Simple Lines Baby Hats
These are simple hats with just a bit of elegant detail in several sizes.
There are also patterns available for coordinating baby blankets.
Sizes:
Small preemie – 8″ circumference, 4″ high
Preemie – 10″ circumference, 5.5″ high
Newborn – 12″ circumference, 6″ high
6 month – 14″ circumference, 7″ high
12 month – 16″ circumference, 7.5″ high
Toddler – 18″ circumference, 8″ high
Gauge:
22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette
Materials:
0.5 to 1 oz (40 to 80 yards) of DK weight baby yarn
Size 6 (4 mm) 40″ circular needle (for magic loop) or set of size 6 (4 mm) double pointed needles
Yarn needle
Abbreviations:
k = knit
p = purl
k2tog = knit two together
ssk = slip one knitwise, slip one knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit.
s2kp2 = slip2 (together, knitwise), k1, pass 2 slipped stitches over
Pattern:
Small preemie – Cast on 48
Preemie – Cast on 60
Newborn – Cast on 72
6 month – Cast on 84
12 month – Cast on 96
Toddler – Cast on 108
Join to knit in the round. Divide stitches between double pointed needles or needles for a magic loop. Divide with multiples of 12 on each needle.
Squares:
Ribbing (6 rounds for preemie size, 8 rounds for other sizes): k1, p1 repeated across round
Repeat the round directions across the round.
Rnd 1: k
Rnd 2: k5, p1
Rnd 3: k
Rnd 4: k5, p1
Rnd 5: k
Rnd 6: k5, p1
Rnd 7: k
Rnd 8: k1, p1
Repeat these eight rounds (end with an even row) until the hat measures the desired height for size including the ribbing:
Small preemie – 3″ high
Preemie – 4.25″ high
Newborn – 4.75″ high
6 month – 5.75″ high
12 month – 6.25″ high
Toddler – 6.75″ high
Crown:
Repeat across the round
Rnd 1: k7, s2kp2, k2
Rnd 2: k5, p1, k3, p1
Rnd 3: k1, s2kp2, k6
Rnd 4: k3, p1, k3, p1
Rnd 5: k4, s2kp2, k1
Rnd 6: k3, p1, k1, p1
Rnd 7: s2kp2, k3
Rnd 8: k1, p1, k1, p1
Rnd 9: k1, s2kp2
Cut the yarn with several inches to work with. With a yarn needle, pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end.
Vertical Stripes:
Ribbing (6 rounds for preemie size, 8 rounds for other sizes): k1, p2, k1 repeated across round
Repeat the round directions across the round.
Rnd 1: k
Rnd 2: k1, p1, k8, p1, k1
Repeat these two rounds (end with a row 2) until the hat measures the desired height for size including the ribbing:
Small preemie – 3″ high
Preemie – 4.25″ high
Newborn – 4.75″ high
6 month – 5.75″ high
12 month – 6.25″ high
Toddler – 6.75″ high
Crown:
Rnd 1: k2, ssk, k4, k2tog, k2
Rnd 2: k1, p1, k6, p1. k1
Rnd 3: k2, ssk, k2, k2tog, k2
Rnd 4: k1, p1, k4, p1, k1
Rnd 5: k2, ssk, k2tog, k2
Rnd 6: k1, p1, k2, p1, k1
Rnd 7: k1, ssk, k2tog, k1
Rnd 8: k1, p2, k1
Rnd 9: ssk, k2tog
Cut the yarn with several inches to work with. With a yarn needle, pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end.
Edits:
12/17/15 – replaced a broken link for Magic Loop method
Love your hats. I have knitted for a few years and I am interested in hats now. I have knitted all the scarfs I care to. Now on to hats. Your hats are beautiful. I am downloading 2 and I am going to give it a try. Thank you so much. I hope I can do them. You are wonderful.
thank you again.
I loved making the baby hat with the square pattern. The pattern is more delicate to see in person than on the web picture. I chose to close the hat up with reducing to 3 stitches remaining and then knitted about a 1 1/2 inch i-cord and then stitched the end down to make a little loop for the top. It is so cute! Thanks for the easy pattern that looks much more difficult.
Great to find hats that can be knit for charity — thank you for these!!
The knitting/crochet group to which I belong will enjoy your patterns, if it’s ok for me to share with them!
Thank you!
Please do!
