UPDATED 4/26/23: Refreshed the whole pattern including new pictures, video links, and the last 5 pages are text-only for printing!

Both the Classic Dalek and the Paradigm Dalek designs are super-easy as long as you’re somewhat familiar with tapestry crochet! The colorwork pattern is so straight-forward that these hats are an excellent first project for a beginner looking for something simple to practice colorwork. There are a lot of helpful videos already online for color transitions and carrying your floats! These patterns are so basic that there’s no need for charts, just some counting!

Tools and Materials
• US size G crochet hook (for both adult and baby size)
• Stitch marker (optional, but recommended for the crowns of the hats because they are worked in continuous rounds)
• Yarn needle
• 2.5” pom pom maker for adult hats and 1.5” pom pom maker for baby hats (or whatever size you want really – patterns are just suggestions!)
• Desired colors for project in worsted weight yarn - feel free to use a slightly lighter weight baby yarn for the baby hats, but you may need to adjust your hook size accordingly and figure out sizing!

Abbreviations/Skills Needed
• Rnd/Rnds: Round/Rounds
• St/Sts: stitch, stitches
• Ch: chain
• sc: single crochet
• inc: increase, work 2 sc into 1 st
• sl: slip stitch
• BLO: back loops only

I use a running stitch to attach the eye, but whip stitch will work fine, if you prefer.

The gauge for both hat sizes is approximately 4 sts/inch and 3 rows/inch. A finished adult hat as patterned with the mentioned gauge is about 10” across (20” circumference) and 9” tall when lying flat, excluding the pom poms. This is an average teen hat or small adult skullcap style size. Baby hats are about 7” across (14” circumference) and 7” tall which is good for roughly 9-12 month olds, but there’s a lot of variation in baby heads!
You can change your yarn weight and/or hook size to make size adjustments without making changes to the pattern (because you probably don’t want to do math). For example: If you want a larger hat then use worsted weight yarn with a J hook. And for a smaller baby hat, change to sport weight yarn and an F hook.