Free Vintage Crochet Child's Cap Pattern - Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet

This free vintage crochet child's cap pattern is from the Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet. The pattern has been updated to modern use with AI. You will find the original text from the book at the bottom of this page in italics. The book's how to crochet section is here: A Lesson In Crochet - Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet.  The modern pattern is untested. I am adding these free vintage crochet patterns to my blog so they are in one place and easily searched.

Vintage Crochet Child's Cap Free Pattern

Modern Pattern:

This vintage crochet pattern creates a child's cap (approximately for a three-year-old) using a combination of bean stitch and double crochet, with a scalloped edge. It uses a sport or DK weight yarn. Modern crocheters may want to substitute a similar yarn and adjust hook size as needed to achieve the desired gauge. The pattern uses US crochet terminology.

Cap Body:

Using cream-white yarn, chain 5 and join with a slip stitch to form a ring.

Round 1: Draw up a loop to about ¼ inch long, yarn over, insert hook in the ring, yarn over and draw a loop through, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on the hook. Chain 1. Repeat from * 5 more times to make a total of 6 bean stitches, with chain 1 between each. Join the last chain-1 to the top of the first bean stitch.

Round 2: Draw up a long loop over the first bean stitch, yarn over, insert hook in the same stitch, yarn over and draw through, yarn over and draw through all loops. (This is the first stitch of each round.) Chain 1. Bean stitch in the following chain-1 space, chain 1, bean stitch in the next bean stitch. Repeat from * around. Join with a slip stitch.

Round 3: Bean stitch in the first stitch. Bean stitch in each chain-1 space and in every 3rd bean stitch, with chain 1 between. Join.

Round 4: Repeat Round 3, working a bean stitch over every 4th bean stitch.

Rounds 5-10: Repeat Round 4, increasing the spacing between the widenings. In Round 5, work a bean stitch in every 5th bean stitch, and so on, until Round 10 where you work a bean stitch in every 10th bean stitch.

Rounds 11-13: Bean stitch in each chain-1 space.

Headband:

Round 14: Change to double crochet (dc) for the headband, working one dc in each stitch around.

Rounds 15-19: Dc in each dc around, working in both loops (not the back loop only). Narrow twice in each round.

Rounds 20-21: Dc in each dc around.

Round 22: Bean stitch in every 2nd dc, chain 1. Repeat from * around.

Rounds 23-27: Bean stitch in each chain-1 space. Fasten off the cream-white yarn.

Edging:

Round 28: Attach the light-blue yarn in a chain-1 space. Chain 4, draw up a long loop in the 2nd chain from the hook, one in the 3rd chain, and one in the 4th chain. Yarn over and draw through all 4 loops. Chain 1, slip stitch in the next chain-1 space. Repeat from * around. This creates a small, pointed scalloped edge.

Button:

Using the light-blue yarn, chain 3. Work 8 dc in the 2nd chain from the hook. Continue working in rounds without joining, increasing as needed to keep the circle flat until it is almost as large as the button you wish to cover. After one or two more rounds, decrease by working off 3 loops instead of 2. Slip the button inside and continue crocheting, keeping the work snug over the button, until the opening is almost closed. Break the yarn, draw the end through with a needle, and sew the button to the center of the crown.

This cap is sized for a child around three years old and can be easily enlarged by adding more rounds. The border can be turned down over the ears for extra warmth.

Original Text:

Materials required are one skein of cream-white Shetland floss and a little light-blue Saxony yarn, with medium-sized bone hook. Chain 5, join.

1. Draw up loop one-fourth inch long, yarn over, hook in ring, draw loop through, over and draw through 3 loops now on needle, * chain 1, draw up a loop in ring, over, draw up another loop in ring, over, draw through all 4 loops; repeat to make 4 more bean-stitches, 6 in all, with 1 chain between, and join last 1 chain to top of 1st stitch.

2. Draw loop up long over 1st bean-stitch, over, hook through same stitch, draw through, over and draw through all the loops; this is 1st stitch of each row. Chain 1, a bean-stitch in following space, chain 1, bean-stitch in bean-stitch; repeat around, join.

3. Bean-stitch in 1st stitch, in each space and every 3d bean-stitch, with 1 chain between, join.

4. Same as 3d row, with bean-stitch over every 4th bean-stitch.

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Same as 4th row, with an additional space between widenings; in 5th row make a bean-stitch in every 5th, and so on, with bean-stitch in every 10th, in 10th row.

11, 12, 13. Bean-stitch in each space.

14. Change to double crochet for head-band, making a double in each stitch.

15, 16, 17, 18, 19. A double in each double, working in both veins of stitch; narrow twice in each row.

20, 21. Double in each double.

22. A bean-stitch in each 2d double, 1 chain between.

23, 24, 25, 26, 27. Bean-stitch in each space; fasten off white yarn.

28. Fasten blue yarn in space, chain 4, draw up a loop in 2d chain from hook, 1 in 3d and 1 in 4th, all rather long loops, over, draw through all 4 loops, chain 1, fasten in next space with a single, and repeat. This makes a small, pointed scallop and finishes edge of cap.

For the button: Using the blue yarn, chain 3, 8 doubles in 2d stitch of chain. Continue around and around without joining, 1st row with 2 doubles in each stitch, then widen sufficiently to keep the work flat until nearly as large as the button you wish to cover; after one or two more rounds, decrease by working off 3 loops instead of 2, slip the button in and continue, keeping the work tight over the button until you have about half of space covered; then break the yarn, draw up with needle and sew to center of crown.

This cap is large enough for a little boy or girl of three years, and may be easily enlarged. The border may be turned down over the ears for extra warmth.

Happy Hooking!
 
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This free vintage crochet pattern is from Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet by Anonymous. It is available for download on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26113 . The wording has been updated for modern readers with the assistance of Google Gemini 2.0 Flash.