Your hats, all of them, are the loveliest ones I have seen!
I can only hope that mine will turn out as beautiful.Although I have knit for many years, I don’t think of myself really as an experienced knitter and so I am hoping I can follow instructions without difficulty. Thank you so much!
Ruth
I am attempting to make the vertical stripe hat, and am having trouble making the pattern match the stitches on my needle. I have cast on 72 stitches. On row 2, I have followed the pattern, k1, p1, k8, p1,k1, k1, p1, k8, p1, k1, k1, p1 …….and I end up with 3 extra stitches at the end of the row. What am I doing wrong?
Have you verified that you have 72 stitches to start with? The pattern as you have given it should work because 72 is 12×6 and the repeated pattern (k1, p1, k8, p1,k1) is twelve stitches.
To make it easier put a marker after each 12 stitch. Just repeat the 12 stitch pattern and you should come to the next marker. Made it very easy to keep track
I would like to know if you make this for an adult it is so cute and I need an easy pttern please.
I agree with Vickie’s comments.
To make an adult size, I’d use worsted weight yarn and size 8 (5mm) needles. Cast on as follows:
Adult small – 72
Adult medium – 84
Adult large – 96
The cast on # sounds like you should be able to follow the pattern exactly using worsted weight and about #7 or #8 needle and come out perfect for an adult hat. give it a try! if it doesn’t work out then you’ve only lost a small amount of time and and you can rip it out. I’ve been making hats for years now and that’s what I would do. You will need to go ABOUT 6 or 7 inches before you start shaping the crown- just test it out.
the adult hats I’ve made have abt 80-85 stitches to start, so pick the size closest to that to follow. I did this with a child’s sweater pattern once and it fit me nicely
Thanks I am looking for an easy fast pattern for charity, but I also want them to look nice. I am going to try these two. Thanks you for the free pattern.
I first want to say that I love your patterns. I spend more time looking at patterns than I do knitting them. They are awesome and I appreciate so much that you offer them free. Thank you so so much for your kindness.
I do have a question about printing. Is there a way to get rid of the yellow back-ground before printing a pattern? Any help would be helpful. Thanks so much, Louise
If you click the printer icon at the bottom of the pattern, it will give you a printer friendly version.
So many people were missing the printer icon that we decided to move it to the top.
Absolutely lovely patterns. Don’t quite know which one to start on. And thanks for putting the print icon at the top. Bless you for sharing your talent and patterns with us.
Could you tell me what you mean bye slip one knitwise. I have never heard of that expression. Thank you Pat
Slipping one knitwise or purlwise refers to how you insert the needle into the stitch to slip it. To slip it knitwise, insert the needle as though you were going to knit the stitch, but just slip it instead.
I’m knitting the one simple lines baby hat. Do you have abbreviations for them? what does s2kp2 mean?
It’s under abbreviations in the pattern:
s2kp2 = slip2 (together, knitwise), k1, pass 2 slipped stitches over
I haven’t ventured into making patterns for baby sweaters yet, just the blankets. Sorry.
I so wanted to knit these hats and donate them to my local Ronald McDonald house so the preemies could have something warm for their little heads. Is there some other way to knit other than in the round as I don’t understand how to knit in the round. I have circular needles, but when I looked up the magic loop, I felt like I was reading a foreign language. I have been knitting for years, but I have never done in the round before. Thank you.
To convert to regular knitting, every other row will need to be reversed (purls for knits, knits for purls) and worked in reverse order. Also, if a hat is worked this way, it will need to be sewn together to form a seam.
Tried to make the baby hat with the squares and followed your pattern. It came out totally different. Could it possible be P5 not K5 to get the squares. Mine looks really cute and matches the blanket but is all lines. Thank you.
Rnd 8 is what forms the horizontal lines of the squares when you k1, p1 for the round.
Can these beautiful hats be knitted on just two needles?
Thank you.
Instead of making them in the round, they can be knit back and forth and then a seam added.
To convert to regular knitting, every other row will need to be reversed (purls for knits, knits for purls) and worked in reverse order.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful work – so kind. There must be many, many people from all over the world smiling because they are warm. God Bless.
Thank you for sharing your work. I live in the Eastern Cape in South Africa – its cold!!! Great ideas for baby presents on your page!! Thank you.
