Cute Crochet Monkey Hat Pattern for Beginners (Free & Easy)

I’m thrilled to introduce my crochet monkey hat pattern! This playful design is perfect for all sizes, from baby to adult. With its adorable monkey ears and cute details, it’s sure to be a hit with everyone in the family.

This pattern is fun and easy to follow, making it a great project for beginners and experienced crocheters alike. Let’s get started on creating this charming monkey hat that will bring joy and laughter to everyone who wears it! The free crochet pattern is below.

Pinterest pin for a crochet monkey hat pattern by Lovable Loops. The pin shows a brown crochet monkey hat with round ears and a smiling face on a light background. Text on the pin reads “Crochet monkey hat pattern,” “Baby to adult sizes!,” “beginner-friendly,” and “FREE.”

Crochet monkey hat pattern details

Here’s everything you need to know before you start—skill level, materials, sizing, and gauge—so your monkey beanie fits well and the face details land in the right spot.

Skill level

Beginner — This crochet monkey hat pattern uses basic stitches worked in simple repeats in the round.

hook (face, eyes, ears, nose)
Yarn: worsted weight yarn in brown, tan, black, and white

Materials needed

Crochet hook size I-9 (5.5 mm) — for the hat
Crochet hook size H-8 (5 mm) — for the face, nose, eye patches, eyes, and ears
Worsted weight yarn (#4) — in black, white, brown, and tan
Yarn needle — for weaving in ends neatly
Scissors — to cut your yarn
Stitch markers (optional) — helpful for keeping track of rounds and stitch counts

Finished size

This monkey hat pattern includes four sizes.

Baby — 14–15 inches (36–38 cm) head circumference, 6 inches tall (15 cm)
Toddler — 18–19 inches (46–48 cm) head circumference, 7 inches (18 cm) tall
Child — 19–20 inches (48–51 cm) head circumference, 7.75 inches (20 cm) tall
Adult — 20–23 inches (51–58 cm) head circumference, 8 inches tall (20 cm)

Need help sizing your crochet animal hat?

Getting the right fit is one of the most important parts of making a crochet hat, especially for animal hats with ears and face details.

If you’re unsure about head circumference, hat height, negative ease, or which size to make, check out my full crochet hat sizing guide. It walks you through the sizing basics step by step and makes it easier to choose the best fit from baby to adult.

You’ll learn:

How to measure head circumference correctly — so you pick the right size
How to choose the right crochet hat size (baby to adult) — using your measurements
How hat height affects fit and comfort — so it doesn’t feel too short or too tall
How much negative ease to use — for a snug, comfy fit
How to adjust a crochet hat pattern — if your hat feels too tight, loose, or short

If your hat feels too tight, too loose, or too short, the sizing guide will help you make simple adjustments with confidence.

Gauge

15 stitches and 9 rows = 4 inches (10 cm)

If your swatch has too many stitches, try a larger hook.
If your swatch has too few stitches, try a smaller hook.

Crochet abbreviations

dc = double crochet stitches
hdc = half double crochet stitches
hdc2tog = half double crochet decrease
sc = single crochet stitches
ch/chs = chain/chains
st/sts = stitch/stitches
sl st = slip stitch

Pattern notes

Use an I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook for the hat
Use an H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook for the face, nose, eye patches, eyes, and ears
Rounds 1-5 of the hat are the same for all sizes
The pattern is worked in the round from the top of the hat down
Repeat the instructions between the asterisks (*) for the rest of the round
Unless otherwise stated, the face pieces are the same for all sizes
The pattern is written in US crochet terms

Printable PDF pattern

If you prefer an easy, print-friendly version of this crochet monkey hat pattern, a printable PDF is available in my Etsy shop. The PDF includes the full pattern instructions in a clean, ad-free format, making it perfect for printing or saving on your device.

Handmade crochet monkey beanie in brown with floppy round ears, big eyes, and a smiling monkey face.

Crochet monkey hat pattern instructions

Rounds 1-5 are the same for all sizes.

