Harbor Beanie

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Hi there, friends!

It’s time for the annual Crochet Cancer Challenge, hosted by Christine of Sweet Potato 3 Patterns!

This is my 5th design for this challenge and a big year for me as well because I’m celebrating 10 years of survivorship! I am a Stage III breast cancer survivor (you can read about my story here), so this challenge is near and dear to my heart. When I was going through chemo, I found my wig to be incredibly itchy, so I was always on the lookout for cute hat patterns to make for myself and my new friends in the chemo room.

As I mentioned, this is my 5th year designing hats for this challenge. You can find my previous designs here on the blog for free, listed and linked below, and I’m so excited to add this new design to the list!

• Pathways to Hope Beanie
• Faith Over Fear Beanie
• Held Beanie
• Crossroads Beanie
• Harbor Beanie

The Harbor Beanie was designed as a symbol of safety, rest, and hope. Much like a ship finding shelter after weathering a storm, this hat represents the strength it takes to endure life’s hardest journeys and the peace that follows when you reach calmer waters.

The stitch pattern combines the trinity stitch and double crochet clusters — decreases that draw stitches together — reflecting the way love, faith, and community gather around us in times of need. Just as a harbor provides refuge and protection, this design is meant to wrap its wearer in comfort and warmth.

The name also carries personal significance. This year marks my tenth year of survivorship, which my husband and I celebrated with a trip to Maine, where we visited many lighthouses and harbors along the coast. The Harbor Beanie is both a tribute to that milestone and encouragement for anyone navigating their own journey.

Paid PDF available on Etsy and Ravelry

2025 Cancer Challenge

What is the Crochet Cancer Challenge, you ask? Christine of Sweet Potato 3 started this wonderful challenge several years ago as a way of supporting those battling this awful disease. Each day, Monday through Saturday for the whole month of October, you’ll have the opportunity to download a new PDF hat pattern with the promise that you’ll make at least one hat to give to a cancer patient or donate to your local cancer center. It’s such an amazing thing to help raise awareness and support those fighting for their lives.

Each day, you’ll check in at Christine’s post to get the coupon code and link to the featured designer’s pattern page. From there, you’ll click the download button located within the designer’s post to take you to the download page. Just add the pattern to your cart, check out with the coupon code, and get to stitching!

I recommend signing up for Christine’s reminder emails on the round-up page, just to make sure you don’t miss anything! Find everything you need to know in the link below!

Special Stitches

There are a few special stitches and techniques featured in this hat that are a bit more advanced, such as working into specific loops and decreasing stitches. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these, please see my tutorials for them, linked below.

• Trinity Stitch (sc3tog + ch 1)
• 3 Double Crochet Cluster (3dcCl)
• Single Crochet 2 Together (sc2tog)

Yarn + Materials

A quick note on materials. If you intend to make this hat for donation to a cancer patient, I have a few things for you to consider when choosing which yarn to use.

• Choose something soft. Some yarns, particularly animal blends, can be itchy, and that is not fun when you have no hair as a protective barrier.
• Make sure it is washable. Regular washing of my hats during chemo was a must because of a compromised immune system. I recommend good acrylics, cotton, rayon, bamboo, etc. Generally, they are super washer-friendly and soft, but you’ll want to double-check the care instructions on the yarn label.
• If you’re adding a faux fur pompom, I absolutely LOVE pompom buttons you can find on Etsy. Great not only if the wearer needs to wash the hat, but also if they just aren’t feeling very pompom-y that day. I use them on my hats as well!

This pattern uses a CYC 4 worsted weight yarn, which can be a broad category of weights. The following yarn recommendations have WPI of 8 wraps per inch according to Ravelry and should be fairly interchangeable. Still, you will want to make sure you check your gauge to ensure proper fit and yardage requirement.

• Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek (shown in color Spice)
• Lion Brand Heartland
• Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice
• Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn

Okay then, on to the pattern!

Harbor Beanie Crochet Pattern

by Hooks, Books, & Wanderlust

Please note that this free version is written for an Adult Small, which fits a head circumference of 22″ / 56 cm. The pattern notes contain information helpful in adapting this to other sizes and lengths, OR you may purchase the PDF version of this pattern, which comes with adult sizes: small, medium, and large, as well as other PDF-exclusive aids.

