Baby Hat with Earflaps

Free Baby Hat Knitting Pattern

Introducing the Baby Earflap Hat - a cozy and adorable accessory for your little one. This pattern is worked seamlessly from the bottom up, starting with the ties and earflaps worked separately before joining the piece to work in the round. The earflaps and the ridge of the hat feature garter stitch, while the body of the hat is worked in a combination of double seed stitch and stockinette patterns. Perfect for keeping little ears warm on chilly days. Let's get started!

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing: make 1 (m1)
-Decreasing: knit 2 together (k2tog)
-Working in the round on double pointed needles
-Working I-cord

Measurements:

Head circumference 18" (45 1/2 cm)
Depth: 6" (15 1/2 cm) (excluding earflaps).

Size: 12-18- months

Materials: LB Collection Organic Wool by Lion Brand (affiliate link) aran weight yarn, 185 yards/170m 3.5 oz/100g about 1/2 skein

Needles: circular and double pointed needles (dpn) US #6 (4.25mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE

Gauge: 20 sts x 32 rows = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm) in double seed st.

Notions:
yarn needle, a stitch marker,

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
st, sts - stitch, stitches
k2tog - knit 2 together
m1 - make 1 increase - make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit as a regular stitch
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
sl - slip
sm - slip marker
pm - place marker
rm - remove marker

Pattern Notes:

Double Seed Stitch in rounds: multiple of 4 sts.

Rounds 1 and 2: *k2, p2 - repeat from * around

Rounds 3 and 4: *p2, k2 - repeat from * around

Repeat Rounds 1-4.

Garter stitch in rows: all rows knit.

Garter stitch in rounds: knit the first round, purl the next round. Repeat 2 rounds.

Stockinette stitch in rounds: All rounds knit

The selvedge/edge stitches are worked as follows: slip the first stitch knitwise and purl the last one.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The hat is worked bottom-up, in rounds, seamlessly. First the ties and earflaps are worked separately, then additional stitches are cast-on between the earflaps and the working piece is closed in the round. The earflaps and the ridge of the hat are worked in garter stitch, the hat is worked in double seed stitch and stockinette patterns.

Ties and Earflaps (make 2)

On one of the double pointed needles cast on 4 sts and work an I-cord until it's 6 1/2" long. Start the earflap:

Rows 1 -2: sl1, k2, p1

Row 3 (increase row): sl1, m1, k to last st., m1, p1. (6 sts)

Row 4: sl1, k till last st , p1.

Repeat rows 3-4 seven (7) more times.

Stitch count after each increase row:

Row 5 = 8 sts

Row 7 = 10 sts

Row 9 = 12 sts

Row 11 = 14 sts

Row 13 = 16 sts

Row 15 = 18 sts

Row 17 = 20 sts

Work 2 more rows without increasing: sl 1, k18, p1. Leave the stitches on the needle.

Make the second earflap with the tie.


Hat

With circular needle, cast on 9 sts. With RS facing, knit 20 sts of the first earflap, cast on 26 sts, knit 20 sts of the second eaflap, cast on 9 sts. = 84 sts. Place a marker between the first cast-on 9 sts and the last cast-on 9 sts; the beginning of the round is in the center back of the hat. Slip the marker while working.

Round 1: purl around

Round 2: knit around

Repeat rounds 1-2 four (4) more times until the ridge is 1" ( 2 1/2" cm) wide.

Rounds 11-12: (k2, p2) - repeat around

Rounds 13-14: (p2, k2) - repeat around.

Repeat rounds 11-14 until the piece measures 5" from the cast-on edge of the hat.

Crown Shaping:

Change to dpn, distributing the sts evenly between 4 needles - 21 st per needle.

Decreasing round 1: k2, (k6, k2tog) repeat to last 2 sts, k2 =74 sts

Decreasing round 2: k2, (k5, k2tog) repeat to last 2 sts, k2 = 64 sts

Decreasing round 3: k2, (k4, k2tog) repeat to last 2 sts, k2 = 54 sts

Decreasing round 4: k2 ( k3, k2tog) repeat till last 2 sts, k2. = 44 sts

Decreasing round 5: k2, (k2, k2tog) repeat till last 2, k2 = 34 sts

Decreasing round 6: k2, (k1, k2tog) around till last 4, k1, k2tog (the last st of the round and the first stitch of the round) = 23 sts

Decreasing round 7: (k1, k2tog) repeat around till last 2, k2tog = 16 sts

Decreasing round 8: k2tog around – 8 sts

Cut yarn, leaving a 10" (25 cm) tail. Pull through all the remaining stitches and secure.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends.

Have fun!