Looking for a free crochet preemie hat pattern that is quick to make, beautifully textured and available in several sizes? The Ellis Preemie Beanie is an adorable premature baby hat pattern available in four preemie sizes, making it perfect for charity donations, NICU collections and tiny new arrivals.

Using the same gorgeous stitch combination as the Ellis Preemie Mitts, this little crochet hat is a wonderful project for confident beginners who are ready to practise their single crochet two together (sc2tog) stitches while creating something very special.

Meet the Ellis Preemie Beanie

There is something incredibly special about making crochet items for premature babies. They may be tiny projects, but they can mean an enormous amount to the families who receive them.

The Ellis Preemie Beanie was designed especially for the Preemie Crochet Challenge 2026 and is the latest addition to my Ellis Collection.

If you have already made the Ellis Preemie Mitts, you will recognise the beautiful texture straight away. I have used the same stitch combination for the beanie so that the two patterns work wonderfully together as a matching set.

And I absolutely love how this texture looks on such a small project!

The Ellis Beanie is written in four preemie sizes, because premature babies come in all shapes and sizes. Having several sizing options also makes this a particularly useful pattern if you crochet for hospitals, NICUs or charities where a range of tiny hats may be needed.

The Inspiration Behind This Free Crochet Preemie Hat Pattern

The Ellis Preemie Beanie was created as part of my Preemie Crochet Challenge 2026.

Every year, this challenge encourages crocheters around the world to use their skills to make practical items for premature babies and the organisations that support them. It is always wonderful to see just how many little hats, blankets, bonding squares, mitts and other useful items are created throughout the event.

When I designed the Ellis Preemie Mitts for this year’s challenge, I knew I didn’t want that gorgeous texture to stop there!

The stitch combination works beautifully on small projects, and a matching crochet preemie hat seemed like the perfect next addition to the Ellis Collection.

Preemie hats are also fantastic projects if you would like to crochet for charity. They don’t require huge amounts of yarn, they are relatively quick to make, and they can be incredibly useful.

Of course, they are also perfect if you have a premature baby arriving in your own family or friendship circle and would like to make something with a little extra love worked into every stitch.

Why Crochet Hats for Premature Babies?

Premature babies can have difficulty regulating their body temperature, so hats are commonly included among items requested by neonatal units and charities.

They are also wonderfully manageable projects for crocheters.

A crochet hat for a premature baby doesn’t require a huge yarn commitment, which means it can be a great stash-busting project. You may already have suitable soft yarn left over from another baby project.

They are quick enough that you can make several for a donation drive without feeling as though you have accidentally signed yourself up to crochet an entire mountain of blankets!

However, if you are making preemie hats for a hospital or charity, always check their current donation guidelines before you begin. Requirements can vary considerably between organisations, particularly when it comes to fibres, colours, sizing and whether certain embellishments are permitted.

Four Preemie Hat Sizes

One of the things I particularly wanted to include in this pattern was a good range of sizes.

There really isn’t one universal “preemie size”.

A baby born extremely prematurely can be considerably smaller than a baby born just a few weeks before their due date. That’s why the Ellis Preemie Beanie includes four different preemie sizes.

This gives you more flexibility when crocheting for a particular baby and makes the pattern especially useful for charity crocheters who want to donate a selection of sizes.

The pattern includes:

When choosing which size to make, use the baby’s actual measurements whenever possible.

If you are crocheting for donation rather than for a specific baby, check the organisation’s sizing guidelines before deciding which sizes would be most useful to them.

How Is the Ellis Preemie Beanie Constructed?

The Ellis Preemie Beanie has been designed to be an approachable project that gives you plenty of opportunity to practise the stitch combination used throughout the Ellis Collection.

This crochet hat pattern is worked top down. I have designed it so that if you cannot meet gauge you can still make a hat that will fit by adjusting the amount of rows you work for the crown or the height until you meet the size required.

The construction keeps the focus on that gorgeous textured stitch pattern without making the project unnecessarily complicated.

Because preemie projects are so small, they are also brilliant opportunities to practise a technique.

If you’ve been looking at sc2tog stitches and thinking, “I’ll learn those one day”, this could be your one day!

You don’t have to commit to an enormous project while you’re learning, and by the time you’ve finished your little hat you’ll have had plenty of useful practice.

The Stitch Combination

One of my favourite things about the Ellis Collection is the texture.

The Ellis Preemie Beanie uses the same stitch combination as my Ellis Preemie Mitts, incorporating single crochet two together (sc2tog) stitches to create the textured fabric.

You will most often see sc2tog used as a decrease. It takes two stitches and turns them into one, making it extremely useful for shaping everything from hats and garments to amigurumi.

But decreases aren’t the only reason we can use this stitch!

When sc2tog stitches are combined thoughtfully with other stitches, they can become part of the actual stitch pattern and help create beautiful texture.

That is exactly what is happening in the Ellis Collection.

If sc2tog is new to you, don’t let it put you off. I have a full How to Crochet SC2tog – Single Crochet 2 Together Step-by-Step tutorial where I walk you through the technique and explain how and why it works.

