Make a special hat for baby to wear home from the hospital by choosing a soft, superfine yarn in a color that matches or coordinates with baby's homecoming outfit. Hats are necessary for babies leaving the hospital to keep their heads warm, and the hospital will provide one. However, for a special, homemade keepsake, knitting your own hat is an option. The hat in this pattern will fit most newborn babies up to three months old.
Knitting Materials Needed
- Size 6 Knitting Needles
- Stretchy Superfine (Sock-Weight) Yarn
- Scissors
- Yarn Needle
Gauge for Knitting the Baby Hat
Gauge is important for this project, so be sure to test it out first by making a gauge swatch that is at least two inches by two inches in stockinette stitch. The resulting gauge should be 6 stitches to 1 inch and 9 rows to 1 inch. If your gauge is too big or too small, adjust the needle size until the correct gauge is achieved.
Abbreviations Used in this Pattern
- sts - stitches
- K - knit
- P - purl
- RS - right side of work
- WS - wrong side of work
- tog - together
Knitting Instructions for Newborn Baby Hat
Cast on 72 stitches.
Row 1: (K2, P2) across to the end of the row.
Rows 2-20: Repeat Row 1.
Row 21: Knit all sts. (RS)
Row 22: Purl all sts. (WS)
Rows 23-30: Repeat Rows 21 and 22 four more times each.
Row 31: (K10, K2 tog) across the row. 66 sts remain.
Row 32: Purl all stitches.
Row 33: Knit all stitches.
Row 34: Purl all stitches.
Row 35: (K9, K2 tog) across the row. 60 sts remain.
Row 36: Purl all stitches.
Row 37: Knit all stitches.
Row 38: Purl all stitches.
Row 39: (K8, K2 tog) across the row. 54 sts remain.
Row 40: Purl all stitches.
Row 41: (K7, K2 tog) across the row. 48 sts remain.
Row 42: Purl all stitches.
Row 43: (K6, K2 tog) across the row. 42 sts remain.
Row 44: Purl all stitches.
Row 45: (K5, K2 tog) across the row. 36 sts remain.
Row 46: Purl all stitches.
Row 47: (K4, K2 tog) across the row. 30 sts remain.
Row 48: Purl all stitches.
Row 49: (K3, K2 tog) across the row. 24 sts remain.
Row 50: Purl all stitches.
Row 51: (K2, K2 tog) across the row. 18 sts remain.
Row 52: Purl all stitches.
Row 53: (K1, K2 tog) across the row. 12 sts remain.
Row 54: (P2 tog) across the row. 6 sts remain.
Finishing the Hat
Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, at least 15 inches. Using the yarn needle, draw the tail through the remaining 6 stitches. Pul tightly, and secure with two small stitches. Sew the back seam of the hat, reversing the seam for the last 1 3/4 inches for the brim. Sew in all the loose ends, and turn the hat right-side-out, folding 1 3/4 inches of the bottom up for the brim.
Jeris Swanhorst - After earning a Bachelor's degree in English, Literature from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2005, Jeris Swanhorst went on to earn ...
Join the Conversation