I’m sharing a chemo cap crochet pattern as part of the annual Crochet Cancer Challenge with Sweet Potato 3. The Lottie Beanie is available in 10 sizes from newborn through adult large. This texture hat has a slouchy fit and stitch combinations that keep the head full covered.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Yarn for the sample was generously provided by Berroco.
I’m excited to be joining the annual Crochet Cancer Challenge with Sweet Potato 3 again. Each year, participating designers contribute free PDF versions of their patterns in exchange for your pledge to donate a hat to a person living with cancer.
If you’re planning to make a chemo cap, choosing the right yarn is the place to start. I usually check the Knots of Love approved yarn list which includes yarns that are soft and warm. (And, if you’re looking for a place to donate handmade chemo caps to, I do highly recommend Knots of Love.)
Berroco Comfort Chunky has really great stitch definition that makes the textures on this pattern pop. Comfort Chunky is available online at LoveCrafts | Jimmy Beans | Amazon.
Last year I shared my tips for designing a chemo cap. I keep in mind warmth (because health care facilities where folks go for treatment are usually cold and because folks experiencing traumatic hair loss will be losing more heat from the tops of their heads then they are used to), comfort (because wearing hats indoors for a longer time and raw scalps need comfortable yarns), and style (because looking good can help get folks feeling good).
This year, I chose purple as my main yarn color again. Purple is the awareness color for pancreatic cancer. I chose it to remember my maternal grandmother, who passed away after a too brief battle with pancreatic cancer in 2008. She taught me to crochet and I think about her often as I work on new projects.
If you’re looking for more inspiration for chemo caps to donate, I have a sale going on in my Ravelry shop through 11:59pm Eastern on October 31, 2026. Use coupon code SP3CCC26 to get 80% off the PDF versions of patterns I’ve included in previous iterations of the Crochet Cancer Challenge:
- 2025: Consuelo Beanie in 10 sizes (free blog version | Ravelry PDF version),
- 2024: Amaya Slouch in 4 sizes (free blog version | Ravelry PDF version),
- 2023: Tri-Color Slouch Hat in 10 sizes (free blog version | Ravelry PDF version)
- 2022: Salvatore Slouch (free blog version | Ravelry PDF version)
- 2021: Triumphant Textures Beanie in 10 sizes (free blog version | Ravelry PDF version)
- 2019: 6 Hats for Healing, Volume 1 ebook (links to all 6 free blog patterns | Ravelry PDF version)
- 2018: Auntie Em Twister Hat in 6 sizes (free blog version | Ravelry PDF version)
You can grab all 12 patterns for less than $9! (If you’re wondering what happened in 2020, that year’s pattern is the Herringbone Slouchy Beanie in 9 sizes and it’s available as a free download exclusively for Underground Crafter newsletter subscribers.)
The Lottie Beanie chemo cap crochet pattern is the featured pattern for October 15 in the 2026 Crochet Cancer Challenge with Sweet Potato 3. The pattern is forever free on my blog, or grab the PDF version on Ravelry free with coupon code through 11:59pm Eastern on October 31, 2026. You can get the coupon code on the Crochet Cancer Challenge main page, or add the pattern with coupon code to your cart by clicking on the “Crochet Cancer Challenge Download Pattern Here” button. Be sure your cart is set to $0 as there will be no refunds for accidental purchases.
Don’t forget to visit the main Blog Hop post for the 2026 Crochet Cancer Challenge to get links to all the included patterns and find out more information.
If you make your own Lottie Beanie, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions in the Underground Crafters Community or by tagging me on Bluesky as @UndergroundCrafter, Facebook as @UndergroundCrafter, or Instagram as @ucrafter. 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 Lottie Beanie to your favorites or queue, or buy the ad-free PDF on Ravelry.
Lottie Beanie
Chemo Cap Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter
This textured chemo cap crochet pattern has a slouchy fit. The stitch combinations keep the head warm and the yarn has great stitch definition to make the design really pop! This pattern was designed for the 2026 Crochet Cancer Challenge with Sweet Potato 3.
Finished Sizes
- Newborn (0-3 Months, 3-6 Months, 6-12 Months, Toddler, Child Small, Child Large, Teen/Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large). Photographed sample is Teen/Adult Small size shown on a mannequin with 22.5″ (57 cm) head circumference.
- Newborn: 13” (33 cm) hat circumference x 6” (15 cm) length.
- 0-3 Months: 15” (38 cm) hat circumference x 6” (15 cm) length.
- 3-6 Months: 16″ (40.5 cm) hat circumference x 6.5” (16.5 cm) length.
- 6-12 Months: 17” (42 cm) hat circumference x 6.75” (17 cm) length.
- Toddler: 18” (45.5 cm) hat circumference x 7.25” (18.5 cm) length.
- Child Small: 19” (48.5 cm) hat circumference x 7.75” (19.5 cm) length.
- Child Large: 20″ (51 cm) hat circumference x 8″ (20.5 cm) length.
- Teen/Adult Small: 21” (53.5 cm) hat circumference x 8.5” (21.5 cm) length.
- Adult Medium: 22” (56 cm) hat circumference x 8.75” (22.5 cm) length.
- Adult Large: 23” (58.5 cm) hat circumference x 9.25” (23.5 cm) length.
