Sock Monkey Crochet Hat with Button Eyes

This crochet sock monkey hat pattern uses bulky-weight yarn for a fast, warm fabric with a tweed-textured body, contrast red band, cream mouth piece, button eyes, and integrated earflaps with braided ties. The construction is top-down in joined rounds with a two-color sequence—white crown, red accent band, then the main color through the body and earflaps. The mouth piece is an oval worked in continuous rounds and sewn on separately, then finished with a surface slip-stitch smile line. Button eyes and rounded ears complete the face.

What distinguishes this version is the bulky-weight construction and the slip-stitch smile technique. Standard sock monkey hats often use worsted-weight yarn, which produces a thinner fabric and requires more rounds. Bulky yarn builds height quickly—the body is only 17 rounds from crown to brim, making this a fast project even for larger sizes. The smile is worked in surface slip stitch directly onto the mouth piece after it's sewn in place, which lets you adjust the curve and length by eye rather than committing to embroidered placement before assembly.

Sizing covers toddler through adult by adjusting the starting stitch count and the number of body rounds. The pattern includes a full size chart, gauge specifications for bulky yarn, and instructions for customizing the fit. Skill level is advanced beginner—you'll manage joined rounds, two-strand ear construction, surface slip stitch, and symmetrical earflap decreases.

Why You'll Love This Sock Monkey Hat Construction

Bulky yarn cuts the working time significantly. A child-size hat body takes roughly 17 rounds total from crown to brim. If you've made worsted-weight hats that run 25–30 rounds before the earflaps start, you'll notice the difference immediately. The thicker fabric is also denser and warmer—practical for a winter hat that'll see real use. For a hat that looks this structured, it also feels surprisingly squishy and light, thanks to the airy nature of bulky-weight acrylic blends. See our chunky yarn guide for more bulky-weight recommendations.

The two-color sequence through the crown and body creates the signature sock monkey look without complicated colorwork. The white crown sits at the very top, a single round of red follows, then the main color continues for the rest of the body. That red accent band is one round—minimal yarn, maximum visual impact. It frames the face area and separates the crown pom-pom from the body, giving the hat a finished, intentional look rather than a solid-color beanie with features sewn on.

The surface slip-stitch smile solves the problem of crooked embroidered mouths. Instead of guessing how a yarn-needle smile will look, you work the smile line directly onto the attached mouth piece using slip stitches. The raised line forms in real time, so you can curve it, check it, pull it out, and redo it in seconds. No embroidery knots to unpick. The technique is covered in the Special Stitch Instructions below, and for more on surface crochet methods, see our essential stitches guide.

The two-strand ear construction—holding two strands of the main color together and working with a smaller hook—produces rounded, structured ears that hold their shape without wiring or stiffening. The denser fabric stands slightly away from the hat body, creating the dimensional monkey-ear silhouette. This technique works for any small appendage that needs to be self-supporting.

Button eyes are faster to attach than crocheted circles and give the hat a classic toy-like finish. Choose two matching buttons with a slight dome shape—flat buttons disappear into the fabric. Sew them through all layers of the mouth piece and hat body for security, especially if the hat is for a child under three. For safety with babies, substitute crocheted circles or embroidered French knots instead of buttons. Our sewing crochet pieces guide covers secure attachment techniques.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Bulky weight (Category 5). Main Color (MC): approximately 100 (120, 150) yards for toddler (child, adult) in heather brown, camel, or tweed gray. Contrast Color 1 (CC1): approximately 20 yards red for accent band and edging. Contrast Color 2 (CC2): approximately 15 yards cream or white for crown top and mouth piece. Small amount of black for optional embroidered eye alternative.
• Hooks: US Size I (5.5 mm) for the hat body. US Size H (5.0 mm) for the ears (tighter gauge with two strands held together).
• Notions: Two matching buttons (approximately 0.75–1 inch diameter) in black or dark brown, yarn needle with blunt tip, sharp scissors, locking stitch markers.
• Optional: Small amount of black worsted-weight yarn and a G hook if crocheting eye circles instead of using buttons.

