Crochet Beard - Free Pattern

My son came downstairs in his pirate costume and I was struck with the impulse to make him a pirate beard. Just so you know, it doesn't take anything to push me towards making piratey things. My soul belongs to Pirates of the Caribbean. For this project, I played around with the length, measuring it to his cute face, and then to my own for an adult version. It took me 4 hours to make the crochet base and then attach all the yarn strands to make the hairy beard. When I gave it to my son, he wouldn't take it off or share it with anyone else. Grab your hook and yo-ho! Happy crocheting!

Skill: Beginner+

​US Terms:

• ch: chain
• r: row
• sl st: sip stitch
• hdc: half-double crochet
• sk: skip
• dec: decrease - pull two into one stitch

Gauge 4" x 4":
16 hdc x 10 rows

​You'll Need: 

• Hook: 5mm
• Yarn: any color of weight 4
• Tapestry needle
• Ruler/measuring tape
• Scissors

Pattern

Child Version
r 1: ch 16, sl st the last ch back to the beginning, ch 42, sl st the last ch back 16 hdc, ch 2 (58)
r 2: hdc 26, turn, ch 2 (26)
r 3: hdc 8, ch 10, sk 10, hdc 8, turn, ch 2 (26)
r 4: sk 1st stitch, hdc 24, sl st in last stitch, turn, ch 2 (24)
r 5: sk sl st, hdc 23, sl st in the last stitch, turn, ch 2 (23)
r 6: sk sl st, (dec, hdc 5) x 3, sl st in last stitch, turn, ch 2 (18)
r 7: sk sl st, (dec, hdc 4) x 3,  (15)
Fasten off, cut yarn, weave in ends

Adult Version
r 1: ch 16, sl st the last ch back to the beginning, ch 52, sl st the last ch back 16 hdc, ch 2 (68)
r 2: hdc 36, turn, ch 2 (36)
r 3: hdc 13, ch 10, sk 10, hdc 13, turn, ch 2 (36)
r 4: sk 1st stitch, hdc 34, sl st in last stitch, turn, ch 2 (34)
r 5: sk sl st, hdc 33, sl st in the last stitch, turn, ch 2 (33)
r 6: sk sl st, dec, (hdc 4, dec) x 5, sl st in last stitch, turn, ch 2 (26)
r 7: sl st, (dec, hdc 3) x 5 (20)
r 8: hdc 20
Fasten off, cut yarn, weave in ends​

Hair
Cut yarn strands 14"-15" long or any length you'd like. I cut enough strands to border the outer edge of the whole beard, inner edge of the mouth, then across the front loop of rows 3, 5, 6, and 7 for the child version and rows 3, 5, 7, and 8 for the adult version. An estimate of total strands is 100 for child and 140 for adult. To attach the strands: take one strand at a time and fold them in half so that you have a loop. Use your hook to pull the loop through a stitch then pull the tails through this loop. Pull on the tails to tighten them.

Take the strands that will lay over the mouth for the mustache and separate them into two even sections. To make the mustache permanent, grab a couple strands from the beard and bring them into the mustache. Take a new strand of yarn to tie a knot around the mustache sections. Hide the tails in the beard hair. Once all of the strands have been attached, take your scissors to cut and shape the bottom of the beard so the strands lay evenly.

If the weight of the hair drags the mustache down from resting on the upper lip, you can add  a long strand of yarn into the ear loops to be able to tie around the back of the head for some extra tension.