How to Knit a Baby Hat

Whip up this adorable little baby beanie in no time!

Our house can be a bit chilly. Yes we keep the heat running, but sometimes I still worried that my babies were getting chilled. I also might have been looking for an excuse to knit for him, and all the babes because knitted baby hats are so darn cute. Regardless of the real reason, in this post, I take you through how to knit a baby hat. I’ll also provide links to my other patterns that include newborn, baby, and kids sizing.

I will not gate keep something this cute by charging for the pattern. This is a base hat pattern that can be modified to feature more than stockinette stitch, other yarns, etc.

What You Need to Knit a Baby Hat:

Yarn

You’ll need a simple worsted weight yarn. I like acrylics or acrylic blends for babies because they are softer on their sensitive skin. They’re also easier to care for. Babies get spit up in the darnedest of places, and I’ve recently found out that hats are no exception.

This baby beanie turns out to be a great stash buster too, as you don’t need a full skein to complete it.

I’ve grabbed Premier Yarns’ Anti Pilling Worsted Weight yarn in their grey marl color. It’s a really soft yarn that you just pop in the washing machine and watch the fuzz disappear. We put Fynn in a hat made from this yarn in the hospital and he’s been wearing one pretty much ever since.

Needles

Simple US Size 5 Double Pointed Needles are what you need to knit this hat. You’re always welcome to use the magic loop technique. I simply find it frustrating and opt for DPNs. Many knitters are the exact opposite. (We’re all about as unique as our knits are!).

Baby Hat Knitting Pattern:

Cast on:

Newborn: 78 Stitches Using DPN
3-6 Months: 91 Stitches Using DPN
6-12 Months: 104 Stitches Using Circular Needle
12 months: Cast on 120 STS using Circular needle

Join in the round, taking care to make sure the stitches are not twisted.

Newborn: Rounds 1-7: *KTBL, P1* Repeat until the end of the round.
3-6 Months: Rounds 1-10: *KTBL, P1* Repeat until the end of the round.
6-12 Months: Rounds 1-13: *KTBL, P1* Repeat until the end of the round.
12 Months: Rounds 1-15 0r 20: *KTBL, P1* Repeat until the end of the round.

Body of the Hat:

Round 1: knit all stitches.

Repeat this round until your hat measures the following from the cast on edge:

Newborn: 5 inches
3-6 Months: 5.5 inches
6-12 Months: 6 inches
12 Months: 6.5-7 inches

Decrease Section:

Round 1: *K2tog, K2* Repeat until last 2 stitches, K2tog.

Round 2: knit all stitches

Round 3: *K2tog, K1* Repeat until last stitch, K1.

Round 4: knit all stitches.

Round 5: *K2tog* Repeat until last stitch.

Round 6: slide last stitch from round 5 onto left hand needle and start working the new round: *K2tog* repeat until end of the round.

Other Baby Hat Patterns:

Do you like this pattern? Well, check out these! You’ll be knitting for days and all at no cost to you. If you have any feedback on any of these patterns, please send me an email so that I can improve them and offer the very best pattern at the very best price.

Apres Ski Hat
Bjorn’s Hat
Emily’s Hat
Evenlyn’s Hat (Free)
Kadence’s Hat
Man of the Mountains Hat
Rabbit Tracks Hat (Free)
Reindeer Tracks Hat (Free)
Snow Drifts Hat (Free)