Best Yarn Choices for This Hat

The pattern calls for bulky weight, which is thicker than standard worsted. Using worsted instead produces a smaller hat—roughly toddler-sized from the child instructions—because the stitch gauge shrinks. If you want to use worsted weight, follow the adult stitch counts and check your gauge against the finished measurements.

Lion Brand Jiffy (100% acrylic, about $4.99 per 135-yard skein) is a classic bulky acrylic with a subtle mohair-like halo. The Camel Spray colorway has a tweed effect that reads as sock-monkey brown beautifully. One skein covers the child size with yardage to spare. The halo softens the stitch definition slightly, which gives the hat a plush, toy-like texture.

Lion Brand Hue + Me (80% acrylic, 20% wool, about $6.99 per 137-yard skein) is a chunkier option with excellent stitch definition and a more structured fabric. The wool content adds warmth and a slight natural elasticity. Choose the Oatmeal or Agave colorways for a sock-monkey look.

Knit Picks Brava Bulky (100% acrylic, about $4.49 per 136-yard skein) is a smooth, round-plied bulky with clear stitch visibility. One skein in Brindle or Almond handles any size. The smooth surface makes the surface slip-stitch smile crisp and defined.

Bernat Softee Chunky (100% acrylic, about $4.99 per 108-yard skein) is widely available at big-box craft stores and comes in a range of neutrals and tweeds. Two skeins of the main color for adult size. The yarn is slightly thinner than Jiffy, so check your gauge; you may need to go up to a J hook.

For the red accent and cream contrast, any bulky scraps work. You need very little—less than 20 yards of each. If you only have worsted-weight red and cream, hold two strands together and they'll approximate bulky thickness for the single-row accent band and crown. For more on yarn selection for hats, see our best yarn for hats guide.

Gauge, Size Guide & Key Details

Gauge: 12 half double crochets x 9 rounds = 4 x 4 inches (10 cm) with I (5.5 mm) hook in bulky-weight yarn, worked in joined rounds. Gauge matters because the earflap spacing depends on an accurate stitch count.

Size	Finished Circumference	Finished Height (crown to brim)	Fits Head Circumference
Toddler (1–3 yrs)	17 inches (43 cm)	6.5 inches (16.5 cm)	18–20 inches (46–51 cm)
Child (4–12 yrs)	19 inches (48 cm)	7 inches (18 cm)	20–22 inches (51–56 cm)
Adult	21 inches (53 cm)	8 inches (20.5 cm)	22–24 inches (56–61 cm)

The hat has approximately 2 inches of negative ease for a snug fit. For a slouchier fit, go up one hook size or add one additional increase round before moving to the body section. For custom sizing math, see our resizing guide.

Pattern Notes & Tips Before You Start

The hat is worked top-down in joined rounds. Each round is joined with a slip stitch to the first stitch, and the next round begins with a chain-2 that counts as the first half double crochet. If you prefer a seamless look, you can work in a continuous spiral instead—just mark your first stitch and move the marker up each round. The red accent band will have a slight jog if you spiral; the joined-round method keeps the color transition clean.

The crown begins with white for the first 7 rounds, then switches to red for one round, then to the main color for the remainder of the body. Fasten off each color cleanly and weave the tails as you go—the color changes are only two rounds apart, so you can carry the white yarn up the inside if you prefer, but fastening off and rejoining gives the cleanest look.

The mouth piece is an oval worked in continuous rounds (no joining) around a foundation chain. This produces a smooth, rounded rectangle that sits centered on the hat front. Do not join the mouth piece rounds—the spiral keeps the oval shape seamless. Mark the first stitch of each round.

The ears use two strands of the main color held together with a smaller hook. This creates a dense, self-supporting fabric. Crochet tightly for the ears—the stiffer they are, the better they'll hold their round shape when sewn to the hat.

Button eyes are attached after the mouth piece is sewn in place. Position the buttons on the upper portion of the mouth piece, not on the hat body above it. Buttons placed too high read as forehead dots, not eyes. Reference a photo of a classic sock monkey for proportional guidance. For more on feature placement, see our stitch marker placement guide.

Abbreviations & Special Stitch Instructions

All terms in US crochet terminology.

