | Amazon) US Size I-9/5.5 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
- Yarn needle.
Gauge
- Through Rnd 6 in pattern = 5” (13 cm) square. For best fit, always check your gauge.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop only – Oombawka Design Crochet has a helpful video tutorial for identifying the back loop here.
- CA – Color A
- CB – Color B
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- dc2tog – double crochet 2 stitches together (decrease) – [Yo, insert hook in next st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops] twice, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial for the dc2tog above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- FL – front loop only – Oombawka Design Crochet has a helpful video tutorial for identifying the front loop here.
- hdc – half double crochet
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- [] Repeat instructions within brackets as indicated.
- * Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- + Repeat instructions after plus sign as indicated.
- () Work instructions between parentheses into same stitch or space.
Pattern Notes
- There are several ways to crochet into chain spaces. For this pattern, I used the first method shown in the video below.
- If you can’t see the video demonstrating how to crochet into chain spaces above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video tutorial demonstrating the single crochet seam is available below.
- If you can’t see the video demonstrating the single crochet seam above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video tutorial demonstrating the whipstitch seam is available below.
- If you can’t see the video demonstrating the slip stitch seam above, click HERE to watch it on YouTube
Pattern Instructions
Partial Sunshine Square – Make 4
- With CA, ch 4, sk 3 ch, sl st to next ch to form ring.
- Rnd 1: (Right Side) Ch 1, 12 dc in ring, join with sl st to first dc. (12 sts)
- Rnd 2: (Right Side) Ch 1, 2 dc in same st and each st around, join with sl st to first dc. (24 sts)
- Rnd 3: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in first st [2 dc in next st, dc in next st] around, join with slstFL to first dc. (36 sts)
- Rnd 4: (Right Side) Ch 3, [*(dcFL, hdcFL, scFL) in nex st,** slstFL in next st, ch 3] around, ending last rep at **, slstFL to first st, fasten off CA.
- Rnd 5: Join CB on Right Side with slstBL to any st, ch 1, 2 dcBL in same st, *dcBL in next st, hdcBL in next 2 sts, scBL in next 2 sts, hdcBL in next 2 sts, dcBL in next st,** (2 dcBL, ch 2, 2 dcBL) in next st; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, 2 dcBL in first st, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 sp) to first dc. – 12 sts/side + 4 ch-2 sp
- Rnd 6: (Right Side) Ch 1, 3 dc in same ch-2 sp, *[skip 2 sts, ch 1, 3 dc in next st, skip 1 st] across to next ch-2 sp,** (ch 1, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, (ch 1, 3 dc) in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, join with sc (counts as second ch in ch-2 sp) to first dc.
- Fasten off CB.
Assemble Squares
- Join 2 squares on the Right Side (with Wrong Sides facing) with single crochet seam (see Pattern Notes) starting in ch-2 sp, working through center loops (BL on square closest to you and FL on square furthest from you) into each st and sp across side, and finishing in next ch-2 sp. Continue until all squares are joined together into one row. Then, attach first and last squares together to form the hat circumference.
Shape Top of Hat to Crown
- Rnd 1: Join CB on Right Side with sl st to ch-2 corner space before long side of rectangle, working along long edge, ch 1, dc in same ch-2 sp, *[dcBL in next 3 sts, dc in ch-1 sp] 4 times, dcBL in next 3 sts, dc in ch-2 sp, dc in side of sc join,** dc in next ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join with sl st to first dc. (88 sts)
- Rnd 2: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st [dc2tog, dc in next 20 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (84 sts)
- Rnd 3: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st [dc2tog, dc in next 5 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (72 sts)
- Rnd 4: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st [dc2tog, dc in next 4 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (60 sts)
- Rnd 5: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st [dc2tog, dc in next 3 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (48 sts)
- Rnd 6: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st [dc2tog, dc in next 2 sts] around, join with sl st to first dc. (36 sts)
- Rnd 7: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st [dc2tog, dc in next st] around, join with sl st to first dc. (24 sts)
- Rnd 8: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st, dc2tog around, join with sl st to first dc. (12 sts)
- Rnd 9: (Right Side) Ch 1, starting in same st, dc2tog around, join with sl st to first dc. (6 sts)
- Fasten off CB with long yarn tail (approximately 24”/61 cm) for seaming.
- Thread yarn needle with CB, seam crown of hat closed with whipstitch (see Pattern Notes).
Shape Bottom of Hat to Brim
- Rnd 1: Join CB on Right Side with sl st to ch-2 corner space before long side of rectangle, working along long edge, ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, *[scBL in next 3 sts, sc in ch-1 sp] 4 times, scBL in next 3 sts, sc in ch-2 sp, sc in side of sc join,** sc in next ch-2 sp; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join with slstBL to first sc. (88 sts)
- Rnd 2: (Right Side) Ch 1, scBL in first st and in each st around, join with slstBL to first sc.
- Rep Rnd 2 until hat height measure 9.5” (23 cm) from crown.
Assembly and Finishing
- Fasten off CB.
- With yarn needle, weave in ends on Wrong Side (inside) of hat.