Rounds 1-5

Round 1: Magic circle, ch 2, 11 dc, join with sl st to the top of the first dc (11 stitches)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in each st, join (22 stitches)
Round 3: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next st*, join (33 stitches)
Round 4: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 2 sts*, join (44 stitches)
Round 5: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 10 sts*, join (48 stitches)

Baby size

Rounds 6-14: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (48 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Toddler size

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 11 sts*, join (52 stitches)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 12 sts*, join (56 stitches)
Rounds 8-17: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (56 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Child size

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 11 sts*, join (52 stitches)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 12 sts*, join (56 stitches)
Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 13 sts*, join (60 stitches)
Rounds 9-18: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (60 stitches)

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Adult size

Round 6: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 11 sts*, join (52 stitches)
Round 7: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 12 sts*, join (56 stitches)
Round 8: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 13 sts*, join (60 stitches)
Round 9: Ch 2, *2 dc, dc in next 14 sts*, join (64 stitches)
Rounds 10-19: Ch 2, dc in each st, join (64 stitches)

Monkey face

Use tan yarn.

Round 1: Ch 12, hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc in next 8 chs, 4 hdc in last ch, you will finish the round by working in the backside of the chs, hdc in 9 chs, join (22 stitches)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc in first 2 sts, hdc 7, 2 hdc in next 4 sts, hdc 7, 2 hdc in last 2 sts, join (30 stitches)
Round 3: Ch 2, 2 hdc in first 3 sts, hdc 9, 2 hdc in next 6 sts, hdc 9, 2 hdc in last 3 sts, join (42 stitches)

Stop here for the baby size.
Round 4: Ch 2, 2 hdc in first 4 sts, hdc 13, 2 hdc in next 8 sts, hdc 13, 2 hdc in last 4 sts, join (58 stitches)

pictures tutorial to make the face section for Lovable Loops crochet monkey hat pattern

Monkey nose

Use brown yarn.

Rpund 1: Ch 5, 2 hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, 4 hdc in last ch, you will finish the round by working in the backside of the chs, hdc in next ch, 2 hdc in last ch, join (10 stitches)

Fasten off and sew the nose onto the face. Then, sew the face onto the hat.

Monkey eye patches

Make 2 using tan yarn.

Round 1: Magic circle, ch 2, 9 hdc, join with sl st to the top of the first hdc (9 stitches)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc in each st, join (18 stitches)

Stop here for the baby size.
Round 3: Ch 2, *2 hdc, hdc in next st*, join (27 stitches)

Monkey eyes

Make 2 using black yarn.

Round 1: Magic circle, ch 2, 9 hdc, join and fasten off (9 stitches)

Use scraps of white yarn to add the eye “sparkle”. Sew the pupils onto the eye patches. Then, sew the eyes onto the hat.

Monkey ears

Make 2 using brown yarn.

Round 1: Magic circle, ch 2, 9 hdc, join with sl st to the top of the first hdc (9 stitches)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 hdc in each st, join (18 stitches)

Stop here for the baby size.
Round 3: Ch 2, *2 hdc, hdc in next st*, join (27 stitches)

Sew the ears onto the hat. The ears should be in line with the eyes.

Adding the smile

Use a piece of black yarn to sew a smile on the face.

Finishing

Weave in all of your ends.

More free crochet safari animal hat patterns

Looking for more safari animal hats to crochet? Explore the rest of my free crochet safari animal hat patterns, including cute and beginner-friendly designs for babies, kids, and adults. These fun animal hats are perfect for gifts, dress-up, photo props, and matching sets. Click below to see more safari animal hat patterns on my blog.

More free crochet animal hats

Love cute animal hats? You’re in the right place! This collection of free crochet animal hat patterns includes fun designs for every season and personality, from sweet farm animals to wild zoo favorites.

Each pattern is beginner-friendly and written in baby to adult sizes, so you can make matching hats for the whole family. They’re great for gifts, dress-up, photo props, school spirit days, and everyday cold-weather fun.

Pick your favorite animal and start crocheting a hat that makes everyone smile.