Sunray Bucket Hat Free Pattern

Pattern Description:

Crochet a chic Sunray Bucket Hat with raffia cotton yarn for child to adult sizes. This top-down spiral design features textured single and half double crochet stitches, creating a lightweight yet structured hat. 

Detailed instructions guide you through crown, body, and brim shaping. Perfect for sunny days, it offers stylish sun protection with a handmade touch.

Materials & Measurements:

• Yarn:
  • Approximately 182 (200, 220, 240) yards [166 (182, 201, 220) meters] of raffia cotton yarn
  • Recommended brand: “Rayon Crochet Raffia Yarn” (available on Amazon) – a mostly round, twine-like yarn (not flat ribbon) made from cotton and wood fiber
• Yarn Weight: 2 mm diameter raffia cotton yarn
• Hook: US F [3.75 mm] crochet hook, or size needed to meet gauge
• Notions:
  • 6 removable (locking) stitch markers
  • Metal tapestry needle
• Measurements:
  • Finished circumference (measured just above the brim):
    • Child: 19″ (fits 18″ head)
    • Adult Small: 21″ (fits 20″ head)
    • Adult Medium: 23″ (fits 22″ head)
    • Adult Large: 25″ (fits 24″ head)

Stitches & Abbreviations Used:

• SC – Single Crochet
• HDC – Half Double Crochet
• HDCBB – Half Double Crochet through the Back Bar
• SCBB – Single Crochet through the Back Bar
• Sl st – Slip Stitch
• YO – Yarn Over

Special stitches:

• HDCBB: YO, insert hook from top to bottom through the back bar (the horizontal dash halfway down on the wrong side of the previous round’s HDC), YO, pull up a loop, YO, pull through all three loops.
• SCBB: Insert hook from top to bottom through the back bar, YO, pull up a loop, YO, pull through both loops.

Instructions for Making the Sunray Bucket Hat Free Pattern:

Before you begin:

• Work top-down in a spiral, without joining rounds.
• Use a contrasting stitch marker to track the beginning of rounds.
• Gauge: After Round 9, piece should measure 4″ in diameter (≈ 17 stitches & 19 rounds in 4″).
• Tip: Raffia yarn can be stiff; crochet slowly, use an ergonomic hook, and take breaks.

Crown & Body:

• Rnd 1: Adjustable loop, 6 SC into loop, tighten. 6 SC.
• Rnd 2: 2 SC in each st. 12 SC.
• Rnd 3: [2 SC in next st, SC in next] around. 18 SC.
• Rnd 4: [SC in next 2, 2 SC in next] around. 24 SC.
• Rnd 5: [SC in next, 2 SC in next, SC in next 2] around. 30 SC.
• Rnd 6: [SC in next 4, 2 SC in next] around. 36 SC.
• Rnd 7: [SC in next 2, 2 SC in next, SC in next 3] around. 42 SC.
• Rnd 8: Place stitch marker at first stitch of each repeat. [SC in next 6, 2 SC in next] around. 48 SC.
• Rnds 9-11 (child); 9-12 (adult S); 9-13 (adult M); 9-14 (adult L): SC around, making one increase (2 SC in same stitch) between each set of markers. Avoid placing increases near previous ones. End with 66 (72, 78, 84) SC.
• Next rnd (12/13/14/15): Remove all but first & fourth markers. SC around, making one increase between markers. 68 (74, 80, 86) SC.
• Next rnd (13/14/15/16): SC around.
• Repeat last two rounds 6 (7, 8, 9) more times: end with 80 (88, 96, 104) SC after Round 25 (28, 31, 34).

Brim:

• Rnd 26 (29, 32, 35): Place stitch marker in each new increase. Use contrasting marker to track round start.
  • 2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 26 (28, 31, 34) sts
  • 2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 25 (29, 31, 33) sts
  • 2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 26 (28, 31, 34) sts = 83 (91, 99, 107) HDC
• Rnds 27-32 (30-36, 33-39, 36-43): HDCBB around, increasing once between each set of markers. End with 101 (112, 120, 131) HDCBB.
• Final rnd (33/37/40/44): SCBB around. Sl st to first stitch to finish.

Finishing:

Weave in ends neatly. Block with steam or a warm iron (can touch the raffia briefly). Do not soak; raffia may lose shape or fall apart. If substituting a different yarn, test your blocking method on a swatch first.

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