This free easy unisex hat knitting pattern for DK yarn (aka 8 ply or light weight) makes a great beginner friendly circular needle knitting project. Available in 8 sizes – newborn baby to XL adult – so you can knit hats for everyone. 😊
Most of this hat pattern is just the basic knit stitch – easy peasy. There’s some rib stitch at the start for a good fit & simple k2tog decreases to shape the crown.
This hat pattern is also available for:
- straight knitting needles, knit as a flat piece & seamed down the back at the end.
- worsted/aran weight yarn with 5mm needles, which is a bit quicker to knit & a slightly thicker hat.
Table of Contents
What You Need
- DK / 8 ply / light weight yarn: 1 small 50g ball for baby & child sizes & 2 balls for a teen, adult or XL size hat.
Approx yarn amounts (fitted hats): newborn 50m/55yds, child 100m/110yds, adult 130m/142yds. - 4mm (us size 6) 16 inch (40 cm) circular knitting needle.
You can also use a long circular (40 inch/100cm+) to knit the hat with magic loop or a set of DPNs. - If using a 16 inch/40cm circular, knitting the final part of the hat is easier with one of the following:
- Option 1: 1 short double pointed needle or straight cable needle, any size up to 4mm thick.
- Option 2: 4mm long circular needle (at least 32 inches or 80 cm) using magic loop
- Option 3: A set of 4mm double pointed needles.
- Tapestry needle for closing the top of the hat & weaving in ends.
Sizing & Notes
- Standard DK gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rounds to 4 inches (10 cm) is used. But exact gauge is not vital as the hat is quite stretchy. The hat is your swatch, there’s no need for test squares!
- The pattern includes options for a fitted (A), slouchy (B) and cuffed beanie (C) (where you turn the ribbing up).
| Size Number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age / Size | Newborn | 3-6 mth | 6-12 mth | Toddler | Child | Teen | Adult | XL |
| Head Circumference | 14 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 |
| Hat width inches | 6.25 | 7 | 7.75 | 8.25 | 8.75 | 9.25 | 10 | 11 |
| Fitted Height inches | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 |
| Slouch Height inches | 5.75 | 6.75 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11 |
Yarns I Used
Here are the yarn amounts & finished sizes (post wash) for the sample hats shown as a guide:
- Newborn fitted hat (size 1) – width: 6.25 inches, height: 5 inches,
50m (a third of a ball) Sirdar Snuggly DK, a light acrylic yarn in shade 525 meadow (pale minty green). - Child fitted hat (size 5)- width: 8.75 inches, height: 7.75 inches,
100m (most of a ball) Drops Daisy DK, heavier DK wool in shade 7 sweet orchid (pale purple). - Adult fitted hat (size 7) – width: 10 inches, height: 8.5 inches,
130m (slightly over a ball) Sesia Nordica DK merino wool in shade 5908 violet (purple).
It’s OK for your measurements to vary a little depending on your yarn choice and gauge – my sample hats are slightly shorter than the suggested heights in the main size chart at the top of the pattern for example.
Abbreviations
- k2tog – knit 2 stitches together (decrease 1 stitch)
- kx – knit next x stitches
- px – purl next x stitches
- () x n times – repeat the instructions inside () n times
- [1,2,3,4] [5,6] [7,8]: instructions for each size with baby, youth & adult sizes grouped in [] for clarity.
Easy DK Beanie Hat Pattern (Knit in the Round)
Cast On
Cast on [68 newborn, 78 3-6 mths, 88 6-12 mths, 92 toddler] [96 child, 102 teen] [108 adult, 120 XL] stitches. I used the long tail cast on (video + tutorial), which works well for knitting in the round.
Knit Brim in Rib Stitch
Join to knit in the round. Knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch and repeat this pattern until the end of the round to do k1p1 ribbing. See how in my knitting in the round for beginners video.
Knit 6 rounds of rib for newborn & 3-6 mths, 8 rounds for 6-12 mths & toddler or 11 rounds for child to XL sizes, or your desired ribbing height.
Folded cuff beanie (Option C) only: do 9 rounds of rib for newborn & 3-6 mths, 12 rounds for 6-12 mths & toddler or 16-20 rib rounds for child to XL sizes for a deeper brim.
Knit Stockinette until Desired Height
Switch to knitting every stitch in each round i.e. knit in stockinette.
For larger sizes, try it on after knitting about 3 inches (including rib) if possible, to check it’s a comfy fit.
