Crochet Hat Too Big: 6 Ways to Resize a Finished Pattern

This is a common problem with crochet hats, especially for newbie crocheters. Making the leap from a flat project like a scarf or blanket can be tough.

Pretty much every experienced crocheter has had a crochet hat end up far too large. If your crochet hat is too big, don't worry! There are actually ways that you can adjust the size of the final product without removing all of your stitches. Some simple stitches, added ribbon, or a hot bath might transform your project into a perfectly proportioned piece.

Suggestions for How to Resize a Hat:

1. Wash and Dry in High Heat
Just like other pieces of clothing, you can wash and dry your crocheted projects in high heat in order to help them shrink. This is a great idea for those items that are way bigger than you expected. One thing to keep in mind, however, with this technique is your make of yarn. Some yarns shrink more than others and too high of a temperature might damage synthetic yarns

2. Surface Crochet on the Finished Product
Surface crochet refers to crocheting on the outside of a pattern. This is a fun way to add new elements and texture. You can also use this to tighten up your hat by crocheting tight elements, by doing slip stitch in the last row.

 3. Add a Pull String
Weaving in a simple string around your hat to pull it tighter is an easy fix to this problem. The hat might look a bit big and bulky, but if you are creating a slouchy hat this is a great option.

4. Add Elastic
Hooking or sewing elastic into the rim of the hat can also create a smaller circumference. This is ideal for bulky, slouchy hats as it will only resize the brim of the hat and not the whole piece. 

 
5. Take Out a Few Rounds
Depending on how much bigger your hat is than needed, sometimes taking out just a few rounds (up to 3-5) can make it fit just right. This is also an option for hats that have stretched on their own.

6. Take it Apart and Redo It
Sometimes, a crochet project does not work out the way we would like it to or a stitching error causes the entire final project to look less than perfect. There's no shame in redoing a project! In fact, a lot of crocheters pull out their stitches and redo a project, especially when the yarn is expensive.

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