Basic Bulky Beanie Hat
This is a very basic beanie hat for bulky yarn in four sizes.
Sizes:
| Size | Circumference (Inches) | Height (Inches) | Ounces of yarn | Yards of yarn |
| 18 month | 16.25 | 7 | 1.68 | 56.2 |
| Small Child | 17.5 | 7.5 | 1.93 | 64.52 |
| Small Adult | 20.5 | 8.75 | 2.63 | 87.82 |
| Large Adult | 23.25 | 10 | 3.44 | 114.7 |
Gauge:
14 stitches and 18 rows = 4 inches in stockinette
Materials:
Bulky weight yarn
Size 10-1/2 (6.5 mm) 47″ circular needle (for magic loop) or set of size 10-1/2 (6.5 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.
Pattern:
Cast on this number of stitches and join to knit in the round. Divide stitches between double pointed needles or needles for a magic loop.
18 month = 56, Divide with multiples of 8 on each needle.
Small Child = 60, Divide with multiples of 10 on each needle.
Small Adult = 72, Divide with multiples of 12 on each needle.
Large Adult = 80, Divide with multiples of 16 on each needle.
Ribbing: k2, p2 repeated across round for 6 rounds
Knit until the hat measures the desired height for size including the ribbing:
18 month – 5″ high
Small Child – 5.5″ high
Small Adult – 6.75″ high
Large Adult – 7″ high
Crown for 56 stitch cast on:
Repeat across the round
Rnd 1: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2
Rnd 2: k
Rnd 3: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1
Rnd 4: k
Rnd 5: k2tog, ssk
Rnd 6: k2tog
Crown for 60 stitch cast on:
Repeat across the round
Rnd 1: k3, k2tog, ssk, k3
Rnd 2: k
Rnd 3: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2
Rnd 4: k
Rnd 5: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1
Rnd 6: k
Rnd 7: k2tog, ssk
Rnd 8: k2tog
Crown for 72 stitch cast on:
Repeat across the round
Rnd 1: k4, k2tog, ssk, k4
Rnd 2: k
Rnd 3: k3, k2tog, ssk, k3
Rnd 4: k
Rnd 5: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2
Rnd 6: k
Rnd 7: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1
Rnd 8: k
Rnd 9: k2tog, ssk
Rnd 10: k2tog
Crown for 80 stitch cast on:
Repeat across the round
Rnd 1: k6, k2tog, ssk, k6
Rnd 2: k
Rnd 3: k5, k2tog, ssk, k5
Rnd 4: k
Rnd 5: k4, k2tog, ssk, k4
Rnd 6: k
Rnd 7: k3, k2tog, ssk, k3
Rnd 8: k
Rnd 9: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2
Rnd 10: k
Rnd 11: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1
Rnd 12: k
Rnd 13: k2tog, ssk
Rnd 14: 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:
11/19/2014 – corrected division of stitches multiples. Changed Young Adult cast on to 72 and changed Crown for Young Adult.
12/17/2015 – replaced a broken link for Magic Loop method.
What an excellent and useful pattern!!! I can tell by reading this pattern that it will turn out perfect.
Thank you for sharing this a free pattern.
Carolyn Block
thank you this should be good for chemo cap dorothy
Thanks for such a great free pattern. I knit up 2 of these hats in under 24 hours for both my kids!
I knit on straight needles only. pls see if you can dothis
You can knit back and forth for this one and just make a seam when you finish. After the ribbing, purl the even rows.
Silly question; if a row ends and starts with k6, does that mean we knit double that between the k2tog and ssk? (Example k6, k2tog, ssk, k6, k6 again, k2tog, ssk, k12, so on and so on) or is it just k#, k2tog, ssk and repeat til end of round?
Double. So k12 between the decreases.
does 70/4 (for ribbing) come out even? (starting w. 2 knits, ending w.2 purls.)
You are absolutely right – it does not. Thank you for pointing this out. I reworked that size for a 72 stitch cast on so that it will come out correctly for the 2×2 ribbing.
