Easy Baby Hat Knitting Pattern for Beginners

In this post, you will see how to knit a baby hat with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.

This is a basic pattern for those of you who are beginner level, and the techniques you will need to know are casting on, casting off, the knit stitch, the purl stitch, and decreasing through K2tog and P2tog.

This baby hat is knit flat with straight needles and later seamed to finish.

A Basic Level Knitting Pattern

If you are learning how to knit,baby knitting patterns are great to start with before you move on to more complicated patterns that include cables and other advanced techniques.

When you knit a baby hat you will be able to practice basic knitting stitches and learn to shape the top of the hat with simple decreases.

The hat is knit with straight needles and is seamed to finish.

This means that it is not knit in the round with circular needles.

*Please scroll down to see the free pattern*

The Yarn I Used To Knit The Baby Hat

I used Rico Creative Cotton Aran (50g/85m/93yds) for the hat in the color Smokey blue.

The cotton does on occasion split when you knit, like most cotton yarns but you can fix it and make it look neat with a little patience.

This is a medium-weight yarn 04.

You can substitute with most cotton including most DK yarn that is compatible with size 4.5mm (US 7) knitting needles.

Yarn Substitutes

Jarbo Garn – Reko Bomull
Drops Design – Drops Loves You 8
Scheepjes – Cahlista
Paintbox Yarns – Cotton Aran
King Cole – Big Value Recycled Cotton Aran
Cascade Yarns – Nifty Cotton

Notes

The hat knits up quickly and the simple design makes for a relaxing and enjoyable knit.

The hat is knit flat on straight needles and then seamed when complete.

If you like this pattern you may also want to make the adult version here – How To Knit A Hat With Straight Needles.

Copyright Info

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Skill Level – Basic

Size –

This pattern is to fit baby size 0-3 months / 3-6 months / 6-9 months.
The first set of numbers applies to the small size, the second set to the medium size, and the third to the large size.

Gauge –18 sts and 24 rows in 4×4 inches / 10x10cm

Grab The Ad-Free Printable PDF Pattern Here

Abbreviations / Knitting Abbreviations List

Approx = Approximately
Beg = Begin(ning)
Cont = Continue(ing)
K = Knit
K2tog = Knit next 2 stitches together
P = Purl
P2tog = Purl the next two stitches together
Rem = Remaining
Rep = Repeat
RS = Right side
St(s) = Stitch(es)
St St = Stocking Stitch
WS = Wrong side

Pattern

Time needed:3 hours and 30 minutes.

How To Knit A Baby Hat

The Turned Up Brim
Cast on 54 (61/69) sts.
Row 1 (RS): P1, K2 – rep to the end of the row.
Row 2 (WS): P2, K1 – rep to the end of the row.
Rep rows 1 and 2 until the piece measures 2″ (2.5″/3″) from the cast-on edge.
The Main Body Of The Hat
Row 1 (RS): K1, P2 – rep to the end of the row.
Row 2 (WS): K2, P1 – rep to the end of the row.
Rep rows 1 and 2 until you have worked 7″ (8″/9″) from the cast-on edge ending with a WS row.
Decrease

Row 1: K1, P2tog – rep to the end of the row.
Row 2: K1, P1 – rep to the end of the row.
Row 3: K2tog – rep to the end of the row.
Row 4: Purl – rep to the end of the row.
Row 5: K2tog – rep to the end of the row.
Row 6: Purl – rep to the end of the row.

Cut yarn leaving a tail of around 15 inches.
Thread through the rem sts and pull up tight.
Making Up

The last step is seaming the two edges of the baby hat together.
I used a seaming technique called t he mattress stitch.
This allows you to create an invisible seam in your knitting so you don't see where the edges meet.

To do this you:
Place the edges together – line them up.
Start at the top of the hat, with the right sides facing you.
Thread your needle and secure the top of the hat first with a stitch.
Then start to push the needle through the first stitch on one side of the fabric edge.
Then move over to the other side and push your needle through the first stitch.
Pull them together and continue to seam picking up an edge stitch on one side and again on the other as you go.
You can pick up stitches on every one bar or two bars on the edges – this is up to you. I generally pick up every 2 bars.
Just be careful that what you do to one side of the knitting should also be done on the other side to keep them even.
Finishing
When you come to the brim of the hat, you need to turn this over – so the right sides are facing you to seam.
This is so you get an invisible seam on the right sides of the knitted fabric.
When you have finished seaming, secure your yarn on the wrong side and weave in any loose ends.
Your baby hat is now finished.
Turn The Brim Over
Turn the brim over and finish by weaving in any loose ends.