This beanie is the funnest thing I’ve ever put on my head — it looks like it walked straight out of a bakery window but keeps you toasty warm. We are talking rainbow stripes that POP, frosting drips that genuinely look like real icing, and a sprinkle-covered crown that makes everyone smile. And the whole body is worked in simple single crochet for that dense, cozy fabric.
The drip effect uses surface slip stitches with little chain loops — sounds fancy, but it is honestly so straightforward once you find the rhythm. And those sprinkles? Nothing but French knots scattered across the white crown — simple embroidery, huge impact.
If you have been hunting for a statement piece that pairs whimsy with wearability, this rainbow drip cake beanie is exactly what you need. It works up faster than it looks and makes the absolute best quick gift. Let me walk you through each and every step.
About This Crochet Pattern
This beanie is basically a slice of rainbow layer cake you can wear — white frosting drips cascading down every colorful stripe, multicolored sprinkles dotting the top. You build it from the brim up, starting with a stretchy ribbed band worked flat in rows, then seamed into a tube. Then pick up stitches and work the body in joined rounds of single crochet (sc) — that classic, tidy fabric.
The rainbow stripes run bottom to top: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, then purple. After each stripe, add the frosting drips with surface slip stitches (sss) and chain loops that hang down like real icing. The crown decreases gradually to create a nice rounded dome, and a big fluffy white pom-pom finishes it off perfectly.
Skill level: Intermediate. You should be comfortable working in the round, changing colors cleanly, and following a decrease sequence. The surface slip stitches and French knot embroidery add extra steps, but neither one is hard on its own. If you have made a couple of hats and practiced your color changes, you will handle this beautifully with a little patience.
Time estimate: About 6 to 9 hours total, pom-pom and French knot sprinkles included. Those finishing touches take roughly 1 to 1.5 hours.
Finished Dimensions
Size: Adult Medium/Large
| Measurement | Dimension |
| — | — |
| Circumference (unstretched) | approximately 19 inches / 48 cm |
| Circumference (stretched to fit) | approximately 21 to 22 inches / 53 to 56 cm |
| Height (brim folded up) | approximately 9 inches / 23 cm |
| Height (brim unfolded) | approximately 11 inches / 28 cm |
The ribbed brim adds approximately 2 inches / 5 cm when folded up. Size customization tips are at the end of the pattern.
Materials Needed
Yarn
You will need worsted weight yarn in the following colors and amounts:
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Main Color (MC) White: approximately 180 yards / 165 meters
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Color A Red: approximately 25 yards / 23 meters
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Color B Orange: approximately 20 yards / 18 meters
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Color C Yellow: approximately 20 yards / 18 meters
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Color D Green: approximately 20 yards / 18 meters
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Color E Blue: approximately 20 yards / 18 meters
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Color F Purple: approximately 20 yards / 18 meters
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Sprinkle Colors: Small amounts (under 5 yards / 4.5 meters each) of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple for the French knot embroidery
Recommended Yarn Brands
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Lion Brand Pound of Love (worsted weight, 100% acrylic) keeps stripes crisp with excellent stitch definition. Easy to find, machine washable, and very budget friendly.
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Paintbox Yarns Simply DK (worked at worsted tension) has a smooth finish that keeps color transitions extra crisp. Their full color range covers all six rainbow shades plus white.
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Cascade 220 (worsted weight, 100% Peruvian Highland wool) has gorgeous stitch definition and excellent elasticity for the ribbed brim. Note: this yarn needs hand washing.
Substitution tip: Choose any smooth worsted weight yarn that achieves the stated gauge. Skip fuzzy or heavily textured yarns, or the drip and sprinkle details get lost in the fuzz. Keep the weight the same across all colors so your stripes sit at even heights.
Hook and Notions
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Hook: US Size J / 6.0 mm crochet hook
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Stitch markers (at least 4)
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Yarn needle
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Scissors
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Pom-pom maker or two cardboard circles (approximately 3.5 inches / 9 cm diameter)
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Embroidery needle for French knots
Gauge
16 single crochet x 18 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm, worked in rows (single crochet flat swatch, blocked)
Gauge matters for a well-fitting hat. If your swatch is too small, go up a hook size. If it is too large, go down. Working in the round often produces a slightly looser gauge than flat work, so swatch in the round if possible.
Abbreviations
Let me define every abbreviation you will encounter in this pattern:
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ch = chain
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sc = single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops
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sl st = slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through stitch and loop on hook in one motion
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sc2tog = single crochet two together (a decrease): insert hook in next stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook in following stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through all 3 loops
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BLO = back loop only: work into just the back loop of the stitch, leaving the front loop unworked
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st(s) = stitch(es)
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rnd = round
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RS = right side
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WS = wrong side
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pm = place marker
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rep = repeat
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MR = magic ring (adjustable loop)
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yo = yarn over
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sss = surface slip stitch (explained below)
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FKnot = French knot (explained below)
Special Stitches and Techniques
Ribbed Single Crochet (for the brim)
Work sc in BLO only throughout the entire brim section. The result is a stretchy, vertically ridged fabric that looks and behaves like knit ribbing. The texture comes from those unworked front loops, which push forward into visible ridges.