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• sc2tog: single crochet two together (decrease)
• MC: main color
• CC1: contrast color 1 (red)
• CC2: contrast color 2 (cream/white)
• st(s): stitch(es)
• rnd: round

Surface Slip Stitch (for Smile): With the right side of the mouth piece facing you and the red yarn held on the wrong side (inside the hat), insert the hook from front to back at the starting point of the smile. Yarn over and pull a loop through to the front. Insert the hook from front to back at the next stitch position along the desired smile curve. Yarn over and pull through both the fabric and the loop on the hook in one motion. This creates a raised chain-like line on the surface. Continue stitch by stitch, adjusting the curve as you go. Fasten off by pulling the tail to the wrong side and weaving it in. For a visual tutorial, see our essential stitches guide.

Working with Two Strands Held Together (for Ears): Pull one strand from the center of the skein and one from the outside, or use two separate skeins. Hold them as if they were one strand and crochet normally. The resulting fabric is approximately twice as thick as single-strand bulky fabric. Maintain even tension on both strands—if one strand is looser than the other, the ear fabric will have uneven loops.

Step-by-Step Pattern Instructions

Hat Body (Joined Rounds)

Note: The chain-2 at the beginning of each round counts as the first hdc throughout the pattern. Join each round with a sl st to the top of the chain-2.

Toddler Size

With CC2 (cream) and I hook, ch 3.

Rnd 1: 7 hdc in 3rd ch from hook (the first ch made). Join with sl st to top of ch-2. (8 hdc)

Rnd 2: Ch 2, hdc in same st. 2 hdc in each st around. Join. (16 hdc)

Rnd 3: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next st. (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st) around. Join. (24 hdc)

Rnd 4: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 2 sts. (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts) around. Join. (32 hdc)

Rnd 5: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 3 sts. (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 3 sts) around. Join. (40 hdc)

Rnd 6: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 4 sts. (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts) around. Join. (48 hdc)

Fasten off CC2.

Rnd 7 (Red band): Attach CC1 (red) with sl st to any st. Ch 2, hdc in each st around. Join. Fasten off CC1. (48 hdc)

Rnds 8–14: Attach MC with sl st. Ch 2, hdc in each st around. Join. (48 hdc per rnd) At the end of Rnd 14, do not fasten off. The hat should measure approximately 6.5 inches from crown to brim.

Child Size

Work Rnds 1–7 as for Toddler. (48 sts after Rnd 6, then 48 sts for red band)

Rnd 8: Attach MC. Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 5 sts. (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 5 sts) around. Join. (56 hdc)

Rnds 9–16: Ch 2, hdc in each st around. Join. (56 hdc per rnd) At the end of Rnd 16, do not fasten off. Hat should measure approximately 7 inches from crown to brim.

Adult Size

Work Rnds 1–8 as for Child. (56 sts after Rnd 8)

Rnd 9: Ch 2, hdc in same st, hdc in next 6 sts. (2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 6 sts) around. Join. (64 hdc)

Rnds 10–18: Ch 2, hdc in each st around. Join. (64 hdc per rnd) At the end of Rnd 18, do not fasten off. Hat should measure approximately 8 inches from crown to brim.

Earflaps — All Sizes

The first earflap begins directly from the last stitch of the body.

First Earflap:

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in same st and in next 10 sts. Ch 1, turn. (11 sc)

Row 2: Sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st across to last 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. Ch 1, turn. (9 sc)

Row 3: Sc in each st across. Ch 1, turn.

Row 4: Repeat Row 2. (7 sc)

Row 5: Sc in each st across. Ch 1, turn.

Continue this pattern—a decrease row followed by a plain row—until 1 st remains. Fasten off, leaving a 12-inch tail for the braided tie.

Second Earflap:

Hold the hat with the right side facing. Skip 17 (19, 21) sts from the first row of the first earflap across the front of the hat. Attach MC with a sl st in the next st.

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in same st and in next 10 sts. Ch 1, turn. (11 sc)

Work the second earflap exactly as the first. After the final decrease to 1 st, do not fasten off. Keep the working loop active for the edging.

