The Franco is a men’s crochet beanie pattern that is chunky and textured. This easy crochet hat pattern looks amazing in this heathery dark yarn.
This simple hat is a great gift for the men on your list. Don’t worry though, the free pattern sizes include baby through adult. So you can make a warm beanie for anyone.
Men’s crochet hat patterns need to be interesting enough for me to make and simple enough that he’ll actually wear it. It helps if you crochet it in his favorite color too!
To design the Franco, I combine simple half double crochet stitches and the back loop technique. This gives this hat pattern a textured look that isn’t too fussy.
Adding a label really gives your handmade gifts that bit extra.
If you like the cork tag pictured here you can purchase them from the Etsy shop All This Wood*.
Scroll on down for the free written pattern in a variety of sizes to your family! The pattern includes 5 different sizes so you can fit the whole family.
You can purchase the ad-free, well formatted PDF Pattern in one of my shops. Scroll down for the free pattern!
Yarn
The Franco Beanie is pictured in Premier Serenity Chunky. I love the slight color variation of the Charcoal Heather.
This is a guy friendly yarn for the men in my family who only request black hats. Maybe you have one of those too? A men’s classic beanie is the perfect hat in black.
The #5 bulky yarn is great for cold weather. This easy pattern and the heathered yarn make a nice man’s hat.
Stitch
The Franco Beanie begins with a single crochet stitch ribbing. Once your ribbing is ready, we’ll use the half double crochet stitch for the rest of the hat.
For this one the hdcs are placed in the back loop of the stitch. This creates the horizontal texture you see. Using the basic stitches in the back loop also gives the hat some nice stretch. This is helpful to accommodate a large head.
More Free Crochet Hat Patterns
The Pinerolo Hat is a crochet hat pattern in worsted weight yarn that works well for men. This highly textured hat is an intermediate pattern.
I love the Verso Beanie as a men’s gift too. The contrasting stripes make this easy crochet pattern pop.
Materials
- 7 mm US size L crochet hook size, or hook needed to meet gauge
- yarn needle
- scissors
- measuring tape
- 70 yds / 64m – 109 yds / 100 m of #5 bulky weight yarn, pictured in Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Charcoal Heather. See recommend yarn amounts by size below.
Recommended Yarn By Size
6-12 mos Baby approximately 70 yd / 64 m of yarn.
Toddler approximately 75 yd / 69 m of yarn.
Child approximately 80 yd / 73 m of yarn.
Teen / Sm Adult approximately 90 yd / 82 m of yarn.
Med / Lg Adult approximately 109 yd / 100 m of yarn.
Notes
- Ch 1 at the beginning of a row does not count as a stitch.
- 2” / 5cm negative ease, where ribbing is crocheted smaller than actual head measurement.
- Hat is a fitted beanie. For a slouchy beanie, crochet more rounds before decreasing.
Stitches/Abbreviations (US Terms)
- blo – back loop only
- blo hdc – back loop only half double crochet
- ch(s) – chain(s)
- hdc – half double crochet
- hdc2tog – half double crochet two together
- rep – repeat
- rnd – round
- sc – single crochet stitch
- sk – skip the indicated stitch
- sl st – slip stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Tutorials You Might Find Helpful
How to Crochet Ribbing Hats Tutorial check this post out for a step by step tutorial of the process, including video.
For a tutorial on how to crochet the blo hdc, or back loop only half double crochet you can check out this post.
Gauge
Taken from ribbing, unstretched
2” / 5 cm x 2” / 5 cm = 5 rows of blo sc x 6 blo sc sts
Skill Level
Easy
Construction
The Franco Beanie is a bottom up hat with a brim. You will crochet the ribbing first. The brim of the beanie is worked in flat rows of ribbing and joined to form a circle.
Then you will crochet the body, or tube, of the hat. The body of the hat is worked along the top of the circle and joined in the round. The top of the hat is closed with decrease rounds.