It is possible to knit in the round with two smaller lengths of the same size kneedle. Cast on the number stitches asked for. Then place every other stitch on the other kneedle and knit in the round from there. You will need to knit about 4 or 5 rows before it really looks correct. I do this when making socks from the toe up as I can not master the magic loop stitch.
re: the baby hat ‘squares’: at the crown rnd 1: k7, s2kp2, k2, I am confused. In doing that repeat, there are 9 K together, and it doesn’t follow the lines of the rest of the hat. Several other crown rows are similar. Where have I gone wrong?
Through the body of the hat, the repeat has been of 6 stitches (5 knit and 1 altering purl and knit). In the crown, the repeat begins with a repeat of 12, so using two of the squares. Reductions are made in alternate squares in each odd round. So on the first crown round, the first square is left alone (k6) and the second square is reduced by 2 (k1, s2kp2, k2) by combining it’s three middle stitches. On the third crown round, the first square is reduced by 2 by combining it’s three middle stitches and the second square is left alone but had already been reduced to 4 stitches.
Hope that clarifies.
I have never used double pointed needles. Could I use circulare needles and get the same results?
Thanks
You can use a small circular needle until you get to the crown. At the crown you will either need to switch to double pointed needles, a magic loop, or convert to back and forth knitting and just add a seam in the crown.
I am looking forward to making the baby hats. I have made your simple lines blankets in the past and I just love them. Thank You for another pattern. Your timing is perfect.
I have to tell you that I loveeeeeeeeee the way you have written this pattern. first of all you seldom see written hat patterns for the magic loop method and secondly I love the way you put the repeats for the different sizes at the beginning instead of adding them to each sentence that makes sooooo much more sense and is so much easier to read. thank you!
I am doing preemie hats, and doing them on 2 needles with 48 stitches, however, I am having trouble with the Crown, I have been doing the hat you posted but am not happy with ‘sk2p’, I would prefer to decrease by 2, how is the best way to divide these 48 stitches with 6 decreases of 2 stitches. I am running out of paper trying to work it out.
Thankyou for reading and listening.
When you say you are not happy with the sk2p, I assume you are doing that in place of the s2kp2. In either case, these decrease by 2. So is what you are not happy with is the look of the stitch, or that you’d like to have 6 decreases of 2 per round rather than 4 decreases of 2?
Hi! I loved your pattern for a baby blanket in this stitch and made it for my new grandson. His Mum put it straight on him in his hospital crib, and it was admired by nurses and visitors alike! I thought I’d make this hat to co-ordinate with the blanket, but I’ve never used either DPNS or a circular needle; can I use straight needles instead?
Here is a straight needle version:
http://blogs.thetucker.com/knit/2013/06/10/simple-lines-baby-hats-for-straight-needles/
Above it said that there is a blanket that matches the Simple Lines Baby Hat. Where can I find it?
http://blogs.thetucker.com/knit/2012/02/22/simple-lines-baby-blankets/
For the vertical stripes pattern for the crown it is written ssk what does it mean?
Thank you in advance.
ssk = slip one knitwise, slip one knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit.
what do you mean by the magic loop is that what the circular needles are?
The magic loop is a method of doing small circular knitting that uses a long circular needle. You can see how to do it here: http://weebleknits.net/mloop.html
Like some of your readers, I too have been knitting hats – wonderful way of using up those odd bits of yarn we knitters always seem to have!
As one of your UK readers, I do have difficulty deciding what your American yarn is the equivalent to in the UK so any help you can give me would be most welcome. It seems the Worsted is more like a chunky yarn but cannot be sure. I use double knitting thickness on a size 4mm or in my case a 3.75 to get the right tension. Any suggestions would be very welcome
Many thanks
I found this chart which I hope helps. US and UK double knit seems to be the same. Per this chart, US worsted is UK Aran.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_weight
Thank you so much for these patterns. Very generous and wonderful for the inexperienced knitter.
Colleen can someone help me with the first round in the crown of the simple lines baby hat I have 72 stitches
Tell me more and I will try to help.
Thank you for the beautiful patterns. Blessings to you as you bless others!
I love the patterns and I have made the Tiffany Hat several times for my neighbors daughter. However, I tried to make your Fern Pattern Hat for a Baby Gift for my neighbor and the directions are not right. The count on each row is irregular and goes from 12 to 13 to 14 and never ends up right. Could you please advise. Thanks.
