Are you looking for a quick, beginner-friendly knitted hat to make? If so, we have an easy beanie knitting pattern that you can finish in just one day. This pattern not only includes instructions on how to knit a hat, but as a bonus, it also includes both men’s and women’s designs for you to choose from. You can even knit both designs and create a pair of “His” and “Her” couple sets.
These beginner-friendly knit hat patterns don’t need a lot of yarn to complete. That makes them a perfect knitting project to utilize your stashed yarn leftover from a previous knitting project. I knit the women’s easy beanie from the balance yarn of my raglan pullover.
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Men VS Women Knit Hat Designs
We designed these easy beanie hats a little differently so that you have the choice to choose. Here are the
Size
The men’s knit easy beanie appears to be slightly bigger (21″ circumference x 10.65″ ) than the women’s (19″ circumference x 11″), even though the amount of stitches in a round is the same. This is because I used a slightly bulkier yarn than the women’s easy beanie.
Numbers Of Row
As mentioned above, since the Men’s beanie uses a slightly bulkier yarn, its pattern has fewer rounds to be equal in length to the Women’s design.
Please note that if you were to use the same yarn for both men’s and women’s knit beanies, please expect them to be the same width and the women’s beanie to be longer than the men’s beanie.
Ribbing Design
Another difference between men’s and women’s knit beanie patterns is on the bottom edge of the beanie. The men have a 2×2 ribbing band, while the easier women’s version doesn’t have a ribbing band. Instead, the women’s knit beanie immediately started with the 3 bulging lines pattern and added a decorative tab.
Materials & Supplies To Knit A Beanie Hat
Yarns
The main supply for this beanie knitting pattern is yarn. Yarn choice is important as it will determine the final size of the knit piece. Make a knitting gauge with the appropriate needle size to determine if the number of stitches and rows meet the values stated in the pattern.
Women’s Beanie (On the Right)
For the women’s beanie, I used a 4-ply worsted-weight yarn, Lion Brand Wool-Ease. The quantity needed is around 1 ball of Seaspray color, with a small quality of Chestnut Heather as a decorative tab at the edge.
The knitting gauge for the Stockinette Stitch pattern is 18 sts and 29 rows (to produce a square gauge of 4″ x 4″ /10 cm x 10 cm) by using U.S. 7 (4.5 mm) needles.
Men’s Beanie (On the Left)
For the Men’s knit beanie, I used a slightly bulkier yarn, Scarfie, from Lion Brand. The quantity needed is only 1/2 ball of Taupe/Charcoal color. Getting a ball of this yarn will be enough to knit 2 beanies.
Since the Scarfie yarn is slightly bulkier, the knit tension is relatively looser than Wool-Ease yarn; 17 sts and 28 rows of Stockinette Stitch (to produce a square gauge of 4″ x 4″ /10 cm x 10 cm) by using U.S. 7 (4.5mm) needles.
Knitting Needles
For both beanie knitting patterns, you will need:
- 12″ or 16″ Circular needle US Size 6 / 4 mm (for Men only, for ribbed band)
- 12″ or 16″ Circular needle US Size7 / 4.5 mm
- 4 pcs. of Double Pointed needle U.S. 7 / 4.5 mm
Other Supplies
Besides yarn and knitting needles, you will need stitch markers, a tapestry needle, a ruler or measuring tape, and scissors for this beginner knit beanie.
FAQs On How To Knit A Hat
1. What are the knitting stitches used in these knit hat patterns?
These beginner-friendly knit hat patterns use basic stitches, such as knitting in round with these stitches:
Knit (k)
Purl (p)
You will also need to know how to do these decreasing stitch techniques at the crown area of the beanie, such as
knit 2 together (k2tog)
Slip Slip Knit (ssk)
For the Women’s beanie, I used a long tail cast-on technique to cast the stitches on the needle.
For the Men’s beanie, since the knitting begins from the ribbed band, you will need to make 2×2 tubular cast-ons. It is a little challenging for beginners, but the video is very helpful in showing you how to do it.