Surface Slip Stitch (sss)
This technique puts a raised line of stitches right on top of your finished fabric. Do not turn the work. Hold your yarn behind the fabric on the wrong side. Insert your hook from the front through a stitch, catch the yarn from behind, and pull a loop through to the front. Insert your hook through the next stitch, catch the yarn, and pull through both the fabric and the loop on your hook. Continue this way across. The result is a neat raised line sitting right on the surface.
Drip Loop
While working a surface slip stitch row, at each drip position: chain 5, slip stitch back into the same stitch the chain emerged from. That makes a small dangling loop that looks just like a frosting drip. After the loop, keep going with the surface slip stitch line to the next drip position.
French Knot (FKnot)
Thread your embroidery needle with approximately 8 inches / 20 cm of yarn. Bring the needle up through the fabric from the wrong side at your desired sprinkle location. Wrap the yarn around the needle two times. Insert the needle back into the fabric very close to (but not the exact same hole as) the entry point while holding the wraps against the fabric with your thumb. Pull the needle through to the wrong side, allowing the wraps to form a small raised knot on the surface. Secure on the wrong side and repeat.
Pom-Pom
Using a pom-pom maker or two cardboard circles approximately 3.5 inches / 9 cm in diameter, wrap MC (white) yarn around the form approximately 150 to 200 times for a full, dense pom-pom. Cut around the circumference, tie securely with a long strand at the center, and trim into a neat sphere approximately 3 inches / 7.5 cm in diameter. Leave two long tails for attaching to the hat crown.
Pattern Notes Before You Begin
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Work the brim flat in rows, then seam it into a tube.
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Once seamed, pick up stitches along the long edge of the brim tube to begin the hat body in rounds.
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The hat body uses joined rounds: join with sl st at the end of each round, ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), then begin the next round. Use a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round.
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Carry unused colors loosely up the inside when possible. If a color will not be used for more than 2 rounds, cut and rejoin to avoid long floats.
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Do your color changes on the final pull-through of the last stitch of the previous round, so the new color shows cleanly at the start of the next round.
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Work the frosting drip rows after the main body rounds are complete for each section. Add each drip right after its stripe, or wait and add all six drips at once — your call.
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Add the sprinkle French knots last, once all the crochet and drip embellishment is done.
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Keep the right side facing outward through the body rounds.
Step-by-Step Crochet Tutorial
Section 1: Ribbed Brim
Using MC (white) and your J / 6.0 mm hook, ch 19.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (18 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st across. Turn. (18 sc)
Repeat Row 2 until the brim measures approximately 21 inches / 53 cm from beginning (unstretched). That comes to approximately 84 rows total. Count your rows as you go and stop when it measures correctly.
Do not fasten off. Fold the brim so the short ends meet. Sl st through corresponding stitches of both ends to seam the brim into a tube. Fasten off. Weave in ends.
Checkpoint: Your seamed brim tube should measure approximately 21 inches / 53 cm in circumference and approximately 4 inches / 10 cm wide.
Section 2: Picking Up Stitches for the Hat Body
With RS facing, join MC (white) to the brim tube along one long edge. Pick up and sc evenly around the whole long edge to establish your working round.
Work 80 sc evenly around the top edge of the brim tube. Join with sl st to first sc. (80 sc)
Pickup note: Your brim has about 84 rows. Pick up approximately 1 sc for every row, skipping every 4th or 5th row as needed to arrive at exactly 80 stitches. Spread the skipped rows evenly for a consistent look.
Place a stitch marker in the first stitch and move it up with each new round.
Section 3: Hat Body Stripes
Work each round into every stitch of the previous round. At the end of each round, join with sl st to first sc, ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), and begin the next round.
Rounds 1 to 2: With MC (white), sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc each round)
Round 3: Change to Color A (red) on last pull-through of joining sl st of Round 2. With Color A, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 4: With Color A, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 5: With Color A, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 6: Change to Color B (orange). Sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 7: With Color B, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 8: With Color B, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 9: Change to Color C (yellow). Sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 10: With Color C, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 11: With Color C, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 12: Change to Color D (green). Sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 13: With Color D, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 14: With Color D, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 15: Change to Color E (blue). Sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 16: With Color E, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 17: With Color E, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 18: Change to Color F (purple). Sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 19: With Color F, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 20: With Color F, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 21: Change to MC (white). Sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 22: With MC, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Round 23: With MC, sc in each st around. Join. (80 sc)
Checkpoint: After Round 23, the hat body (not including brim) should measure approximately 5 inches / 12.7 cm tall. Your rainbow stripes should look clear and even.
