Whit's Knits: Heirloom Hats for Newborns
It used to be about every two years that a friend or a cousin had a baby. I was able to knit each newborn a blanket or at least a sweater. Lately, though, it feels like about every two minutes that a new baby comes along, and so, sadly, hand knit baby blankets have fallen by the wayside. But I am not willing to forego hand knit baby gifts altogether, nor am I willing to give the impression that I threw some yarn together into something vaguely wearable and oh-by-the-way-congratulations-about-the-baby. In other words, I have been in serious need of a quick, but exquisite baby gift.
Nothing's quicker than a hat, but how to convey that this is no ordinary hat? Choose an extraordinary yarn. Louet's Mooi yarn is instantly special. A blend of bison, cashmere, and bamboo, it is as light as a feather and as soft as a kitten. Dyed or undyed, it has a natural beauty that evokes a forest floor. Plus, the 350 yard long skeins mean that I'm all set for at least the next six babies!
These hats have a timelessness and a delicacy that put me in an old attic kind of mood. They seem to already have a story. Imagine: a huge steamer trunk, a dusty tuxedo, a playbill, a crushed patent leather pump, and, on top, some carefully folded tissue paper. Hidden among the folds, these tiny hats wait to be discovered for the next generation of babies born.
The Materials
- 2 skeins of Louet's Mooi. 15% Bison, 15% Cashmere and 70% Bamboo. These colors are, from the top, Natural and Spring Espresso. This is enough yarn for at least six hats.
- A 12 inch, US #2 circular needle.
- A set of US #2 double pointed needles.
- A Pom Pom Maker (for the Roll Brim Hat). I used the Susan Bates version.
The Patterns
Gauge
8 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch
Finished Size
13 1/2 inches in circumference
Garter Brim Hat
With Color A, cast on 108 stitches.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: Purl.
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 three more times.
Next Round: Purl.
Change to Color B and knit every round until the piece measures 4 inches from the cast on edge.
The Crown
Round 1: *K7, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (96 stitches)
Round 2: Knit.
Round 3: *K6, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (84 stitches)
Round 4: Knit.
Round 5: *K5, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (72 stitches)
Round 6: Knit.
Round 7: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (60 stitches)
Round 8: Knit.
Changing to double pointed needles,
Round 9: *K3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (48 stitches)
Round 10: Knit.
Round 11: *K2, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (36 stitches)
Round 12: Knit.
Round 13: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (24 stitches)
Round 14: *K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (12 stitches)
Round 15: Repeat Round 14. (6 stitches)
With Color A,
Round 16: Repeat Round 14. (3 stitches)
Arrange the remaining 3 stitches onto one needle.
Knit a 2 inch I-cord. (For help, visit our I-Cord Tutorial here.)
Bind off, cut the yarn, and pull the tail through the remaining stitch.
To form the top loop, bring the tail to the inside of the hat, pulling the very tip of the I-cord along with it. As you weave in the tail, sew the I-cord tip to the inside of the hat.
Weave in the rest of the ends and gently block the hat.
Roll Brim Hat
With Color A, cast on 108 stitches.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Knit every round until the piece measures 4 3/8 inches from the unrolled cast on edge (4 inches from it rolled).
Work the Crown section of the Garter Brim Hat (above) through Round 15. (6 stitches)
Cut the yarn, and sew it through the remaining 6 stitches.
With Color B, use a Pom Pom Maker to make a pom pom. I used the smallest Susan Bates template and made the pom pom quite sparse so it wouldn't be too heavy on the hat.
Bring each tail of the pom pom to the inside of the hat through a different hole. Tie a knot with the tails and weave them in.
Weave in the rest of the ends and gently block.
Striped Hat
With Color A, cast on 108 stitches.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 six more times.
**With Color B, knit 2 rounds.
With Color A, knit 2 rounds.
Repeat from ** until piece measures 4 inches form the cast on edge, ending with the first round of either color. (For help with knitting stripes, check out the "Knitting Stripes in the Round" section of the Rochefort Chapeau Project Journal.)
Maintaining the stripe pattern, work the Crown section of the Garter Brim Hat (above) through Round 15. (6 stitches)
Cut the yarn, and sew it through the remaining 6 stitches.
Weave in the ends and gently block.
August 1, 2010