Thank you!!!!! This looks perfect for what I needed, so clearly written as well, thanks for sharing!!!
I just tried using the 47 inch circular needle which is way too much surface to get 70 stitches around
Can t
You clarify for me as a new knitter
This otherwise looks like an eay pattern
Thanks
The 47 inch circular needle is for doing the “magic loop” method of knitting-in-the-round for a small circumference. The body of this hat can be made on a smaller circular (12″ or 14″ or 16″) but would need to be moved to double pointed needles or some other way to handle smaller circumferences once working on the crown.
Can anyone please tell me what is the “magic loop”, the link above is no longer available
Thanks
Thank you for letting me know that link was broken. I wasn’t aware of it. Here is a replacement I found: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/10/demystifying-the-magic-loop/
Thank you for sharing your pattern. It was exactly what I waas looking for. However, the decrease instructions caused me problems. The K2tog, ssk did not work together. I had to eliminate the ssk and proceed without. The k2tog decrease worked as with other beanie patterns.
I’m a beginner, but beyond the simple scarf stage and I really want to try this hat! Just wondering, is it possible to do this hat on regular circular needles, assuming you have the right size (16 inches for example)? Im planning to make the small adult size. Thanks!
You can until you get to the crown. The crown gets smaller and smaller around, so a method for knitting in-the-round in small circumferences is needed at the top of the hat.
Hi I’d like to make this hat in adult large, but his head circumference is 22.5 inches, not 23.25. Would your recommend I cast on fewer stitches than the pattern calls or do you think it will still fit if I just follow the pattern? Thanks!
I put together instructions for a size in-between that just has a little bit trickier dividing and crown instructions:
Medium Adult = 78, Divide between needles keeping sets together – 14/12/14/12/14/12
Crown for 78 stitch cast on:
Repeat across the round
Rnd 1: k5, k2tog, ssk, k17
Rnd 2: k
Rnd 3: k4, k2tog, ssk, k4
Rnd 4: k
Rnd 5: k3, k2tog, ssk, k3
Rnd 6: k
Rnd 7: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2
Rnd 8: k
Rnd 9: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1
Rnd 10: k
Rnd 11: k2tog, ssk
Rnd 12: k2tog
Is there a way to turn this into a slouchy beanie please? For the large adult size
I am not an expert in slouchy beanies, but did look through several patterns and to me it just looked like they were making a basic beanie but longer. So I think you could just make the body longer before starting the crown.
hi can someone help me understand understand the ssk?
I found this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiu9Ej-LGo
Love all of your patterns.
Great fitting for hats
Easy instructions that are well written
How would I change the pattern for this beanie and the diagonal hat to use worsted weight rather than the bulky yarn?
Thank you!
Your biggest fan!!!
I will post the modifications for the Diagonal Hat on that pattern.
For the basic bulky hat pattern, use size 8 (5mm) needles.
These are the worsted sizes for the cast ons:
56 – newborn
60 – infant
72 – 18 month/toddler
80 – child
84 – teen
96 – medium adult
For the 84 cast on work these two rounds as the first two rounds of the crown:
Rnd a: k5, k2tog, ssk, k5
Rnd b: k
Then continue with the crown for a 72 stitch cast on
For the 96 cast on use the crown for the 80 stitch cast on.
Hi! I was just wondering whether the body of the hat is only knitting until the crown or knit one row and purl one row until the crown of the hat. Thanks!
It’s made in-the-round, so every row will be knitted.
If I use size 10 instead of 10 1/2 needles, will the dimensions be a bit tighter, I assume? So if your pattern says it would fit a certain head circumference, I imagine it would fit a slightly smaller circumference with size 10 needles?
One needle size with bulky yarn probably wouldn’t make a material difference. It might be just ever so slightly tighter, but with being stretchy would still fit the same size head.
This is a beautiful beanie, I don’t as a rule wear hats of any sort, I might consider changing that behavior after I make a couple of these. 🙂 I was looking for Christmas gift ideas for my family.
thanks – this is just what I was looking for, to make with a soft fluffy yarn.
