How to Knit a Simple Baby Hat

A baby hat is an easy project if you are learning how to work in the round and a great place to start for beginners. You will need to know how to do a simple knit stitch, decrease and how to work with both circular and double pointed needles to do this project. This hat is a basic pattern but can be embellished with a number of decorations.

Things You'll Need

• Worsted weight yarn
• Size 8 16-inch circular needle
• Size 8 double-pointed needles
• Tapestry needle

Instructions

1. Cast on 74 stitches using the circular needles. Join in the round. Make sure that the stitches are twisted. Place a stitch marker where the hat is joined in the round.

2. Knit every round until the hat measures six inches long. Begin the decrease rounds. Start at the stitch marker and knit six stitches then knit two stitches together. Repeat this until you reach the stitch marker again.

3. Knit all the stitches in the next round then begin another decrease round. Knit five stitches this time and two stitches together. Repeat all the way around the hat.

4. Repeat Step 3 by knitting all the stitches in the round and beginning a decrease round. In the next decrease round you will knit four stitches before knitting two stitches together, then knit three stitches before knitting two stitches together. Keep this pattern of decreasing the number of stitches before the knit-together stitch for each decrease round.

5. Switch to the double pointed needles when it becomes difficult to knit with the circular needles.

6. Repeat Step 4 until only nine stitches remain. Cut the yarn leaving a tail six inches long.

7. Thread the tail of the yarn through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Weave the end of the yarn into the hat.

Tips & Warnings

• The gauge of this pattern is 16 stitches for four inches. Create a gauge swatch before you begin the hat and change needle size to get gauge.