Rainbow Shells Newborn Hat and Mitt Set
When you purchase through links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission.
Here’s how it works.
I was asked to make a pretty newborn hat and mitt set for a baby shower gift for a friend and chose to make this sweet little rainbow shells set. This pattern is easy to customize to alternate colors for both boys and girls – or even to make as a straight rainbow design without the white sections between the color rows. The entire project is worked flat, starting at the brim (or cuffs for the mitts) and then seamed once you are finished.
You can fold back the band to shorten the height of the hat by 1-inch for babies’ whose head sizes are daintier than the ‘average’ newborn baby head of 14-inches circumference.
The hat does have a little extra ‘poof’ to the top because it is worked flat and cinched closed but I think it adds a little bit of fun to the finished hat and for this design I did not want a ‘basic’ beanie style. If you would like a basic beanie style that is fitted to the top of the head, I do have some options available too – feel free to check out these options:
Bottoms Up DC Beanie Crochet Pattern. Sizes Preemie to Adult.
Rainbow Shells Newborn Baby Hat and Mitt Set - Free Crochet Pattern
Rainbow Shells Newborn Hat and Mitt Set
Supplies
- Yarn: Scheepjes Soft Fun Denim, 50 g = 140 m, 60% cotton, 40% acrylic
Colors: MC – 2412 (white), CC1 – 512 (purple), CC2 – 504 (pink), CC3 – 518 (yellow) - Hook: 4.0 mm (G), 3.5 mm (E) – for making the tie for the mitts only
- Scissors, Yarn Needle, Stitch Marker (optional)
Difficulty Level
EASY
Finished Size
To Fit: Newborn (14” head circumference)
Finished Band Measurements: 12-inches long unstretched (before assembly), 1-inch wide
Finished Hat Measurements: 5.5-inches tall before assembly (approximately 5-inches after assembly); stretches to fit 14-inches to 15-inches head circumference
Gauge
Approximately 4.75 sts/1 inch and 3 rows/1 inch
Abbreviations
beg – beginning
bl – back loop
ch – chain
CC – contrast color – we use CC1, CC2, CC3 (meaning 3 contrast colors)
dc – double crochet
hdc – half double crochet
hdc2tog – half double crochet two stitches together (decrease)
MC – main color (for this project this is white)
R – row/round
RS – right side
rem – remaining
rep – repeat
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st/sts – stitch/stitches
* – Repeat the instructions between the asterisks the number of times indicated. This repeat will contain of multiple instructions.
() – Repeat the instructions between the parentheses the number of times indicated.
[] – at the end of the row – the total number of stitches
Helpful Tutorials
Notes
- This project is worked flat and then seamed starting at the band (or cuff for the mitts) and then working toward the top of the hat (or fingertips of the mittens)
- Leave a 4-inch (or more) yarn tail when adding each color to use at the end of the project when seaming the sections of color together neatly
- Stitch Multiple of 6 plus 1 for the Main Hat Pattern and Main Mitts Pattern
- Colors: MC – white, CC1 – purple, CC2 – pink, CC3 – yellow
Newborn Hat and Mitt Set
Pattern Instructions
Newborn Baby Hat
Hat Band
R1: With MC (white): Ch 5, beg in 2nd ch and work 1 sl st in each ch across, ch 1, turn [4]
R2: 1 sl st in the first st, 1 sl st in the bl of each of the next 2 sts, 1 sl st in the last st, ch 1, turn [4]
R3-R79: Rep R2.
Note: Do not fasten off! At this point the band should measure approximately 12-inches in length and it will stretch to approximately 14-inches.
Ch 1 and turn your work to crochet along the row ends of the band.