The PDF features the written pattern, all notes and helpful tips and tricks, full-color supplemental photos, step by step photo tutorials and linked video tutorials for all special stitches and techniques, a consolidated pattern stripped down to just the row instructions for more experienced crocheters, plus a handy stitch chart and row/round tracker.

Psst! 50% of the sales of this PDF pattern will be donated to The American Cancer Society to help aid the fight, so thanks for helping put cancer in the past!

Materials

• 150 yds (137 m) of a CYC 4 Worsted weight yarn, shown here in Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek in Spice (See yarn suggestions above)
• 4mm/G Hook (Brim)
• 6mm/J Hook (Body)
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors
• Stitch marker (optional)
• Faux Fur Pompom (optional)

Stitches & Abbreviations (US Terms)

• Stitch(es) (st(s))
• Chain (ch)
• Slip Stitch (sl st)
• Skip (sk)
• Chain Space (ch sp)
• Single Crochet (sc)
• Half Double Crochet (hdc)
• Double Crochet (dc)
• Back Loop Only (BLO)
• Third Loop Only (TLO)
• Cluster (Cl) – refers to a group of partial stitches joined together in final pull-through
• Single Crochet Decrease (sc2tog) – photo and video tutorial available here
• Trinity Stitch – photo and video tutorial available here
• 3 Double Crochet Cluster (3dcCl) – photo and video tutorial available here

Finished Measurements

• Size: Adult Small – head circumference of 22″ (56 cm)
• Finished Dimensions: 19″ (48 cm) circumference x 8.5″ (21.5 cm) high
  • The ribbed brim will stretch, so negative ease is included

Gauge

Brim: 1.75″ (4.5 cm) = 7 sts x 6 rows of sc BLO
Body: 2″ (5 cm) = 7 hdc x 1 Pattern Repeat (R2-6)
Psst! Trouble meeting gauge? Check out my blog post on gauge.

Notes

• This pattern is written in US Standard terms and is classified as Intermediate.
• Stitch Multiple: 2
• Pattern Repeat: 5 rounds (R2-6)
• Size/Tension Adjustments: Adjust your number of brim rows as desired. Brim Length should equal 3” (7.62 cm) less than Head Circumference. Work an even number of stitches into the first round of the body.
• Height Adjustments:
  • Adjust brim height by adding/subtracting chain stitches.
  • Adjust body height by adding/removing entire pattern repeats prior to the final repeat
• PRO TIP: I recommend reading through the pattern or watching the pattern video before starting to familiarize yourself with the pattern. Annoying? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.
• PRO TIP: Count your stitches often!
• PRO TIP: Size matters! Keep a measuring tape handy so you can check to make sure your stitches and repeats match the gauge given above or you risk the hat not fitting or not having enough yarn.  Instructions are given within each section of the pattern to help you make adjustments if needed.
  • Trouble meeting gauge? Check out my blog post on gauge.
• Get the PDF: If you’d prefer a convenient, printable PDF version of this pattern, written for adult sizes Small, Medium, and Large, which includes in-document photo tutorials for all special stitches mentioned above (with links to video tutorials for each), as well as a helpful row tracker and a stitch chart for visual reference – available in the paid pattern only, visit my Etsy and Ravelry shops!

Supplemental Video Pattern

Written Pattern

This pattern is divided into three parts: Brim, Body, and Close.  Pay close attention to the instructions as you will be working in flat, turned rows for the brim, joined rounds for the body, and working with two hook sizes. Stitch counts are given in ( )s at the end of each set of instructions.

Part 1: Brim

The brim will be worked in turned rows with the length of the rows equal to the height of your brim.  Adjust the height of your brim by adding/removing stitches. Continue working rows until your work measures 19″ (48.25 cm) long, or as desired. Keep in mind that the brim will stretch 2-3” (5-7.62 cm), so make it shorter than the actual head circumference.

With 4mm/G crochet hook, ch 8.
NOTE: If you prefer your brim shorter or taller, subtract or add chain stitches, respectively.

R1: Sc in the 2^nd ch from hook and each across, ch 1, turn.  (7)

R2: Sc, sc BLO 5, sc, ch 1, turn.  (7)

PRO TIP: When a number comes after a stitch, as sc BLO 5 above, that means you will work the instructed stitch over that many of the next stitches.  In this case, you’ll work a sc BLO in each of the next 5 stitches.

R3 – 72 (76, 80): Repeat R2.  (7)

Fold the brim in half then sl st the short sides together to form a circle.  Do NOT cut your yarn. Flip the brim so that the seam is on the inside.  You will now be working in joined rounds.