If you’re using a short circular, you will need to move roughly half your stitches temporarily to a spare needle before you try on, to avoid losing stitches off the tips of your circular when your knitting expands on your head.
Fitted beanie (option A): knit until your piece is [2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5] [5.5, 6] [6, 6.5] inches including rib.
Slouchy beanie (option B): knit until your piece is [3.25, 4.25, 5.5, 6] [6.5, 7] [7.5, 8] inches including rib, or longer for more slouch.
Cuffed beanie (option C): knit [2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5] [5.5, 6] [6, 6.5] inches of stockinette for a fitted hat or [3.25, 4.25, 5.5, 6] [6.5, 7] [7.5, 8] inches for a slouchy hat (or longer for extra slouch).
NB if your vertical round gauge is 30 rather than 28 (common enough for DK yarns), knit .25 inch longer than the length listed above (or just knit 2 more rounds after reaching the length above).
1st Decreases: All Sizes
Baby: (K2tog, K15) x 4 times to decrease 4 stitches (64 stitches)
3-6 Months: (K2tog, K11) x 6 times to decrease 6 stitches (72 stitches)
6-12 Months: (K2tog, K11) x 8 times to decrease 8 stitches (80 stitches)
Toddler: (K2tog, K21) x 4 times to decrease 4 stitches (88 stitches)
Child: (K2tog, K10) x 8 times to decrease 8 stitches (88 stitches)
Teen: (K2tog, K15) x 6 times to decrease 6 stitches (96 stitches)
Adult: (K2tog, K16) x 6 times to decrease 6 stitches (102 stitches)
XL: (K2tog, K13) x 8 times to decrease 8 stitches (112 stitches)
All Sizes: Knit 3 rounds even after decrease round (knit every stitch with no decreases).
2nd Decreases: Adult & XL Sizes Only
Adult: (K2tog, K15) x 6 times to decrease another 6 stitches (96 stitches)
XL: (K2tog, K12) x 8 times to decrease another 8 stitches (104 stitches)
Both Sizes: Knit 3 rounds even after decrease round.
Main Crown Decreases: All Sizes
Note: Knitting in the round on a short circular gets tricky once you only have around 35 stitches left. So when knitting starts feeling awkward,watch the worsted/aran hat version video tutorial from the 27 minutes timestamp or read about 4 ways to do this below before doing the rest of the decreases:
(K2tog, K6) x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times to decrease [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] stitches evenly around – [56,63,70,77] [77,84] [84,91] stitches
Knit 1 round even
(K2tog, K5) x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times – [48,54,60,66] [66,72] [72,78] stitches
Knit 1 round even
(K2tog, K4) x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times – [40,45,50,55] [55,60] [60,65] stitches
Knit 1 round even
(K2tog, K3) x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times – [32,36,40,44] [44,48] [48,52] stitches
Knit 1 round even
(K2tog, K2) x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times – [24,27,30,33] [33,36] [36,39] stitches
Knit 1 round even
(K2tog, K1) x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times – [16,18,20,22] [22,24] [24,26] stitches
Knit 1 round even
K2tog x [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] times – [8,9,10,11] [11,12] [12,13] stitches left.
Finish the Hat
See my hat finishing tutorial (including 5 min video) here →
Leaving a long tail, cut the yarn. Thread it through the remaining stitches twice & gather to close the top of the hat. Weave in the end down the back of your hat. Finally weave in the cast on tail into the rib stitches at the bottom of your hat.
How to Knit the Top of a Hat in the Round
Knitting the top of a hat with a 16 inch circular needle is the tricky bit. As you decrease more and more stitches, you get to a point where your stitches no longer fill your circular needle, which makes knitting in the round awkward.
The full pattern video tutorial for the worsted/aran version of this hat shows you 2 ways to do this starting from the 27 minute timestamp. First, the extra needle method, where you move some stitches to a short DPN, and then the yank method, where you keep using just your short circular right to the end by yanking out bits of cable.
Or learn about other ways you can finish knitting the top of your hat here.
I hope you enjoy knitting this easy DK beanie hat. It’s a great way to practise knitting in the round while making something practical you can wear everyday or give as a special gift. Got any questions or feedback on this pattern? Just leave a comment below.
This free pattern is for personal, non-commercial use only. It may not be copied, sold, translated or distributed in any way, nor any finished items made using it sold, without permission.
