Yarn:

1 set(s)US# 1, 2, 3 or 4/2,5 or 3 or 3,5 mm straight needles (depending on size and yarn)

GAUGE:

New born baby: 16 sts/30 rows: 10 x 10 cm. Bigger yarn with a larger gauge results in a larger hat.

PATTERN NOTES

This hat is worked in a specific bobble pattern stitch (explanation see below). This bobble stitch is based on a repeat of 8 sts and 13 rows. For smaller/larger hat dec/inc stitch amount always by 4.

(After the first row you will have a repeat of 12 sts. For sizing these extra sts don’t count)

Before you start though, it’s important you have an idea of the shaping of this cap. It is worked like an upside down T. There is no sewing involved. The T gets shaped into a cap by knitting side and middle stitches together, almost like a sock heel.

It goes like this. First you knit a rectangle (the front- and sides part). Then you work over only the middle sts (the back). Each row ends with a k2tog, picking up one st from the sides, till all side sts are worked.

The back brim is worked by picking up sts from the sides and knitting them on the RS and WS. Working dec’s along the way will give the back brim its rounded shape.

USED ABBREVIATIONS:
CO and BO: cast on and bind off
st(s): stitch, stitches
k: knit
p: purl
s: slip
w&t: wrap and turn
dpn’s: double pointed needles
Pkso: pass knit stitch over;
PM: place marker
SM: slip marker
work sts as they appear: knit the knits, purl the purls, purl 5DECp’s, knit 5INCp’s.

SPECIFIC STITCHES

Rib 1x1: p1, k1 all row. WS knit sts as they appear

INC5p: increase 5 sts by purling 5 sts out of one like this: purl stitch as normal, but don’t slip stitch off the needle. Leave it on and make a yarn over.  Repeat st and yo once. Make a final st and slip the loop off.

DEC5p: decrease 5 sts out of 1 like this: with yarn behind, s2 purlwise, k1, psso, k2tog, pkso.

Bobble stitch  

Row 1: p3, k1, p3, INC5p (repeat till end)

Row 2 – 6: p3, k1, p8 (repeat till end)
Row 7: p3, INC5p, p3, DEC5p (repeat)

Row 8 – 13: p11, k1 (repeat)

PATTERN

CO 59 sts on straight needles size 3 or 3,5

Brim:

Work Rib 1x1 for 8 rows, starting with a purl (!) stitch on the right side.

Main part:

Row 1 (RS): p3, k1 [14 times], p3

Row 2 (WS): k3, p1

Row 3 (RS): *p3, INC5p, p3, k1 [7x], p3

Row 4, 6 and 8: k3, *p1, k11, [7 Times] (read: work sts like they appear)

Row 5 and 7: *p11, k1 [7 times], p3 (read: work sts like they appear)

Row 9: p3, *DEC5p, p3, INC5p, p3, [7x]

Row 10, 12, 14: k11, *p1, [7x], k3 (read: work sts like they appear)

Row 11, 13: p3, *k1, p11, [7x] (read: work sts like they appear)

Row 15: *p3, INC5, p3, DEC5 [7x], p3)

Row 16 – 20: repeat row 4 – 8

Row 21 – 26: repeat row 9 – 14

Row 27: P3* [k1, p3, DEC5p, p3] p3 (x times)

Row 28: work sts as they appear.

Back of hat:

From here on don’t knit bobbles anymore. Instead work in reverse stockinet: purl on the right side and knit on the wrong side.

Row 29 (RS): p24, PM, p11, PM, p24

Row 30: k till marker, k11, slip marker,k2tog, turn.

Row 31: p till second marker, p2tog, turn

Repeat row 30 and 31 until all side sts are knit

Slip 13 remaining sts on holder. Cut yarn.

Pick up 21 sts from left side including brim, slip 13 sts from safety pin on same needle. Pick up 21 sts from right side including brim (55 sts). Connect yarn.

Row 1: k all sts

Row 2 (and all uneven rows):  k all sts

Row 9: BO all sts. Except first and last sts

Row 3: k5, *k2tog, k5 (6 times), k2tog, k6 (55 – 7 = 48 sts)

Row 5: k5, *k2tog, k4, [6 times], k2tog, k5 (48 -7 = 41 sts)

Row 7: k5, *k2tog, k3 [6 times] k2tog, k4 (41 – 7 = 34 sts)

Single crochet 2 tie straps out of first and last stitch on each side (about 20, 25 stitches long). BO.

Make knot in end of strap.

Make 2 tiny pompons and attach to top sides of hat.