This teeny tiny newborn hat is made with soft acrylic yarn and size 7 knitting needles. It is a great beginner's baby knitting project because it is relatively easy but also requires the use of a few more complicated techniques that beginners should learn, such as decreasing stitches.
The yarn used in the pictured hat is Bernat Softee Baby yarn in Lemon, but any light or medium weight soft acrylic yarn would do. Other good choices are Caron Simply Soft or Red Heart Soft Yarn. The Softee Baby yarn can be machine washed in cool water on the permanent press setting. It can be tumble dried on low, using the delicate cycle.
Materials
- 1 Skein Bernat Softee Baby Yarn
- Size 7 Knitting Needles
- Yarn Needle
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- R - Row
- K - Knit
- P - Purl
- tog - together
- sts - stitches
Instructions for Baby Hat
- Cast on 60 sts
- R1-R10: (K1, P1) across
- R11: Knit
- R12: Purl
- Repeat rows 11 and 12 6 more times. (24 rows completed)
- R25: (K4, K2 tog) across
- R26: Purl
- R 27: (K3, K2 tog) across
- R 28: Purl
- R29: (K2, K2 tog) across
- R30: Purl
- R31: (K1, K2 tog) across
- R32: Purl
- R33: (K2 tog) across
Instructions for Finishing
- Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail.
- Using the yarn needle, draw the yarn through the remaining stitches on the needle.
- Pull tightly and secure the yarn.
- Sew the back seam of the hat with the right sides facing.
- Sew in the loose ends.
Variations on Newborn Baby Hat and Instructions for Larger Sizes
For a neat variation on the newborn hat, consider making the cuff in a different color than the rest of the hat. To do so, simply change to a new color of yarn after row 10. Try making the cuff a contrasting color to the rest of the hat for a funky look, or simply make the cuff a neutral color, such as white or grey, and then make the rest of the hat in a more vibrant color.
For a larger hat, use size 8 knitting needles. The number of cast on stitches may also be increased to fit a larger baby's head. Keep in mind, however, that the number of stitches cast on are a multiple of 6. Likewise, if increasing the width of the hat, it may also be necessary to increase the length. If so, simply add a few additional rows of stockinette stitch after row 24 before the decreasing begins.
More Free Baby Knitting Patterns
- Ribbed Cuff Baby Socks to Knit - Free Pattern
- Basic Baby Socks to Knit - Free Pattern
- Knit Baby Blanket Pattern
Jeris Swanhorst - After earning a Bachelor's degree in English, Literature from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2005, Jeris Swanhorst went on to earn ...
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