Part 2: Body

We are now working in joined rounds, so our instructions will start back over at R1 for this section.  Note that the chains at the beginning of rounds do not count as a stitch except in R3 and its repeats. To adjust hat height, you can add/remove rounds of your final repeat prior to working the last two rounds of the pattern.

R1: Ch 1, sc evenly around the brim, working one sc per row of brim, sl st to first st of the round to join.  (72)

PRO TIP: This pattern requires a stitch multiple of 2, so be sure to count your stitches for this round.

Change to 6mm / J hook.

Begin pattern repeat.

PRO TIP: The words “pattern repeat” refer to the block of rounds that are repeated a specified number of times to complete a specific section of a pattern.  It’s the pattern within the pattern, so to speak.  In this pattern, R2-6 make up the first pattern repeat.  It’s still referred to as a pattern repeat even though we haven’t repeated anything yet.

R2: Ch 1, trinity around, sl st to first st of the round to join.  (36 trinity)
NOTE: For help working this round, click here for this segment of the pattern video.
NOTE: Don’t forget that last ch 1 before you sl st to join!

R3: Ch 2 (counts as first partial dc of first 3dcCl), *3dcCl in ch-1 sp, ch 1, repeat from * around, sl st to the top of the first Cl of the round to join. (36 Cl)
NOTE: The first Cl of the round is slightly different than the rest because the ch-2 counts as a partial dc. It has fewer loops left on your hook and is a bit slimmer than the rest of the Cl sts in the round. See below left.
NOTE: For help working this round, click here for this segment of the pattern video.
NOTE: Don’t forget that last ch 1 before you sl st to join!

R4: Do not ch 1, 2 sc into ch-1 sp and in each around, sl st to the top of the first st to join.  (72)

PRO TIP: When a number comes before a stitch as given above as “2 sc into ch-1 sp,” that means that you’ll work that number of stitches into the indicated place. In this case, you’ll work 2 sc into the chain space from between clusters.

R5: Ch 1, hdc in each st around, sl st to the top of the first st to join.  (72)

R6: Ch 1, sc TLO in each st around, sl st to the top of the first st to join.  (72)

That’s the first pattern repeat done! Keep in mind that each pattern repeat (R2-6) should measure 2” (5 cm) tall.
NOTE: Be sure you’re checking the height of each pattern repeat as you work them. If you find your repeats getting shorter, check out the golden loop method in my gauge tutorial here.

PRO TIP: There are a TOTAL of 3 pattern repeats. You’ve already worked 1, so 2 more to go!
PRO TIP: Count your stitches often! Every round, seriously!

R7-16: Repeat R2-6 two more times.  (72)
Final Repeat: Now, it’s time for our final repeat, which includes 2 decrease rounds to shape the crown.

The last two rounds are going to decrease the stitch count and reduce bulk at the top of our hat.

R17: Ch 1, sc2tog every two stitches around, sl st to the top of the first st to join.  (36)
NOTE: For a tutorial showing how to work the sc2tog, click here.

R18: Ch1, sc2tog every two stitches around, sl st to the top of the first st to join.  (18)

Tie off and leave an 8″ (20 cm) long tail for closing.

Part 3: Close

You’re almost there! It’s time to cinch and close the top of your hat!  To watch this part of the hat worked, click here for the relevant part of the pattern video.

Thread your tapestry needle with the long tail you left after tying off. Weave in and out of the stitches from the final round of the body all the way around until you have come back to where you started.

Pull up tightly to cinch closed, then continue to secure by weaving through the stitches in a circular fashion two or three more times, closing any remaining gaps.

Feed your needle down through the center of your cinch to the inside of the hat, weave around in a circular fashion again, then knot it off, and weave in your ends!

If you’re looking to add a removable pompom, check out these pompom buttons on Etsy!  I use them on my hats and they are super easy and secure!

You did it!

Yay! Congratulations! I know those first special stitches take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of them, the hat flies off your hook, don’t you think?

I would LOVE to see your hat!  Should you choose to share, use the tags #HarborBeanie and #CrochetCancerChallenge to share your work with me @HooksBooksWanderlust on Instagram and / or Facebook!

I hope you enjoyed this pattern and found it easy to follow! If not, or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Email me at kristen.caldwell@hooksbookswanderlust.com.

Happy crocheting!

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