Are you talking about the Fan Lace Hat that is in the same picture with the Tiffany Lace Hat? Each of the repeats are 12 stitches. There are an equal number of increases (yo) and decreases (ssk or k2tog) for each repeat to always balance to 12 stitches.
You make such pretty patterns. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be knitting your patterns for life. Love them all.
please help me with the first round of the crown for the
squares pattern. round 1 of the crown says k7,s2kp2,k2.
I do not know exactly how to do this. should I knit 7,s2kp2,
the whole way around until I knit 2 at the end? or should
I knit 7,s2kp2, k2 the whole way around? I am knitting on
double edge needles, not the magic loop.
Repeat those stitches around – so it works out to be k7, s2kp2, k9, s2kp2, k9, s2kp2… …s2kp2, k2.
I am making the baby hat with vertical line with a circular needle. Since you are knitting in the round, wouldn’t you be repeating round 2 until desired length?
You will need to repeat the two rounds to get the look in the photos. The lines are created with a column of alternating knit and purl. If the column was only purl, the knit columns on either side would just engulf it and hide it. Then it would just be ribbing. Separating the purl stitches with the knit stitches still gives the look of a raised column, but holds back those knitted columns to keep the piece flat.
Just finished the box stitch hat for my 12 month granddaughter, and I want to make her a matching scarf this week. Can you tell me how I alter the pattern to make it the so that it can be knit long and not width? If this is unclear, I mean using less stitches across the top so that I can make it the required length and then finish it off with tassels.
Thank you so much,
PB
I think it would easiest to use a modification of the blanket pattern so that it would have a built in edging:
http://stitcheryprojects.com/2012/02/22/simple-lines-baby-blankets/
The blanket cast on is a multiple of 6 plus 1. So depending on how wide you want the scarf to be, cast on 25, 31, 37, 43 or 49.
What does knitwise me I have knitted for many years and have never come across that term
Knitwise means to insert the needle in the stitch as you would to knit it. Purlwise means to insert the needle in the stitch as you would to purl it.
I do not use the circular needles. I like the two hats and am wondering what size needles to use and also how many stitches for a 6 month old baby hat. Thank you.
Here is a version of the same pattern made on straight needles: http://stitcheryprojects.com/2013/06/10/simple-lines-baby-hats-for-straight-needles/
Can you make these on straight needles?
Yes, I have a version of the pattern written for that:
http://stitcheryprojects.com/2013/06/10/simple-lines-baby-hats-for-straight-needles/
I’m just a bit more than a knitting beginner and it has been many years since I had needles in my hand. I decided to try knitting some small hats for the hospital. I found your pattern and went out and bought a 30″ circular needle because I figured a 40″ was just too big. Then when I cast on 72 stitches, I knew it wasn’t going to work. I then went out and bought a 40 cm circular needle. Should your directions say 40 cm rather than 40″ or is there a difference between American and Canadian packaging? I also found the same directions for the basic baby hat. Thanks!
It is 40 inches but used specifically in the magic loop method (https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/10/demystifying-the-magic-loop/). If you knit on a circular in the standard way it would definitely require a much shorter needle, but the problem is when you get to the crown, even the shorted needle will be a problem. However you start out, you will at the crown need to start using some method that works for small circumference in-the-round knitting, be it double-pointed needles, magic loop method or some other method such as using two shorter circular needles together.
I want to thank you so very much for creating these patterns in the round . I have always admired your other patterns but didn’t want to knit them as I hate the bulky seams and know that they have to be uncomfortable . so glad I can now knit them! thanks again. Linda
I found a hat called “Basic Baby Hat” and now I can’t bring it up again. Please help if possible. If you can help me get the pattern can you please be specific on type of yarn (cotton, wool, Acrilic,etc) I need to use for newborn. Thanks so much
http://stitcheryprojects.com/2011/03/21/basic-baby-hat/
Most like to use a soft cotton for baby hats.
I knit baby hats for the mercy hospital and I need a simple pattern to I cane make more,faster.
My simplest, quickest pattern is this one: http://stitcheryprojects.com/2011/03/21/basic-baby-hat/
Those baby hats are just adorable. I have a friend who is great grandma since the 13th of January and I will try to make one of these or the two for the little girl. Your patterns are so nice. I am glad I foudn them. Thank you.
Can I knit 2tog when decreasing as I cannot do the one you have put in pattern