If you enjoy colorful knitting, you will certainly love the Fair Isle pattern featured in this beanie knitting pattern. Fair Isle is a traditional knitting technique that involves creating patterns using multiple colors. This stunning color work method is also known as stranded knitting.
In any case, this knit hat pattern works well in plain color, too, so feel free to knit the beanie with a single yarn color.
As I said I would in my last knitting pattern for a kid’s Fair Isle sweater, here is the pattern for a beanie you can knit to make a beautiful set of Nordic winter clothes. Don’t forget to knit the matching set of leg warmers as well so that you have a three-piece set to fight the cold.
This free beanie knitting pattern comes in lady size with a circumference of 22″. It fits on most bigger kids and adult heads. It has a slouchy structure with a pom-pom attached to the back.
Materials & Supplies
All you need to knit this beautiful Nordic-style slouchy beanie are yarns, pom-pom, and knitting needles. Other tools you will need are stitch markers and a tapestry needle.
Yarn
I used Superwash Merino Yarn from Lion Brand. It is in the light category, DK / Light-Worsted yarn weight with a gauge tension of 24 sts x 34 rows in Stockinette Stitch. You may replace them with equivalent yarns with a similar weight and tension gauge.
Each beanie hat pattern uses 3 colors: 1 ball for the main color (Red / Dark Grey) and partial balls for the other 2 secondary colors (white and light gray). To make these 2 knit beanies, I used 4 balls of yarn in total, i.e., 2 main and 2 secondary colors.
If you plan to knit the hat in a single color, you will probably need about 2 balls of yarn for each beanie.
Knitting Needles
The construction of these knit hat patterns works in the round, with this seamless knitting method, producing one complete hat without sewing. The knitting begins at the tip of the crown and downwards to the hat band. Since it works in a continuous round, we need to use circular needles to knit. A 12″ or 16″ Circular needle U.S. 6 (4mm) is used to knit the hat, whilst a smaller size of U.S. 3 (3mm) is used to knit the band. We also used 5 pcs. of Double Pointed needle U.S. 6 (4mm) to begin the smaller round at the tip of the crown.
Pom-Pom
Have you noted that most knitted beanie comes with a pom-pom at the tip of the crown? Pom-pom has been a popular embellishment for clothing, and undeniably, it is fashionable and adorable to have appeared dangling on the hat. Let me tell you my main purpose for having the pom-pom: aside from being fashionable, they were quite practical in hiding the finishing of the crown.
You can make your own pompom with this basic how to make pom-pom tutorial or you can use a faux fur pom-pom that’s available off the shelf.
Other Supplies
Like other knitting projects, you will need scissors, a ruler or measuring tape, a tapestry needle, and stitch markers to knit a beanie.
Fair Isle Pattern
The fair isle patterns used in these beanie knitting patterns are similar to those used in the kid’s pullover knitting pattern. There are two colorwork patterns: the “Poinsettia With Heart” and the “Poinsettia With Tic-Tac-Toe.” The heart is more feminine, while Tic-Tac-Toe is great for unisex.
To ease the knitting progress, I have added the colorwork diagram in the pattern section. You can easily spot and follow through when to change yarn color to create the colorwork design.
Beanie Hat Band
Besides the fair isle pattern variations, there are also 2 options on the ribband, folded and non-folded. The gray fair isle beanie on the right is the folded band type, while the red beanie on the left is a non-folded type. The folded band adds warmth to the forehead, it is also suitable for those with a smaller head.
The kids enjoyed playing with the snow a month ago during our holiday. It was the first time for them to experience sub-zero temperatures. These matching set of pullovers, leg warmers and beanies have kept them warm in this freezing cold weather so that they can fully enjoy all the outdoor activities.
Keep warm, stay cool, and start knitting.
Frequently Asked Questions For Beanie Knitting Pattern
1. What type of yarn is recommended for this beanie pattern?
A beanie hat is designed to keep your head and ears warm during cold weather, which is why using wool yarn is the best choice.
For my hat, I used Light-Worsted / DK weight Merino Wool yarn from Lion Brand. This superwash yarn is soft, luxurious, and warm, making it a great choice for a winter hat. It’s also washing-machine safe and affordable, with a wide range of colors to choose from.
You may use an equivalent yarn weight to knit your beanie, as long as it is in a similar knitting gauge. Refer to FAQ 3 for more information about knitting gauge. Explore more on yarn weight and how they are determined.
2. What size knitting needles should I use?
To knit this beanie, we used three sets of knitting needles. Here are the types and sizes we used:
1. Double-pointed needles, US size 6 (4mm): These needles are used at the beginning of the knitting process with smaller rounds at the crown area.
2. Circular needle 12″ or 16″ in length, US size 6 (4mm): Once you are done with the crown or when the round gets big enough, you may change to a circular needle. However, you may continue to use double-pointed needles if you prefer them.
