Lavender Butterfly Baseball Cap Free Crochet Pattern

This is not your typical floppy sun hat — this sweet lavender cap is worked in dense single crochet so it actually holds a structured, six-panel baseball cap shape! We start at the crown and work down in continuous rounds, add a cream brim with a pretty picot edge, and finish with a tiny three-dimensional butterfly and a pearl button on top.

Cotton yarn is the secret here: it gives the stiffness the cap needs, washes beautifully, and feels cool and comfortable to wear. The two-tone colourway keeps things interesting without any complicated colourwork — we simply switch from lavender to cream when we reach the brim.

The finished cap fits a head circumference of 22 inches / 56 cm (most adults, 21 to 23 inches, with slight stretch), and it works up in about 8 to 12 hours. The shaping is logical, the counts are manageable, and it makes a wonderful gift.

Materials

• Approximately 200 yards of DK weight cotton yarn in lavender (Yarn A)
• Approximately 80 yards of DK weight cotton yarn in cream (Yarn B)
• Approximately 5 yards of DK weight cotton yarn in cream or white, for the butterfly body detail (Yarn C)
• 3.5mm (US E-4) crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• At least 7 stitch markers
• 1 pearl button, approximately 10mm diameter
• Sewing thread and needle
• Scissors
• Optional: cardboard or buckram brim insert, for extra stiffness

Abbreviations

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• sc-inc: single crochet increase, 2 sc in the same stitch
• sc2tog: single crochet two together (decrease)
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• tr: treble crochet
• MR: magic ring
• st(s): stitch(es)
• rnd: round
• rep: repeat
• pm: place marker
• RS/WS: right side / wrong side

Special Stitches

• Picot stitch: work 1 sc, then ch 3 and sl st into the top of the sc you just made, creating a small decorative loop. One picot = 1 sc plus its ch-3 loop. This makes the scalloped edge along the outer brim.

Gauge & Size

• Finished size: head circumference 22 inches / 56 cm; cap height (crown to brim join) approximately 7 inches / 18 cm; brim length approximately 3 inches / 7.5 cm; brim width at base approximately 11 inches / 28 cm
• Gauge: 20 sc x 22 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm in single crochet worked in continuous rounds
• Construction: crown and body worked top-down in continuous rounds, brim worked flat in turning rows, butterfly made separately and sewn on
• Skill level: Easy to Intermediate

Gauge is critical for this cap — too loose and it will be big and floppy, too tight and it will not fit. Crochet a swatch, measure honestly, and adjust your hook size before you start. Avoid fuzzy or stretchy yarns; they will not hold the shape.

Crown

The crown is worked in continuous rounds from the top down. Do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you work. Begin with Yarn A.

Round 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring, pull the ring closed, do not join, place a marker in the first st. (6 sc)

Round 2: Work 2 sc into each sc around, placing a stitch marker in the second sc of each increase — these mark your 6 panel increase points. (12 sc)

Round 3: (1 sc in the next st, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers to the new increase sts. (18 sc)

Round 4: (2 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (24 sc)

Round 5: (3 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (30 sc)

Round 6: (4 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (36 sc)

Round 7: (5 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (42 sc)

Round 8: (6 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (48 sc)

Round 9: (7 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (54 sc)

Round 10: (8 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (60 sc)

Round 11: (9 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (66 sc)

Round 12: (10 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (72 sc)

Round 13: (11 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (78 sc)

Round 14: (12 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (84 sc)

Round 15: (13 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (90 sc)

Round 16: (14 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (96 sc)

Round 17: (15 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (102 sc)

Round 18: (16 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (108 sc)

Round 19: (17 sc, sc-inc in the marked st) 6 times, move markers. (114 sc)

Checkpoint: your crown should measure approximately 4.5 inches in diameter laid flat.

Body

Rounds 20 to 38: Continuing with Yarn A in continuous rounds, sc in each st around — 19 plain rounds in total. You can remove the 6 panel markers now and keep only the round-start marker. (114 sc per round)

After Round 38 the cap body should measure approximately 7 inches from the centre of the magic ring to the working edge. Sl st to close the round, cut Yarn A and pull the tail through to secure.

Brim

The brim covers approximately half the circumference, centred at the front. Lay the hat flat, find the front-centre panel line, and count 28 stitches to the left of centre and 28 to the right, plus the centre stitch — mark this 57-stitch span. Join Yarn B with a sl st in the rightmost marked stitch. The brim is worked in turning rows, and the ch 1 at the start of each row does not count as a stitch.