Brim & Earflap Edging

Edging Rnd 1 (MC): With the working yarn from the second earflap, ch 1. Sc evenly around the entire brim and both earflaps. Place 3 sc in the tip of each earflap. When you reach the starting point, join with sl st. Fasten off MC, leaving a 12-inch tail at each earflap tip for the braided ties.

Edging Rnd 2 (CC1/red): Attach CC1 with a sl st at the center back. Sc evenly around the entire brim and both earflaps, placing 3 sc in each earflap tip. Join with sl st. Leave a 12-inch tail at each earflap tip. Fasten off.

Each earflap tip now has three tails: one from the earflap fasten-off, one from the MC edging, and one from the CC1 edging. These will be incorporated into the braided ties.

Braided Ties

Each tie uses the three existing tails at the earflap tip plus 6 additional strands—3 in MC and 3 in CC1—each 24 inches long, folded in half. Total strands per tie: 9. Attach all strands through the tip hole, divide into three equal sections, braid, knot, and trim evenly. For detailed attachment steps, see our weaving ends guide.

Mouth Piece, Ears & Pom-Pom

Mouth Piece (Make 1 in CC2/cream with I hook)

The mouth piece is an oval worked in continuous rounds. Do not join.

Foundation: Ch 14.

Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 11 chs, 3 sc in the last ch. Pivot to work along the opposite side of the foundation chain: sc in next 11 chs, 2 sc in the last ch (same ch as the first sc). Do not join. Place marker in first st. (28 sc)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 11 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 3 sts, sc in next 12 sts, 2 sc in next st. Move marker. (33 sc)

Rnd 3: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 14 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 3 sts, sc in next 14 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st. (38 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Use the invisible finish technique to close the round smoothly. Our invisible finish guide covers this step.

Ears (Make 2 in MC with H hook, holding 2 strands together)

Work tightly throughout.

Row 1: Ch 3. 7 hdc in 3rd ch from hook. Ch 2, turn. (8 hdc counting the ch-2)

Row 2: Hdc in first st. 2 hdc in each st across. Fasten off, leaving a long sewing tail. (16 hdc)

The ear is a semicircle that will be sewn to the hat with the straight edge at the bottom. The two-strand construction makes it stiff enough to hold a rounded shape.

Pom-Pom (Make 1)

Use MC yarn and a pom-pom maker or a piece of cardboard approximately 3 inches wide. Wrap yarn around the maker 50–60 times for a dense pom-pom. Tie the center tightly, cut the loops, trim to an even sphere. Leave long tails for attaching to the crown. Sew securely to the very top center of the hat. For a step-by-step pom-pom tutorial, see our chunky pom-pom beanie pattern.

Assembly and Finishing

Lay the hat flat with the earflaps aligned. The front is the side with the wider gap between earflaps. Mark the center front.

Sew the mouth piece centered on the front, roughly 2–3 rounds above the brim edge. The mouth piece should span most of the front width without extending past the earflap boundaries. Sew using the attached tail and a whipstitch around the edge. Work under only the first layer of the hat stitches so the inside stays neat.

Sew the two buttons as eyes on the upper portion of the mouth piece, centered side by side. The buttons should sit on the mouth piece itself, not on the hat body above it. If you're concerned about button security for a young child, substitute black crocheted circles: ch 2, work 8 sc into the first ch, join, and sew on. Or embroider French knots with black yarn.

With CC1 and using the surface slip stitch technique, work a curved smile line across the lower portion of the mouth piece. Start slightly left of center, curve down and across, and end slightly right of center. A classic sock monkey smile is a gentle U-shape. Work the line, check it, adjust if needed, then fasten off and weave the ends inside.

Sew the ears to the sides of the crown, approximately 2 inches from the top center and angled slightly outward. The straight edge of the ear sits against the hat; the curved dome faces outward. Pin both ears before sewing to check symmetry.

Attach the pom-pom to the very top of the crown. Weave all remaining ends. Steam block lightly if the face area needs smoothing. Our blocking tutorial covers the steam method for acrylic yarns.