2. Can I adjust the size of the beanie?
You can definitely adjust the hat size of this pattern.
If you are new to knitting, a beginner-friendly approach is to experiment with different yarn weights and knitting needle sizes to estimate the knit gauge that will create the desired hat size.
For more experienced knitters, adjustments can be made by altering the number of stitches.
3. How to knit this beanie?
The knit hat pattern begins from the band and works its way to the crown. Follow the knitting pattern to cast enough stitches on your circular needle. Knit and purl the round as instructed.
Once you reach the crown, change the needles to DPN (double-point needle); that is where you start decreasing the stitches and closing up the hat at the top.
Use a tapestry needle to bind off the last round and pull tight to close the gap. Hide all yarn ends and you are done with the knitting part.
4. Why do we need to block a knitted hat, and how to block it?
Blocking is an essential technique for shaping and sizing a hat. It allows the fibers to relax and stretch into place, ensuring that the hat fits as intended.
Moreover, blocking can help smooth out uneven stitches and tension discrepancies, resulting in a more professional and polished appearance.
Soak the knitted hat into lukewarm water for about 30 minutes or until it absorbs enough water. Roll the wet hat gently in a towel to remove excess water. Lay it flat on a surface to dry, shaping it to your desired size. Let it dry completely in a ventilated area, away from heat or sunlight.
That’s me in the photo, wearing a women’s knit beanie on a snowy street in Hokkaido. I was also wearing a matching knit raglan pullover under my winter duck-down jacket, along with a knitted zipper cowl and a pair of matching knitted leg warmers to keep my neck, chest, and legs warm. You can click on the links for all the free knitting patterns. I am happy that I was well prepared for that icy cold holiday with all these hand-knitted garments. Check out more of our free knitting patterns and winter-themed crafts.
Happy Knitting, and Keep Warm always!
What’s Next:
- Start knitting and share your completed handmade on Facebook and/or Instagram. Remember to tag us, @craftpassion, so that we can see them.
- Pin it to Pinterest for future To-Knit List
- Share with your knitting groups for a knit-along event.
- If you love this beanie, you might like the Fair Isle knit beanie as well. Also, explore how to crochet beanies of 9 sizes using a single crochet pattern.
How To Knit A Hat (2 Styles)
Can't get enough beanies for cold days? Here is an easy beanie knitting pattern to whip up in a day. This pattern comes with a bonus: It has both men's and women's knit beanie designs for you to choose from, or knit both to make a pair of HIS and HER couple sets.
Men Size: 21 inches circumference x 10.65 inches length
Women Size: 19 inches circumference x 11 inches length
Enjoy knitting them!
Download and print separately: Easy Beanie Knit Diagram (in pdf)
Construction: Work in Round
Helpful video tutorial on Knit With Double Pointed Needles
Materials
Men's Knit Beanie
- Scarfie 78% Acrylic, 22% Wool (approx. 312 yards/285 per 150g ball) - Yarn Color: Taupe/Charcoal – 1/2 ball
Women's Knit Beanie
- Lion Brand Wool Ease 80% acrylic, 20% wool (approx. 197 yards/180m per 85g ball) - Yarn Color A: Seaspray – 1 ball
- Lion Brand Wool Ease 80% acrylic, 20% wool (approx. 197 yards/180m per 85g ball) - Yarn Color B: Chestnut Heather – 1/15 ball
Tools
- Needles: 12″ or 16″ Circular needle U.S. 6 (4mm) and U.S.7 (4.5mm)
- Needles: Double Pointed needle U.S. 7 (4.5mm)
- Stitch Markers
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
Knit Gauge:
Scarfie – Stockinette Stitch: 17 sts and 28 rows = 4″ (10cm) using U.S. 7 (4.5mm) needles
Wool-Ease – Stockinette Stitch: 18 sts and 29 rows = 4″ (10cm) using U.S. 7 (4.5mm) 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:
k = Knit
k2tog = knit two together (decreasing st)
patt = Pattern
rep = Repeat
RS = Right side
ssk = Slip the next 2 stitches knitwise one at a time. Pass them back onto the left-hand needle, then knit through back loops together (decreasing st)
st(s) = Stitch(es)
MEN Beanie Knitting Pattern
Using U.S. 6 (4mm) circular needles and yarn A, 2×2 tabular cast on 88 sts. (Watch the video on how to do 2×2 tabular cast-on in a round). Insert a stitch marker at the beg of the round.