3. Circular needle 12″ or 16″ in length, US size 2.5 (3mm): This needle is used at the band area where a smaller knit gauge is needed.
3. What is the gauge I should aim for in this knitting pattern?
Knitting gauge is crucial when it comes to projects where size matters. To ensure that your hard work results in something that fits you perfectly, achieving the correct gauge is the first thing you need to do before you start the project.
For this particular project, the required knitting gauge is
24 stitches and 34 rows that measure 4″ x 4″ (10 cm x 10 cm) when knit with DK yarn and U.S. 6 (4mm) needles in Stockinette Stitch.
If, for any reason, you are unable to achieve this gauge, be prepared to end up with a different-sized hat. To avoid this, you can either change the needle size or adjust your hand tension to obtain the required gauge.
It is important to note that the knitting gauge for this project is measured after the swatch is blocked. Your unblocked swatch will usually be smaller than the blocked swatch.
4. How can I adjust the size of the beanie to fit different head sizes?
The circumference of this knitted beanie hat is approximately 22 inches and can fit most kids and small adults. Since it has a slouchy construction, the length is not critical.
If you need to make slight dimension changes, such as plus or minus an inch, you can adjust it with your hand tension or by upsizing or downsizing your knitting by one size.
– By increasing the stitch gauge from 24 to 25 with a smaller needle, the hat size will become smaller by about one inch.
– If you use a larger needle to achieve a stitch gauge of 23, the hat will be approximately one inch larger.
However, if you wish to make significant changes in size but still want to use the same knit hat pattern, you will need to experiment with different yarn weights and needle sizes. A heavier yarn weight, such as Worsted yarn, will produce a larger hat; while a lighter weight, such as Sport yarn, will result in a smaller hat than this beanie.
We have a crochet beanie hat pattern that demonstrates how to use different yarn weights to make 9 sizes of hats without altering any stitch count.
5. Is this pattern suitable for beginners?
We have graded this knitting pattern as intermediate level as it involves colorwork in knitting. If you are a beginner, you are welcome to take up the challenge and try to complete this knitted hat. However, if you prefer to keep things easy, you can always knit this hat in a single color.
What’s Next
- Head down to the pattern and tutorial on how to knit a hat and start knitting
- Share your completed handmade on Facebook and/or Instagram. Remember to tag us, @craftpassion, so that we are able to see them.
- Pin it to Pinterest for future To-Knit List
- Don’t keep this beautiful knitting pattern to yourself; share it with your knitting groups for a knit-along event.
- Browse more free knitting patterns to make, especially pairing this beanie hat with the knit sweater and knit leg warmers of the same Fair Isle pattern.
How To Knit A Beanie With Fair Isle Pattern
The beanie pattern comes in lady size with a circumference of 22 inches, it fits on most bigger kids and adult heads. This fair isle beanie has a slouchy structure with a pom-pom attached to the back.
Enjoy knitting them!
Download and print separately:
Poinsettia Tic-Tac-Toe Beanie Knit Pattern Chart
Poinsettia Heart Beanie Knit Pattern Chart
Construction: Work in Round, Top Down
Helpful video tutorial on Fair Isle Knitting and How to trap the floats and Knit With Double Pointed Needles
Materials
- Yarn: Lion Brand Superwash Merino Yarn, Light-Worsted, DK - Yarn A Color: Dark Gray (Charcoal) or Red (Cayenne), Balls needed: 1 ball
- Yarn: Lion Brand Superwash Merino Yarn, Light-Worsted, DK - Yarn B Color: Gray (Hemp), Balls needed: 1 ball
- Yarn: Lion Brand Superwash Merino Yarn, Light-Worsted, DK - Yarn C Color: White (Ivory), Balls needed: 1 ball
- Pom-Pom, your choice of size. Mine is 2.5″ and 3.5″. You can make your own pom-pom with this tutorial
Tools
- Needles: 12″ or 16″ Circular needle U.S. 2.5 (3 mm) and U.S. 6 (4 mm)
- Needles: Double Pointed needle U.S. 6 (4 mm).
- Stitch Markers
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
Tension Gauge:
Stockinette Stitch: 24 sts and 34 rows = 4″ (10cm) using U.S. 6 (4mm) needles
Take time to make a gauge swatch to check your tension. Wash and block your swatch before measuring. Use larger or smaller needles if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Abbreviations:
alt = Alternate(ing)
k = Knit
inc = Increase(ing)
m1 = make 1 increase
patt = Pattern
rep = Repeat
st(s) = Stitch(es)
BODY
With Double Pointed Needles U.S. 6 (4mm) and yarn A, long-tail cast on 48 sts on 1 needle, then transfer the sts to rest of the needle evenly to make a round (view pictures below). Insert a stitch marker at the beg of the round.