Easy Variations & Custom Ideas

Worsted-Weight Version: If you only have worsted-weight yarn, follow the Adult stitch counts. The finished hat will be approximately toddler or small child size due to the thinner yarn. Check your gauge and measure against the size chart. For a true adult size in worsted, use the resizing guide to calculate additional increase rounds.

Color Variation: A pastel sock monkey uses pale pink for the body, mint green for the accent band, and cream for the mouth piece. A woodland version uses dark brown body, forest green band, and cream mouth. The red accent is traditional but not required—any contrasting color that separates the crown from the body works.

Crocheted Eyes Instead of Buttons: With black worsted-weight yarn and a G hook, ch 2, work 8 hdc into the 2nd ch from hook, join, and fasten off. Sew the flat circles in place of buttons. Safer for infants and toddlers.

No Pom-Pom: Omit the pom-pom for a lower-profile crown. The white crown section already provides visual interest at the top; the hat reads fine without the pom-pom accent.

Full Red Brim: Work an additional round of CC1 sc around the entire brim instead of just one edging round. This creates a thicker red outline that matches the accent band and frames the face area more prominently.

Common Troubleshooting and Fixes

Problem: The hat is too small despite following the stitch counts.
With bulky yarn, tension varies widely. If your gauge is tighter than 12 hdc per 4 inches, go up a hook size to J (6.0 mm). If you've already finished the crown increases and the circumference is too small, add an additional increase round before starting the body.

Problem: The red accent band looks wavy or loose compared to the cream and main color rounds.
You're working the red round at a different tension. The single red round sits between two color changes, which can affect tension. Consciously match your tension to the previous round, and check that the stitch count is correct—48 (56, 64) stitches exactly.

Problem: The mouth piece is curling or won't lie flat.
The oval may need blocking. Lightly steam it flat before sewing to the hat. If the edges still curl after attachment, sew closer to the outer edge—a whipstitch too far inward allows the edges to lift.

Problem: The surface slip-stitch smile isn't visible against the cream mouth piece.
Red on cream should read clearly, but if your tension is loose on the slip stitches, the line can look faint. Work the slip stitches with slightly tighter tension than normal—pull each loop snug against the surface. If it still doesn't read, switch to a doubled strand of red for a bolder line, or embroider with a yarn needle and chain stitch for more definition.

Problem: The ears flop over instead of standing out.
Your tension on the ears was too loose, or you used only one strand instead of two. For ears already made, sew them to the hat at a slight upward angle and stitch across more of the ear's back surface so the hat body supports it. For next time, use an even smaller hook (US G/4.0 mm) with two strands for maximum stiffness.

Next-Level Tips

The bulky-yarn top-down hat formula used here—crown increases to a target circumference, then even rounds to the brim—is a template for any bulky beanie. Swap the color sequence and facial features for any character. The red accent band is one round; you can add multiple accent rounds, variegated yarn rounds, or surface crochet details to customize.

The two-strand ear technique transfers to any project needing small, self-supporting shapes: animal ears, fins, leaves, or decorative tabs on bags and baskets. The key is using a hook two sizes smaller than the yarn label recommends and crocheting tightly.

The surface slip-stitch method for facial features works on any flat crochet surface—amigurumi faces, blanket squares, garment yoke details. It's faster and more adjustable than embroidery because you can pull the whole line out by tugging the tail and redo it without damaging the base fabric. For more surface-work techniques, see our overlay crochet texture guide.

Care Instructions

Acrylic bulky yarns: Machine wash cold on gentle cycle, tumble dry low heat. Place the hat in a mesh laundry bag to protect the button eyes, pom-pom, and braided ties from tangling or snagging.

Acrylic-wool blends (like Hue + Me): Machine wash cold, delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry. The wool content can felt with heat and agitation, so skip the dryer.

Button security check: After washing, check that the button eyes are still firmly attached. Buttons can loosen with machine agitation. Reinforce with a few extra stitches through the button shank and hat fabric if needed. For infants and toddlers who mouth their hats, replace buttons with crocheted or embroidered eyes entirely.

Store the hat folded or laid flat. Hanging by an earflap stretches that side over time. Brush the pom-pom gently with a clean toothbrush if it flattens after washing.

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