Main Hat
R1: RS: Work 1 sc in each row end across. Finish off. [79]
NOTE: Begin again on the RS (the beginning of the row again – you do not turn after Row 1)
R2: RS: Join CC1 (Purple) with sl st and ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [13 sc, 12 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R3: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to MC (white) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [14 sc, 13 sets of 5 dc]
R4: Ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [13 sc, 12 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R5: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to CC2 (pink) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [14 sc, 13 sets of 5 dc]
R6: Ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [13 sc, 12 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R7: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to MC (white) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [14 sc, 13 sets of 5 dc]
R8: Ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [13 sc, 12 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R9: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to CC3 (yellow) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [14 sc, 13 sets of 5 dc]
R10: Ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [13 sc, 12 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R11: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to MC (white) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [14 sc, 13 sets of 5 dc]
R12: Ch 3 in the first sc (counts as 1 dc). 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [13 sc, 12 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R13: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc. Turn. [14 sc, 13 sets of 5 dc]
R14: Ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), sk the sc and the first dc. Hdc3tog over the next 3 dc. Sk 1 dc, 1 hdc in the next sc. *Sk 1 dc, hdc3tog over the next 3 dc, sk 1 dc, 1 hdc in the next sc.** Rep from * to ** across. Turn. [14 hdc, 13 hdc3tog sets (or 27 hdc)]
R15: Ch 1, sk the first hdc. Hdc2tog across. [13 hdc] Finish off and leave a long tail for assembly. You will cinch the top closed AFTER you have seamed the side edge of the hat. Please see Assembly instructions below.
Note: At this point the height is approximately 5.5-inches tall
Assembly
Fold the hat in half down the center. Using the same colors for each section seam up the two side edges of the hat and band. I used this technique:
For the top of the hat you will cinch it closed in the following manner:
Simple Closing Method for Hats and Mittens
Matching Newborn Baby Mitts
Finished Size
To fit Newborn to 3 months
Finished Size After Seaming: 3.5-inches long and 3-inches wide
MAKE 2
Pattern Instructions
Mitten Cuff
R1: With MC (white): Ch 5, beg in 2nd ch and work 1 sl st in each ch across, ch 1, turn [4]
R2: 1 sl st in the first st, 1 sl st in the bl of each of the next 2 sts, 1 sl st in the last st, ch 1, turn [4]
R3-R32: Rep R2. Do not finish off, turn to work along the row ends of the cuff to create the main mitten.
Note: At this point the band measures 4-inches wide, unstretched. Stretches to approximately 6-inches wide.
Main Mitten
R1: RS: Working along the row ends of the cuff, ch 1, skip the first row end and work 1 sc in each rem row end. Finish off, leaving a long tail of yarn for assembly. [31]
NOTE: Begin again on the RS (the beginning of the row again – you do not turn after Row 1)
R2: RS: Join CC1 (purple) with sl st and ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [5 sc, 4 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R3: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to CC2 (pink) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [6 sc, 5 sets of 5 dc]
R4: Ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [5 sc, 4 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R5: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to CC3 (yellow) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [6 sc, 5 sets of 5 dc]
R6: Ch 3 in the first sc. 2 dc in the same sc. Sk 2 sts, 1 sc in next sc. *Sk 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, 1 sc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across to the last 3 sc. Sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the last sc. Turn. [5 sc, 4 sets of 5 dc, 2 sets 3 dc]
R7: Ch 1, 1 sc in the first dc. Sk 2 dc. Work 5 dc in the next sc. *Sk 2 dc, 1 sc in the next dc, sk 2 dc, 5 dc in the next sc** Rep from * to ** across. Sk 2 dc, work 1 sc in the last dc, changing to MC (white) on the last yarn over of the stitch. Turn. [6 sc, 5 sets of 5 dc]
R8: 1 sc in the first st, sc2tog across. Turn. [16]
R9: Sc2tog across. Finish off leaving a long tail for assembly. [8]
Assembly
Fold the mitten in half down the center. Using the same colors for each section seam up the two side edges of the mitten and band. I used this technique:
For the top of the mitten you will cinch it closed in the following manner:
Simple Closing Method for Hats and Mittens
Wrist Ties
MAKE 2
Ch 50 using the 3.5 mm (E) hook, finish off and using a yarn needle wind it in and out of the stitches to allow you to tighten the cuff for wearing. Weave the ends of the chain into itself securely.
Have fun crocheting!
ty this is so cuuuuute!!