Round 1 & 2: k all
Round 3: k3, *m1, k6, rep from * to last 3 sts, m1, k to end. [56]sts
Round 4: k all
Round 5: k4, *m1, k7, rep from * to last 3 sts, m1, k to end. [64]sts
Round 6: k all
Round 7: k4, *m1, k8, rep from * to last 4 sts, m1, k to end. [72]sts
Round 8: k all
Round 9: k5, *m1, k9, rep from * to last 4 sts, m1, k to end. [80]sts
Round 10: k all
Round 11: k5, *m1, k10, rep from * to last 5 sts, m1, k to end. [88]sts
Round 12: k all
Round 13: k6, *m1, k11, rep from * to last 5 sts, m1, k to end. [96]sts
Round 14: k all
Round 15: k6, *m1, k12, rep from * to last 6 sts, m1, k to end. [104]sts
Round 16: k all
Round 17: k7, *m1, k13, rep from * to last 6 sts, m1, k to end. [112]sts
Round 18: k all
Round 19: k7, *m1, k14, rep from * to last 7 sts, m1, k to end. [120]sts
Round 20: k all
Round 21: k8, *m1, k15, rep from * to last 7 sts, m1, k to end. [128]sts
Round 22 & 23: k all
Round 24: k8, *m1, k16, rep from * to last 8 sts, m1, k to end. [136]sts
Switch to U.S. 6 (4mm) circular needle
Round 25 to 29: k all
Round 30: k9, *m1, k17, rep from * to last 8 sts, m1, k to end. [144]sts
Round 31 to 78: work Poinsettia Fair Isle Patt
RIBBING
Change to U.S. 2.5 (3mm) circular needle and with yarn A, work 2×2 rib (k2, p2) for 1.5″. Tubular bind off the 2×2 rib.
or
Change to U.S. 3 (3mm) circular needle and with yarn A, work 2×2 rib (k2, p2) for 3″. Tubular bind off the 2×2 rib, fold the rib up, and sew.
TO FINISH OFF
Gather and sew alternative st, pull the yarn tightly to close the tip of the beanie. Sew to attach the pom-pom.
BLOCKING
Block the beanie to obtain the correct size.
Pattern Diagram
(Click here to view larger chart, open in new tab/window.)
(Click here to view larger chart, open in new tab/window.)
MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO KNIT
FAIR ISLE BEANIE
- With Double Pointed Needles U.S. 6 (4mm) and yarn A, long-tail cast on 48 sts on 1 needle, then transfer the sts to rest of the needle evenly to make a round (view pictures below). Insert a stitch marker at the beg of the round.
If you are unable to do a long tail cast on directly to 4 double pointed needles to make a circle, then you may cast on to 1 needle first then slip the stitches to another 3 needles evenly.
You may watch this video on how to cast on and knit with Double Pointed Needles.
- Arrange the stitches so they are all facing the same way and aren’t twisted on any of the needles.
Insert the 5th needle into the first stitch of the left needle, firmly knit the first stitch to join up the round. Insert a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of the round (oops… I forgot to insert my green stitch marker before taking this picture so it is not shown there).
- Knit the top part of the beanie which is all the increment stitches.
You should have enough stitches to use on the circular needles once you have finished round 24.
- Follow the fair isle color chart to complete the body of the beanie.
- Switch to a smaller needle to knit the 2x2 ribbing band for the beanie.
Then tubular bind off.
- Sew up the top opening and sew to attach the pom-pom.
- I used 3.5″ dia pom-pom for the red beanie.
- For the gray beanie, I used a slightly smaller pom-pom, 2.5″ diameter. Also, the 2 x 2 ribbing band of this beanie is folded type.
The Fair Isle Beanie keeps us warm, comfortable, and, beautiful at the same time.
Notes
Yarn amounts given are based on average requirements and are approximated. You should have leftover on the minority yarn color (yarn B and C) upon completion. Hence, if you are knitting for 2 beanies, you need to buy only 1 set of Yarn B and C.
Get the full article at https://www.craftpassion.com/beanie-knitting-pattern/
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Christine
Sunday 13th of October 2024
Is it possible to knit this pattern with worsted yarn? Thank you!
Craft Passion
Wednesday 16th of October 2024
If you plan to achieve to same beanie size with worsted yarn, I am afraid you will need to amend the pattern. Otherwise, you may knit a small swatch to estimate the final hat size after comparing with the pattern's knitting gauge.
Alicia
Saturday 28th of March 2020
Craft Passion, does it matter if you use circular needles instead of double pointed?? Thank you. Alicia
Craft Passion
Monday 30th of March 2020
Either will work. Happy knitting, Alicia.
Hwahwa
Sunday 2nd of June 2019
Hello. May I know if you also have crochet pattern for this beautiful Fair Isle Beanie? Thank you
Craft Passion
Thursday 6th of June 2019
I only have knit pattern :)
gfarny
Sunday 15th of January 2017
THANK YOU so much !
Geneviève .