You can practise the stitch before starting your hat or simply keep the tutorial handy while you work.

Is This Preemie Crochet Hat Beginner Friendly?

I would class the Ellis Preemie Beanie as suitable for a confident beginner.

You should already be comfortable with the basic crochet stitches and reading a written crochet pattern, but you certainly don’t need to be an advanced crocheter.

The main technique that may be less familiar is the single crochet two together (sc2tog) stitch.

And if you’ve never tried one before? That’s absolutely fine.

Small projects like this are one of my favourite ways to learn something new. You aren’t staring down 150 rows of unfamiliar stitches wondering what possessed you to start!

You can take your time, practise the stitch and watch the texture develop surprisingly quickly.

By the end, you haven’t just made a tiny hat. You’ve added another crochet technique to your toolkit.

Yarn for Your Crochet Preemie Beanie

For premature babies, yarn choice deserves a little extra consideration.

You’ll want a yarn that feels soft and gentle against delicate skin and is practical enough to cope with regular washing.

If you are substituting yarn, don’t rely solely on the yarn weight printed on the label. Different yarns within the same weight category can produce surprisingly different fabrics.

Make sure you check your gauge and consider the feel and fibre content of your chosen yarn.

For charity donations, remember to check the organisation’s requirements before choosing your yarn. Some hospitals and charities have specific rules about the fibres they will accept.

How Much Yarn Does a Preemie Hat Need?

One of the advantages of making a preemie crochet hat is that you don’t need huge quantities of yarn.

You can see from my size chart above that this pattern requires only between 35 and 50 yards of 3 weight (DK) yarn depending on the size you are making.

That makes the Ellis Beanie a useful stash-busting project – provided the yarn you have is suitable for premature babies.

Those smaller balls lurking at the bottom of your yarn stash may finally have their moment!

If you have enough yarn remaining, you could also make a pair of Ellis Preemie Mitts to create a coordinating set.

Crochet Preemie Hats for Charity

If you enjoy crocheting for charity, the Ellis Preemie Beanie is a lovely pattern to keep in your collection.

Because it comes in four preemie sizes, you can make a variety of hats rather than donating lots of exactly the same size.

Before making items for a particular NICU, hospital or charity, please check their latest guidelines.

They may have requirements covering:

• accepted sizes
• yarn fibres
• colours
• washing
• pet-free or smoke-free environments
• embellishments
• packaging and labelling

It is much better to spend a couple of minutes checking first than discover that the beautiful pile of tiny hats you’ve lovingly made isn’t something that particular organisation can accept.

Can I Get the Ellis Preemie Beanie PDF Pattern?

I have decided not to sell this pattern as an individual pattern… The Ellis Preemie Collection E-Book Is Coming!

At the end of the 2026 Preemie Crochet Challenge, I will be putting the Ellis patterns featured in this year’s event together into one handy e-book.

So, if you love the texture of these mittens, keep an eye out for that! There will be 4 patterns in the e-book for one amazing price with a bonus printable in there too!

The e-book will be available to purchase from my shops, and proceeds from its sales will be donated to a preemie charity of my choosing.

That means you will be able to grab the collection together while helping support a cause that is very close to the heart of the Preemie Crochet Challenge.

The Preemie Crochet Challenge 2026

The Ellis Preemie Beanie has been designed especially for the Preemie Crochet Challenge 2026.

The challenge is all about encouraging crocheters to use their hooks to make practical items for premature babies while discovering some fabulous crochet patterns along the way.

If you’re joining us for the challenge this year, I hope you’ll add at least one Ellis Preemie Beanie to your donation pile.

And if you enjoy making this one, why not make the matching Ellis Preemie Mitts too?

Together they make such a sweet little set while giving you another opportunity to practise that gorgeous Ellis stitch combination.

More Helpful Crochet Tutorials

If the Ellis Preemie Beanie encourages you to develop your crochet skills, I have lots of tutorials here on the blog to help.

You may particularly find these useful:

How to Crochet SC2tog – Single Crochet 2 Together Step-by-Step
Perfect if this is your first time working the sc2tog stitch or you’d like a refresher.

Yarn Weight Chart: Understand Every Yarn Size with Confidence
A useful reference when choosing yarn or trying to understand the differences between yarn weights.

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Yarns for Baby Projects

Free Ellis Preemie Beanie Crochet Pattern

Skill level: Confident beginner

Sizes: Four preemie sizes

Gauge: 20 sts wide and 18 rows of pattern (of the main body) repeat in 4”. 

Note: I do give you crown measurements from round 2 to make sure that you are on track.

Materials: 

Stitches and abbreviations:

Pattern Notes

 The crown widths are provided according to my gauge from round 2 onwards. These are the diameter measurements (so from side to side). If you cannot / do not meet gauge when working the crown of your hat, take a note of the size it should be and stop when you reach the correct size – the pattern will still work for you! If you find that your crown is a little bit off size but not enough for a hdc round try working round of sc instead of the hdc.