Section 4: Frosting Drip Embellishment
Using MC (white), add surface slip stitch drip rows along the top edge of each color stripe.
For each drip row, join MC with a sl st to the top edge of the completed stripe (the round just before the color changes). Work a sss across the full round, creating Drip Loops at regular intervals:
Work 4 sss, then work 1 Drip Loop (ch 5, sl st into same st), then work 4 sss, then work 1 Drip Loop, continuing around. With 80 stitches per round, you get 16 drip loops evenly spaced around each drip row. Fasten off and weave in ends after each drip row.
Apply drip rows at these boundaries:
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Drip Row 1: Top edge of the red stripe (between Round 5 and Round 6)
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Drip Row 2: Top edge of the orange stripe (between Round 8 and Round 9)
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Drip Row 3: Top edge of the yellow stripe (between Round 11 and Round 12)
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Drip Row 4: Top edge of the green stripe (between Round 14 and Round 15)
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Drip Row 5: Top edge of the blue stripe (between Round 17 and Round 18)
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Drip Row 6: Top edge of the purple stripe (between Round 20 and Round 21)
Checkpoint: All six drip rows should be applied. The white drip loops should dangle over the top edge of each stripe. Check that the chain loops stay consistent in length.
Section 5: Crown Shaping
Keep going with MC (white) in joined rounds.
Round 24: (Sc in next 8 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (72 sc)
Round 25: Sc in each st around. Join. (72 sc)
Round 26: (Sc in next 7 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (64 sc)
Round 27: Sc in each st around. Join. (64 sc)
Round 28: (Sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (56 sc)
Round 29: Sc in each st around. Join. (56 sc)
Round 30: (Sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (48 sc)
Round 31: Sc in each st around. Join. (48 sc)
Round 32: (Sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (40 sc)
Round 33: (Sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (32 sc)
Round 34: (Sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (24 sc)
Round 35: (Sc in next st, sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (16 sc)
Round 36: (Sc2tog) repeat 8 times. Join. (8 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a tail of approximately 10 inches / 25 cm.
Thread tail onto yarn needle. Working from the outside, pass the needle through the front loop of each of the 8 remaining stitches in sequence. Pull firmly to cinch the crown closed. Pass the needle through the center opening to the wrong side. Weave in securely.
Checkpoint: The crown should be fully closed, with no gap visible at the top.
Section 6: Sprinkle Embroidery
Using your embroidery needle and short lengths of each sprinkle color, scatter French knots across the white crown (Rounds 21 to 23) and the upper part of the white frosting area. Aim for 30 to 50 knots total, in all six rainbow colors scattered in a random pattern. Vary the placement so no single color clusters too heavily.
Weave in all yarn tails from French knots on the wrong side.
Section 7: Pom-Pom Attachment
Following the pom-pom instructions from the Special Stitches section, make one large white pom-pom approximately 3 inches / 7.5 cm in diameter.
Thread the two long center tails onto a yarn needle. Insert needle into the center of the closed crown from the outside. Pull both tails through to the wrong side. Tie the tails securely together in a double knot on the inside of the hat. Trim tails to approximately 1 inch / 2.5 cm. Your pom-pom should sit firmly and never flop to one side.
Finishing and Blocking
Wet block the brim lightly — dampen with cool water and shape gently. The ribbed brim loves a gentle stretch to encourage elasticity. Allow to dry flat.
The hat body does not need heavy blocking. A little steam blocking can even out uneven rows between color changes if you like. Hold a steam iron approximately 2 inches / 5 cm above the fabric and allow steam to penetrate without pressing down.
Weave in all remaining yarn ends securely on the wrong side, splitting yarn tails in two directions for extra security.
Size Customization Tips
For a smaller hat (child large / adult small, about a 19 to 20 inch head): Reduce the brim to about 56 rows and pick up 72 stitches instead of 80. Adjust the crown shaping so decreases work over 9 stitches at a time initially.
For a larger hat or slouchy fit: Work the brim to 90 rows and pick up 88 stitches. Add one additional plain round between each decrease round in the crown shaping.
To adjust stripe height: Each stripe here is 3 rounds tall. Adding 1 to 2 more rounds per stripe increases overall height proportionally. The drip loop formula stays the same as long as your stitch count is divisible by 5.
Care Instructions
Machine wash cold on gentle, inside out, to protect the surface embellishments and pom-pom. Lay flat to dry. Do not wring, twist, or put in a clothes dryer.
If using wool yarn, hand wash only in cool water with wool wash. Press water out gently and lay flat to dry.