Row 1 (RS): Ch 1, sc in the same st as the join, sc in each of the next 56 sts, turn. (57 sc)

Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, sc-inc in the first st, sc in each st to the last st, sc-inc in the last st, turn. (59 sc)

Row 3 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (59 sc)

Row 4 (WS): Ch 1, sc-inc in the first st, sc in each st to the last st, sc-inc in the last st, turn. (61 sc)

Row 5 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (61 sc)

Row 6 (WS): Ch 1, sc-inc in the first st, sc in each st to the last st, sc-inc in the last st, turn. (63 sc)

Row 7 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (63 sc)

Row 8 (WS): Ch 1, sc-inc in the first st, sc in the next 20 sts, sc-inc in the next st, sc in the next 19 sts, sc-inc in the next st, sc in each st to the last st, sc-inc in the last st, turn. (67 sc)

Row 9 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (67 sc)

Row 10 (WS): Ch 1, sc-inc in the first st, sc in each st to the last st, sc-inc in the last st, turn. (69 sc)

Row 11 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (69 sc)

Row 12 (WS): Ch 1, sc-inc in the first st, sc in the next 22 sts, sc-inc in the next st, sc in the next 21 sts, sc-inc in the next st, sc in each st to the last st, sc-inc in the last st, turn. (73 sc)

Row 13 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (73 sc)

Row 14 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (73 sc)

Do not fasten off.

Brim Edging

Step 1: With the right side facing and Yarn B still attached, work sc evenly along the right short edge of the brim, approximately 14 sc (one per row end).

Step 2: Work the picot edging across the outer curved edge: (work 1 picot stitch in the next st, sc in the next st) repeat across — approximately 37 picot stitches and 36 plain sc.

Step 3: Work sc evenly along the left short edge of the brim, approximately 14 sc.

Sl st into the hat body to secure, fasten off, and weave in the end.

Butterfly Applique

Upper Wing (make 2): Using Yarn A, make a magic ring, ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 3 dc, 2 tr, 3 dc into the ring, ch 2, sl st into the ring to close, pull the ring closed, fasten off leaving a 6-inch tail. (9 sts plus the ch-2 tip)

Lower Wing (make 2): Using Yarn A, make a magic ring, ch 2 (counts as first hdc), work 2 hdc, 2 dc, 2 hdc into the ring, ch 1, sl st into the ring to close, pull the ring closed, fasten off leaving a 6-inch tail. (7 sts plus the ch-1 tip)

Body Row 1: Using Yarn B, ch 8, sc in the second ch from hook, sc in each ch across. (7 sc)

Body Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in the next 3 sts, sc2tog. (5 sc)

Body Row 3: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (5 sc)

Body Row 4: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in the next st, sc2tog. (3 sc)

Body Row 5: Ch 1, turn, sl st in each st, fasten off leaving a 10-inch tail.

Position the two upper wings with their tips pointing outward and the two lower wings below them symmetrically, then lay the body piece vertically in the centre. With the tapestry needle and the body’s long tail, sew through all layers at the centre several times to secure. The finished butterfly measures approximately 1.5 inches wide.

Finishing & Assembly

Sew the butterfly to the front centre panel, approximately 1.5 inches up from the brim join, stitching securely through the body and wing backs into the hat fabric.

Sew the pearl button over the magic ring at the very top of the crown — it conceals the starting point and adds a lovely polished touch.

Weave in all ends on the wrong side and trim the tails. For extra stiffness, cut the optional cardboard or buckram insert slightly smaller than the brim, slip it in from the open edge, and whipstitch it closed.

For a smaller head (19 to 20 inches), stop the crown increases after Round 16 (96 sc), work the body to 6.5 inches total height, and work the brim across 49 stitches. For a larger head (23 to 24 inches), continue the crown increases through Round 21 (126 sc), work the body to 7.5 inches, and work the brim across 63 stitches. For a child size (18 to 20 inches), stop after Round 14 (84 sc), work the body to 5.5 inches, and work the brim across 43 stitches.

To block, lightly mist the finished hat with water and set it over a round form — a balloon inflated to size or a bowl wrapped in plastic — and let it dry completely. Hand wash in cool water with gentle soap, reshape while damp, and air dry flat or on a form; store it on a head form or stuffed with tissue paper to keep its shape.

Tips

Mark every increase stitch in the crown rounds — those six marked lines are what give the cap its neat, defined panels.

Keep your single crochet firm and even; the dense fabric is what holds the baseball cap silhouette.

Try the cap on after Round 38 before you commit to the brim position, and centre the brim on a panel line for the prettiest result.

Never put the finished cap in the dryer — cotton will shrink. A cool hand wash and a reshape are all it needs.