Ellis Preemie Beanie Free Pattern

** This is a free pattern on the Sunflower Cottage Crochet blog. If you are reading this anywhere else it is stolen content. Please do not copy and paste any part of it or print this pattern out. Please bookmark this page and use the website to work up your pattern. This helps my small business greatly as it provides a little bit of ad revenue which will in turn will allow me to continue to create free content for you!**

Round 1: In MR, hdc 8.  SS to first hdc to join. (8) 

OR  CH3, ss to first ch to join (creates a ring), Ch1, in the center of the ring hdc 8. SS to top of first hdc to join.  (8)

Round 2: Ch1, work 2 hdc in each st around. SS to top of first hdc to join. (16)

Your crown should now measure 1” (see pattern notes above).

Round 3: Ch1, hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next st, *hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. SS to top of first hdc to join. (24)

Your crown should now measure 1.5”.

Round 4: Ch1, hdc in first 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st, *hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. SS to top of first hdc to join. (32)

Your crown should now measure 2”.

Round 5: Ch1, hdc in first 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st, *hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. SS to top of first hdc to join. (40)

Your crown should now measure 2.5”.

Round 6 : Ch1, hdc in first 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st, *hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. Hdc in the last 2 sts. SS to top of first hdc to join. (48)

Your crown should now measure 3”.

For size 1-2 lbs move to round 9.

Round 7: 

For size 2-3 lbs only : Ch1, sc in first 5 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. SS to top of first sc to join. (56) 

Your crown should now measure 3.25”.

Move to round 9.

For all other sizes: Ch1, hdc in first 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st, *hdc in next 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. SS to top of first hdc to join. (56) 

Your crown should now measure 3.5”.

For Size 3-5 lbs move to round 9.

Round 8: Ch1, sc in first 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st. Rep from * 6 more times. Sc in the last 3 sts. SS to top of first sc to join. (64)

Your crown should now measure 3.75”.

Working the main body of the hat:

 Round 9:  Turn, Ch1 (does not count), sc2tog BLO across the first 2 sts, (you may want to use a stitch marker to mark this st), Ch1 (counts) *sc2tog BLO across next 2 sts, ch1*. Rep from * to * around ending with a ch1. SS to top of first sc2tog BLO to join. (48, 56, 56, 64 sts)

Rounds 10 on: Rep round 9 until your hat measures 3.5 / 4 / 4.25 / 4.75 “ 

Note: Remember to turn at the beginning of every round for this section – this is what creates the texture.

To work the brim:

Note: For some sizes you may end on the RS and other sizes on the WS before you start the brim. You can work the brim with either side facing you.

Round 11 (Last Round) :    Ch1, sc in each st around (including the ch1 sps). Ss to top of first sc to join. (48, 56, 56, 64 sts)

FO and weave in ends.

Frequently Asked Questions About Crochet Preemie Hats

What size should a crochet preemie hat be?

There isn’t one standard preemie hat size because premature babies can vary enormously in size. That’s why the Ellis Preemie Beanie includes four sizes. If you’re crocheting for a specific baby, use their measurements whenever possible. For donations, follow the sizing requested by the hospital or charity receiving your hats.

What yarn is best for crochet preemie hats?

Choose a yarn that is very soft against delicate skin and easy to care for. If you’re crocheting for charity, always check their guidelines because accepted fibres can vary between organisations.

Can beginners crochet the Ellis Preemie Beanie?

Yes. The Ellis Preemie Beanie is aimed at confident beginners. You will need to know the basic crochet stitches and be ready to try the sc2tog stitch, but I have a step-by-step tutorial available if this technique is new to you.

Why is sc2tog used in this crochet hat pattern?

Although sc2tog is commonly used for decreasing and shaping crochet projects, it can also be incorporated into stitch combinations to create texture. In the Ellis Collection, it forms part of the stitch pattern and helps create the distinctive textured fabric.

Can I make the Ellis Preemie Beanie for charity?

Absolutely! The four sizes make this a particularly useful pattern for charity crochet. However, always contact your chosen organisation or check its current guidelines before making your hats to ensure your yarn, sizing and finishing meet its requirements.

How long does it take to crochet a preemie hat?

Preemie hats are small projects, so they can generally be completed much more quickly than full-size hats. Your crochet speed, chosen size and familiarity with the stitch pattern will all affect how long your Ellis Beanie takes to make.

Can I make matching preemie mitts?

Yes! The Ellis Preemie Mitts use the same beautiful stitch combination, so they coordinate perfectly with the Ellis Preemie Beanie.

Make an Ellis Preemie Beanie

Whether you’re making this free crochet preemie hat pattern for a tiny new arrival, a NICU donation or as part of the Preemie Crochet Challenge 2026, I hope you enjoy every stitch.

Preemie projects may be small, but the kindness behind them certainly isn’t.

And don’t worry if sc2tog is a new technique for you. Take it one stitch at a time, use my tutorial whenever you need it and give yourself permission to practise. Before long you’ll be working those stitches without giving them a second thought.

Then you can make the matching Ellis Preemie Mitts and officially declare yourself an Ellis stitch expert!

And don;t forget to tag me in your makes if you share them on social media! You can find me on Instagram and FaceBook.