What is the name of the yarn used in the candy crush beanie hat….I went to Hobby a Lobby and couldn’t find it.
Please tell me where I can get this.
Thank you
Lesli Garvett
Lmgarvett@aol.com
I’m afraid it’s been discontinued. Maybe there are some supplies online at secondary sources. It is Yarn Bee Melody Bulky Wool Blend 102 Florals.
I am knitting your very basic baby hat but the crown is not coming out right. I have 84 stitches before starting the crow and after the first decrease row I end up with 64 not 70. I see you made a change to this so not sure I have the changes. Help lol
Be sure you are including the k4 at the beginning and end of each repeat, so other than at the beginning and end of the round, you will have k8 between decreases.
I love this pattern I bought some jumbo woll from aldi and adapted the pattern to fit my daughter.now doing matching one for my neice who fell in love with it!
I know this sounds crazy, but I want to make the adult size (80 CO stitches) and can’t figure out the stitch set up. How would you break the stitches down over 4 needles? If I set up wth 16 stitches on each needle, as instructed, I end up with only 64 stitches, not 80. Thank you for any help you can give.
I set up my stitches as follows:
16-16-32-16. Total of 80 for large adult size. Hope this works on the decrease rows.
Perfect!
You need to have a multiple of 16 on each needle so the needles will not have all the same number. One of the needles will have 32 on it.
How would i adapt this to a roll brim?
Replace the beginning ribbing with twice as much straight knitting. Add an inch to the measurement before beginning the crown.
Love your pattern, made it for my 5 yr old grand daughter, it is easy to follow, knits up quickly and love it. My question is do you think it would look good with earflaps attached????
This would work well with earflaps since it is a very basic pattern.
Hello!
I spaced the gage swatch! Wanted to knit a hat for my neighbor’s son! OOPS! Ended up with an adult size hat as had 11 stitches (not 14) per 4″. NO problem, I realized it after I’d knitted the bottom (thinking it would be too small)!
One modification I made was to lengthen the hat so the ribbed portion could be folded up to keep the ears warmer! VERY NICE!
Thank you! Will be a gift for a family member at my great-aunt’s 100th birthday in March! 🙂
Great pattern! Thank you!!
Hello!
I just finished the hat for 3 year old Henry! It turned out great! Thanks so much for the lovely patterns! He was thrilled with it, and wore it home on his walk with his parents!
Thanks you for sharing your lovely pattern & helping us share the joy with others!
Csilla
Great pattern and modifications in the question section. All I need for 4 “emergency” AKA I need a gift for a family request from my son.
Can I do this with a seam? If so are the instructions to decrease the same?
Yes, just purl the back rows.
can you please tell me instuctions for Crown 70 stitch cast on
You can follow the crown pattern for 60 stitches. You will repeat each instruction for the round 7 times.
Thank u!!!
I just finished Row 9 using the newborn pattern with a cast on of 72 stitches. At this point hat measures about 4-5 inches.
My pattern says cut the yarn and finish cap.
My question is, since I know there has to be more to the pattern to make it the right size, could you tell me how to finish this. I know I can knit in the round til the cap is right size, but pattern doesn’t tell me to do that.
I’ve researched your web site and noticed that in one of your answers says that on round one it ends with K 17 stitches.
I’m evidently missing something as I’m reading your pattern.
I appreciate any advice you can give me.
I’m sorry it took me so long to respond. Are you using the Basic Bulky Beanie pattern that you commented on? I’m confused because it doesn’t give a newborn size.
Hi There,
This pattern seems to be exactly what I have been looking for as i need a matching hat for a mother and toddler.
could you be more specific about what yarn to use. I’m a bit of a learner so need more information than a’bulky yarn’
Much appreciated
I knit Small Adult size (20.5 circumference) with bulky weight yarn and size 6.5 mm needles casting on 72 stitches. The hat turned out way, way, way too large for me. My tension is not loose. Before tearing apart I removed from my needles and it measured 25 inches before stretching it. HUGE. Did I do something or read something wrong? Thanks