Materials
- Berroco Comfort Chunky yarn (50% acrylic/50% nylon, 3.5 oz/100 g, 150 yd/138 m) – 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) in 5739 Grape Jelly (CA) and 1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2) skein(s) in 5728 Smoke Stack (CB), or approximately 75 yd (90 yd, 100 yd, 110 yd, 125 yd, 140 yd, 155 yd, 170 yd, 195 yd, 215 yd)/68.5 m (82.5 m, 91.5 m, 100.5 m, 114.5 m, 128 m, 141.5 m, 155.5 m, 178.5 m, 196.5 m) in CA and 60 yd (70 yd, 80 yd, 85 yd, 100 yd, 110 yd, 120 yd, 135 yd, 155 yd, 170 yd)/55 m (64 m, 73 m, 78 m, 91.5 m, 100.5 m, 110 m, 123.5 m, 141.5 m, 155.5 m) in CB in any chunky weight yarn.
- Berroco Comfort Chunky is available online at LoveCrafts | Jimmy Beans | Amazon
- US Size H-8/5 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
- US Size I-9/5.5 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
- Yarn needle.
Gauge
- 10 sc with smaller hook = 2″ (5 cm) across. For best fit, always check your gauge.
- 12 sts in pattern for Work Even with larger hook = 4″ (10 cm) across. For best fit, always check your gauge.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop only – Fiber Flux has a helpful video showing the back loop here.
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- pf – 5-repeat puff stitch – [Yo, insert hook into st, yo and draw up a loop] 5 times in same st, yo and draw through all 11 loops on hook. A helpful video for this stitch is available below.
- If you can’t see the pf video above, watch it on YouTube.
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- [] Repeat instructions between brackets as indicated.
Pattern Notes
- Ch 1 at start of Rows and Rounds and slip stitch joins DO NOT count as stitches.
- A helpful video showing the slip stitch seam is available below.
- If you can’t see the slip stitch join video above, watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video showing how to single crochet around the side of your project is available below.
- If you can’t see the video for crocheting around the side of your project above, watch it on YouTube.
- A helpful video for cinching a bottom-up hat closed is available below.
- If you can’t see the cinching video above, watch it on YouTube.
Pattern Instructions
Hat Band – All Sizes
- With CA and smaller hook, ch 7 (7, 7, 7, 7, 9, 9, 11, 11, 11).
- Row 1: Turn, skip first ch, sc in next ch and in each ch across. – 6 (6, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10) sts
- Row 2: Turn, ch 1, scBL in first st and each st across.
- Rep Row 2 until Hat Band measures approximately 13″ (15″, 16″, 17″, 18″, 19″, 20″, 21″, 22″, 23″)/33 cm (38 cm, 40.5 cm, 42 cm, 45.5 cm, 48.5 cm, 51 cm, 53.5 cm, 56 cm, 58.5 cm) long, or desired circumference. Do not fasten off CA.
- Fold Hat Band so that short ends are together, being careful not to twist. Join with slip stitch seam (see Pattern Notes). Do not fasten off CA.
Pick Up Stitches Along Hat Band – All Sizes
- Continuing with smaller hook, ch 1, and evenly work 52 (58, 60, 64, 66,70, 72, 76, 78, 82) sc along circumference of hat (see Pattern Notes), join with sl st to first sc. – 52 (58, 60, 64, 66,70, 72, 76, 78, 82) sts
Work Even – All Sizes
- Rnd 1: Change to larger hook, ch 1, dcBL in same st and each st around, join with sl st to first dc. – 52 (58, 60, 64, 66,70, 72, 76, 78, 82) sts
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, starting in first st [dc in next st, ch 1, skip 1 st] around, join CB with sl st to first dc. Do not fasten off CA but drop it to inside of Hat.
- Rnd 3: Ch 1, starting in first st [sc in next st, pf in next skipped st 2 Rnds below, drawing loops up to height of current Rnd] around, join with sl st to first sc.
- Rnd 4: Ch 1, dc in same st and each st around, join with sl st to first dc.
- Rnd 5: Ch 1, starting in first st [dc in next st, ch 1, skip 1 st] around, join CA with sl st to first dc. Do not fasten off CB but drop it to inside of Hat.
- Rnd 6: Ch 1, starting in first st [sc in next st, dc in skipped st 2 Rnds below, drawing loops up to height of current Rnd] around, join with sl st to first sc.
- Rnd 7: Rep Rnd 4 once.
- Rep Rnds 4-7 until Hat measures approximately 6” (6”, 6.5”, 6.75”, 7.25”, 7.75”, 8”, 8.5”, 8.75”, 9.25”/15 cm (15 cm, 16.5 cm, 17 cm, 18.5 cm, 19.5 cm, 20.5 cm, 21.5 cm, 22.5 cm, 23.5 cm) or desired length, ending after a repeat of Rnd 4 or Rnd 7.
- Fasten off yarn from final Rnd with long yarn tail (approximately 24″/61 cm) for cinching. Fasten off other yarn color.
Finishing
- Thread yarn needle with long yarn tail in from final Rnd. Weave yarn needle through each stitch on finished edge. Slowly tighten yarn tail to cinch crown of hat closed (see Pattern Notes).
- With yarn needle, weave in yarn tails on inside of Hat.