Cute Crochet Penguin Hat with Moving Ears – FREE Pattern

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This super cute crochet penguin hat with moving ears will have people smiling everywhere you go. The unique design uses an air pump to make the penguin’s wings flap up and down.


Chances are, you have seen the bunny hat with moving ears that’s been trending on social media. Just squeeze the bunny’s dangling paws to make its ears go up and down. It’s cute, silly, and fun for kids (and kids at heart) of all ages.

But have you ever wondered if you could crochet a moving ears hat? What about hats of different cute crochet animal characters? Now you can! This pattern will show you how to make your very own crochet penguin hat with moving ears – well, technically they’re wings!

As with any handmade item, you can customize and make this trendy crochet hat your own. You can use my tutorial to make it in any size. And because the squishy worsted-weight chenille yarn I used, Premier Pixie Dust Brights, comes 18 colors, you can make any color penguin you want. Who says penguins can’t be pink – or green?

Make them for your kids or even for yourself. These silly crochet hats are perfect for costume parties, holiday celebrations, or anywhere you need to lighten the mood.

Cute Crochet Penguin Hat with Moving Ears

Crochet Hats with Moving Ears

If you’ve never tried to make a moving crochet pattern before, it may look complicated. But all it takes are some simple air pumps that you sew right into the long arms of the hat. Of course, I’ll include photos and instructions so you know just where to place them to achieve this cool effect.

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If you can’t get enough of these funny beanies, you’ll be delighted to know that I have written 10 other crochet pop-up hat patterns for all different occasions. You can find all of them, including helpful tutorials, videos, and photos, in my 10 Pop Up Pals Hats ebook!

Get the PDF of the Crochet Penguin Moving Ears Hat

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This pattern is also available as an ad-free, printer-friendly pdf pattern that can be purchased at the links below for only a small fee.

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If you like fun and cute crochet animal patterns, you might also like to try one of these:

  1. Panda Bear Tissue Box Cover
  2. C2C Rainbow Hat with Unicorn Pom Pom
  3. Cat Bunny Reversible C2C Bag Pillow
  4. Cute Tiny Teddy Bear

So, let me now give you the supplies you need in order to crochet this cute pattern.

How to Crochet the Pop-Up Penguin Hat

Materials you will need

Gauge

3 sts x 2 rounds = 1 square inch

Size

10 (width) x 7.5 inches (just the hat, one size (adult) – Refer to this post to adjust the size of the beanie for a different head size

Stitches used in the pattern

Learn all the basic crochet stitches HERE

Video tutorials

Beanie – like Skeleton: https://youtu.be/uvdkZkSOsWo

How to Add the Air Pump: https://youtube.com/shorts/g-TspfmNh1Y

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel here:

Free Written Crochet Penguin Hat with Flapping Wings Pattern

Pattern Notes

First, you’ll crochet the beanie, then the arm straps where the air pump gets inserted into, then the arms, and face. Then you assemble it all.

Written Instructions for the Pop-Up Penguin Hat

Beanie

With black

ALL first dc stitches are made as a ch3 or ATC (both count as stitch, I used the ATC)

R1: MR, ch 1, add 12 dc, close the ring, sl st to the first st

R2: 2 dc per st all around, sl st to the first st

R3: *1 dc in the first st, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

R4: *1 dc in 2 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

R5: *1 dc in 3 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

R6: *1 dc in 4 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

R7-15: 1 dc per st all around, sl st to the first st

Long Arms

**R1: 1 dc in the next 9 sts, turn

R2- 22: 1 dc per st, turn

R23: *1 dc, 2dc in the following st, repeat from * until the end

R24-25: 1 dc per st until the end

R26: dc dec until the end

R27: sc dec until the end

Reattach your yarn, 28 stitches from the 9th dc you made in R1 (opposite side of the beanie). And repeat from ** for the 2nd arm.

Now you’ll crochet the 2nd half of the long arms but in WHITE (separate from the beanie)

Crochet 2 pieces for the following pattern:

Ch 10, starting from the 2nd ch from the hook, 1 dc in the next 9 sts, turn (9 sts)

R2- 22: 1 dc per st, turn

R23: *1 dc, 2dc in the following st, repeat from * until the end

R24-25: 1 dc per st until the end

R26: dc dec until the end

R27: sc dec until the end

Now sew one white piece to the black piece, keeping an opening on the top for the air pump to be added), but close the bottom.

Crochet 2 HALF Ears (in BLACK)

Ch 7, starting from the 2nd ch from the hook

R1: 1 ATC (or ch3), 1 dc in each ch, turn (6 sts)

R2-10:  ATC (or ch3), 1 dc per st, turn

R11: 1 dc dec, 1 dc, 1 dc dec

Crochet 2 HALF Ears (in WHITE)

Ch 7, starting from the 2nd ch from the hook

R1: 1 ATC (or ch3), 1 dc in each ch, turn (6 sts)

R2-10:  ATC (or ch3), 1 dc per st, turn

R11: 1 dc dec, 1 dc, 1 dc dec

Now sew a white piece to a black piece, keeping the area of the first row OPEN, and closed where the last row is.

Crochet 1 Eye Section (in WHITE)

Ch 31, starting from the 2nd ch from the hook

R1: 1 ATC (or ch3), 1 dc in each ch, turn (30 sts)

Now you’ll work on only one half of the eye section.

R2-7: 1 dc dec, 1 dc until the last 2 sts, 1 dc dec, turn

Fasten off

Reattach the yarn to the st next to the last dc dec in R2, then crochet:

R2-7: 1 dc dec, 1 dc until the last 2 sts, 1 dc dec, turn

Fasten off

Sew the eye section to the front of the beanie.

Crochet 2 Eyes (with BLACK)

R1: MR, ch 1, 6 sc, sl st to the 1st st

Sew the eyes to the front of the eye section.

Crochet 1 Nose (with TANGERINE)

R1: MR, ch 1, add 12 dc, close the ring, sl st to the first st

R2: *1 dc in the first st, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

R3: *1 dc in 2 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

R4: *1 dc in 3 sts, then 2 dc in the next st, repeat from * all around, sl st to the first st

Sew nose to the front bottom of the eye section, stuff nose. 

Crochet Penguin Hat with Moving Ears Pieces

Assembly

Now add the air pump mechanism, by adding the bulb through the long arms and squeeze the full bent air flap (opposite side of the air pump) between 2 stitches on round 11 of the beanie – right and left side of the face. Add the air flaps into the arms, then sew the arms to the beanie. Watch the Video here on how to add the Air Pumps.

Crochet Penguin Hat with Moving Ears Assembly
Cute Crochet Penguin Hat with Moving Ears

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Cute Crochet Penguin Hat with Moving Ears

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