Fit / Adjustment
Since the brim of the hat is made first, it’s easy to customize this beanie. You can crochet the ribbing as long as you need.
The pattern includes 2″ of negative ease, where the ribbing is 2″ less than the actual head circumference. This makes for a great fitting hat that stretches to the head size.
If you prefer slouchy beanies, simply crochet more rounds before starting the decrease section.
Sizing
To fit age (head circumference):
- baby 6-12 mos (16”/40.6cm)
- toddler (18”/45.7cm)
- child (20”/50.8cm)
- teen/sm adult (21”/53.3cm)
- med/lg adult (23”/58.4cm)
Ribbing Lengths By Size
For just the right amount of stretch, aim for ribbing that is 2 – 3″ smaller than the actually head circumference.
6-12 mos Baby brim width 14″ / 35.5 cm
Toddler brim width 15″ / 38 cm
Child brim width 17″ / 43 cm
Teen / Sm Adult brim width 19″ / 38 cm
Med / Lg Adult brim width 20″ / 51 cm
Finished Hat Heights By Size
6-12 mos Baby hat is 6″ / 15 cm tall.
Toddler hat is 7″ / 18 cm tall.
Child hat is 7.5″ / 19 cm tall.
Teen / Sm Adult hat is 8″ / 20 cm tall.
Med / Lg Adult hat is 8″ / 20 cm tall.
These hat heights are for a fitted style beanie. If you prefer the slouchy fit, add 1 – 3″ of length before beginning your decreases.
Scroll down for the free men’s beanie crochet pattern!
Men's Crochet Beanie Pattern Easy
The Franco is a chunky, textured beanie that's great for men, and includes sizes for the family.
Materials
- 70 yds / 64m - 109 yds / 100 m of #5 bulky weight yarn, pictured in Premier Yarns Serenity Chunk Charcoal Heather
Tools
- 7 mm US size L crochet hook, or hook needed to meet gauge
- yarn needle
- scissors
- measuring tape
Instructions
Brim
Baby (Toddler, Child, Teen/Sm Adult, Md/Lg Adult)
Ch 6 (6, 7, 7, 7)
- Row 1. Sc in 2nd ch from your hook and in each ch across, turn. 5 (5, 6, 6, 6 sts) = 2.5”/6.4cm (2.5”/6.4cm, 3”/7.6cm, 3”/7.6cm, 3”/7.6cm) tall
- Row 2. Ch 1, in blo sc in each st across, turn.
Rep Row 2 for 35 (38, 43, 48, 50) rows = 14”/35.6cm (15”/38cm, 17”/43.2cm, 19”/48.3cm, 20”/50.8cm)
Fold in half. Sl st last row and first row together to form the brim.
Hat
- From where you are, work along the top of the brim.
Rnd 1. Ch 1, hdc 44 (46, 52, 56, 60) sts evenly around, join with a sl st. Do not turn. Tip: If you place 1 st per ribbing row, occasionally you’ll need to add two sts. Do this every 3-4 sts and check your stitch count about halfway. - Rnd 2. Ch 1, in blo hdc in each st around, join with a sl st.
Rep Rnd 2 until hat is 4”/10cm (5”/12.7cm, 5.5”/14cm, 6”/15.2cm, 6”/15.2cm) tall. Here is where you can add more rounds for a slouchy fit.
Decrease
- Rnd 1. Ch 1, hdc2tog in each st around. (22, 23, 26, 28, 30 sts)
- Rnd 2. Rep last round. Toddler size will have 1 st left, hdc in this st. (11, 12, 13, 14, 15 sts)
- Rnd 3. Even st counts: toddler, teen/sm adult-Ch 1, hdc2tog in each st around. Odd st counts: baby, child, med/lg adult-Ch 1, hdc2tog in each st, hdc in the last st. (6, 6, 7, 7, 8 sts)
Finishing
Cut yarn, leave a long tail. Sew hole closed with yarn needle and tail. Weave away ends. Top with pom pom and/or add label.
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