Baby Hats

I love to knit, and I love making baby hats because they are quick and easy and so much fun to make. At one point this summer, I made five hats in one month for my many pregnant friends and family members. This simple rolled brim baby hat can be made in several hours, and is easy to modify. This hat is approx. 6 months size, but babies heads vary greatly in size.

Rolled Brim Baby Hat

Yarn
1 skein Bernat Mosaic yarn in color of your choice. (Other yarns that are good substitutes: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, Knit Picks Swish Worsted, Lion Brand Amazing.)

Needles
Size 7 knitting needles: 1 16-inch circular and 1 set double-pointed (or you can knit the whole thing on double-pointed needles).

Method
Using circular needles, cast on 65 stitches. Join, being careful not to twist your work, and knit every round for 5 inches.

Begin decreases — (continue on circular needle (if using), changing to double-pointed when hat gets too small for the circular needle).
Decrease row 1: Place stitch marker and start decrease: *k3, k2together – repeat from * all the way around.

Decrease row 2, and all even rows: Knit all the way around.

Row 3: *Knit 2, knit 2 together – repeat from * all the way around.

Row 5: *Knit 1, knit 2 together – repeat from * all the way around.

Row 7: Knit 2 together all the way around.

Continue knitting 2 together all around until 6 stitches remain.

Knit these 6 stitches for five rows to make a little stem on top of the hat.

Break yarn, leaving long tail. Use a darning needle to weave through 6 remaining stitches, turn hat inside out and weave in ends.

Alternate finishing
Knit an I-cord (which is simply an easy knitted tube): Decrease until 4 stitches remain. Slide those 4 stitches onto a double-pointed needle. (You will knit every row, always with the knit side facing you.) Knit one row; do not turn your work. Slide the stitches to the other end of the needle and knit a second row by bringing the yarn from behind the work and starting the new row. Continue until cord is 1-1/2 inches long. Bind off by threading yarn end through a large-eyed needle and pull it through all four stitches, then weave in end down through the cord. Tie cord into a knot on top of the hat.

This is a good i-cord tutorial: http://www.wikihow.com/Knit-an-I-Cord

Options
Use size 8 needles to make a slightly larger hat. Knit for 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 inches before beginning decrease rows.

Use larger needles and heavier yarn to make the hat larger, smaller needles and lighter weight yarn for a smaller hat.

The hat is worked in multiples of 5 stitches, so add or subtract 5 stitches to increase or decrease the size of the hat.