Round 1: k2, (p2,k2) to end.
Rep this 2×2 rib rows for 1.5″ (4cm).
Change to U.S. 7 (4.5mm) circular needles, *purl 2 rounds, knit 3 rounds, rep * for 3 times, knit 11 rounds, *purl 2 rounds, knit 3 rounds, rep * for 3 times. (41 rounds have been worked after the ribbing)
Continue to work on the Crown pattern of the beanie.
WOMEN Beanie Knitting Pattern
Using U.S. 7 (4.5mm) circular needles and yarn color A, long-tail cast on 88 sts. Insert a stitch marker at the beg of round. *purl 2 rounds, knit 3 rounds, rep * for 3 times, knit 11 rounds, *purl 2 rounds, knit 3 rounds, rep * for 3 times, knit 17 rounds. (58 rounds has been worked)
Continue to work the Crown pattern of the beanie.
Crown
Change to Double Pointed needle U.S. 7 (4.5mm)
Round 1: k4, k2tog, *k9, k2tog, rep * 7 times, k5. [80 sts]
Round 2 & 3: k all
Round 4: k4, ssk, *k8, ssk, rep * 7 times, k4. [72 sts]
Round 5 & 6: k all
Round 7: k3, k2tog, *k7, k2tog, rep * 7 times, k4. [64 sts]
Round 8 & 9: k all
Round 10: k3, ssk, *k6, ssk, rep * 7 times, k3. [56 sts]
Round 11: k all
Round 12: k2, k2tog, *k5, k2tog, rep * 7 times, k3. [48 sts]
Round 13: k all
Round 14: k2, ssk, *k4, ssk, rep * 7 times, k2. [40 sts]
Round 15: k all
Round 16: k1, k2tog, *k3, k2tog, rep * 7 times, k2. [32 sts]
Round 17: k all
Round 18: k1, ssk, *k2, ssk, rep * 7 times, k1. [24 sts]
Round 19: k all
Round 20: k2tog, *k1, k2tog, rep * 7 times, k1. [16 sts]
Round 21: k all
Round 22: ssk, rep 8 times. [8 sts]
Tab (for women beanie)
Using U.S. 7 (4.5mm) needles and yarn color B, long-tail cast on 9 sts.
Row 1 (RS): k all
Row 2: *p1, k1, rep * to end
Rep these 2 rows for 3.5″ (9cm), ending after Row 1. Bind off. Leave long tail for sewing.
TO FINISH OFF
Pick and sew all stitches from the needle, pull the yarn tightly to close the tip of the beanie.
Wrap and sew the tab to the bottom edge of the women's beanie.
BLOCKING
Block the beanie to obtain the correct size.
Pattern Diagram
(Click here to view larger chart.)
MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO KNIT A BEANIE
- Work on the 2×2 ribbing on the men’s beanie.
- The body of men’s beanie using Scarfie yarn. The Scarfie yarn gives an ombre effect for the beanie.
- Switch to the double-pointed needle to work on the crown of the beanie.
- Work till the last round of the easy beanie pattern before sewing to close the gap.
- Pick and sew all stitches from the needle.
- Pull yarn tight enough to close the gap on the tip of the crown. Fasten and hide the yarn end.
- For the women's option, wrap and sew the tab on the bottom edge of the easy knit beanie.
Block the beanie to obtain the correct size.
Both MEN's Knit Beanie (Left) and WOMEN's Knit Beanie on side-by-side.
Hope you have fun knitting this easy knit beanie!
Notes
Yarn amounts given are based on average requirements and are approximated.
Get the full article at https://www.craftpassion.com/how-to-knit-a-hat/
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