Love My Messy Bun for Kids – Free Crochet Pattern

When I made the original Love My Messy Bun hat (in adult sizes) it was welcomed with love and great feedback. One of the questions I kept getting asked was,

“Do you have this messy bun hat for kids?”

Well, now the answer to that is YES!

Love My Messy Bun for Kids

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Finished Size: Small/Med child, Med/Lrg child

Small/Med child – 16- 18″ head circumference
Med/Lrg child – 18-20″ head circumference

Yarn: #4 worsted weight yarn

Samples used:
Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! (Grape & Orchid)
Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! (Hot Rose & Pink)

Hook Size: I/9 (5.50 mm) – (I love my Tulip Etimo hooks!)

Notions: Yarn Needle, hair elastic

Gauge: 3.5 hdc = 1 inch

Notes: Color changes for sample that is shown were done every other row, but you can change colors anywhere using color change note below.
Sizes are written or Small/Med child with Med/Lrg child in parenthesis.

For help with abbreviations – see my List of Abbreviations.

Special Stitches:

FPhdc (Front Post half double crochet) – yo, insert hook from right to left behind vertical bar of next st, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook.
BPhdc (Back Post half double crochet – yo, working behind next st, insert hook from right to left in front of next st, yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook.
Color changes: Work stitch to last yo, yo with new color, pull through new color. Do not fasten off old color. Carry old color up to new row when ready to use.
Hdc between 2 sts – Work your hdc in the space between the next 2 sts (not in top of sts as you normally would). For a visual of where to place the stitch see my tutorial: Double Crochet between 2 stitches

Please note: The link to the tutorial above is for a double crochet between stitches. You will be doing a hdc, but it is the same space between the stitches.

Love My Messy Bun Hat for Kids

Attach yarn to elastic with sl st,
Round 1: Work 30 hdc around elastic band, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (30 dc)

Round 2: Ch 1, hdc between join and 1^st hdc, [hdc between next 2 sts] 3 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, *[hdc between next 2 sts] 4 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, rep from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (36 hdc)

Round 3: Ch 1, hdc between join and 1^st hdc, [hdc between next 2 sts] 4 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, *[hdc between next 2 sts] 5 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, rep from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (42 hdc)

Round 4: Ch 1, hdc between join and 1^st hdc, [hdc between next 2 sts] 5 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, *[hdc between next 2 sts] 6 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, rep from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (48 hdc)

Round 5: Ch 1, hdc between join and 1^st hdc, [hdc between next 2 sts] 6 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, *[hdc between next 2 sts] 7 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, rep from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (54 hdc)

For Small/Med Child only
Round 6: Ch 1, hdc between join and 1^st hdc, [hdc between next 2 sts] 25 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, *[hdc between next 2 sts] 26 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, rep from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (56 hdc)

For Med/Lrg Child only
Round 6: Ch 1, hdc between join and 1^st hdc, [hdc between next 2 sts] 7 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, *[hdc between next 2 sts] 8 times, 2 hdc between next 2 sts, rep from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join. (60 hdc)

For both sizes
Rounds 7 – 15 (17): {Work rounds until hat is approx. 5.5 (6)” – see note below} Ch 1, *hdc between next 2 sts, repeat from * around, sl st in 1st hdc to join.

Please Note: Some of my testers ended up adding/subtracting rounds to get the correct length of 5.5 (6)”. It will depend on your stitch height.

Round 16 (18): Ch 1, sc in each hdc around. (56, 60 sc)

Round 17 (19): Ch 1, FPhdc around 1st sc, *BPhdc around next sc, FPhdc around next sc, rep from * around, sl st in first hdc to join.

Round 18 (20): Ch 1, FPhdc around 1st FPhdc, *BPhdc around next BPhdc, FPhdc around next FPhdc, rep from * around, sl st in first sc to join.

Round 19 (21): Rep Rnd 18 (20).
Fasten off.