1×1 Ribbed Watch Cap Pattern
A snug watch cap in knit 1, purl 1 ribbing with a deep folded cuff and a smooth eight-section crown, written in three sizes for DK-weight yarn.
Tutorial at a glance
Materials
- DK weight (3) wool or wool-blend yarn
- US 5 (3.75 mm) 16-inch circular needle
- US 5 (3.75 mm) double-pointed needles
- 1 stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Tape measure
A ribbed watch cap is a close-fitting hat in knit 1, purl 1 ribbing with a deep cuff folded up over the ears. The shape is plain on purpose: a long ribbed tube, a smooth rounded crown and nothing to catch the wind. This version uses DK-weight yarn for a fine, dense fabric, and it is written in three sizes with every crown round counted out.
What you need
- Yarn: DK weight (3) wool or wool blend, about 170 (190, 210) yd (155 (174, 192) m). This is an estimate; buy a little extra, especially if the cuff will be deepened.
- Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) 16-inch circular needle and a set of US 5 (3.75 mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the crown.
- Notions: one stitch marker, a tapestry needle, scissors and a tape measure.
A smooth, round, elastic wool gives the crispest ribs. Yarn labels show weight with a standard number; the Craft Yarn Council’s yarn weight system explains what DK (3) means next to other weights.
Gauge
24 stitches and 32 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) in 1×1 rib, lightly stretched, on US 5 (3.75 mm) needles. That is 6 stitches per inch.
Pull the swatch sideways only until the purl stitches between the knit columns become visible, then measure. If there are more than 24 stitches in 4 in, try a larger needle; if there are fewer, try a smaller one. The full method is in the guide to knitting a gauge swatch for hats.
Finished sizes
| Size | Cast on | Finished circumference (lightly stretched) | Fits head of about | Length before folding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 104 sts | 17.25 in (44 cm) | 19 to 20.25 in (48.5 to 51.5 cm) | about 10.25 in (26 cm) |
| Medium | 112 sts | 18.75 in (47.5 cm) | 20.5 to 21.5 in (52 to 54.5 cm) | about 11 in (28 cm) |
| Large | 120 sts | 20 in (51 cm) | 21.5 to 23 in (54.5 to 58.5 cm) | about 11.25 in (28.5 cm) |
Each circumference is the cast-on divided by 6 stitches per inch: 112 ÷ 6 = 18.7 in. Head sizes are typical ranges with 1.5 to 3 in (4 to 7.5 cm) of negative ease, so measure the wearer where possible; the knit hat size chart explains how. Worn with a cuff of 2.5 to 3 in (6.5 to 7.5 cm), the cap is about 7.25 to 8.75 in (18.5 to 22 cm) tall, depending on size.
Instructions are given as Small (Medium, Large). A single number applies to all sizes.
Abbreviations
- CO: cast on
- k / p: knit / purl
- st, sts: stitch, stitches
- rnd: round
- pm: place marker
- BOR: beginning of round
- k2tog: knit 2 stitches together (1 stitch decreased)
The pattern
Cast on and ribbing
- With the circular needle, CO 104 (112, 120) sts with the long-tail cast-on or another stretchy method. Pm for the BOR and join to work in the round, making sure the cast-on edge is not twisted around the needle.
- Rib rnd: (K1, p1) to end.
- Repeat the rib rnd until the piece measures 8 (8.5, 8.5) in (20.5 (21.5, 21.5) cm) from the cast-on edge, measured flat without stretching the length.
Tip
In 1×1 rib the yarn moves between the needles after every stitch: to the back before a knit, to the front before a purl. If an extra loop appears on the needle, the yarn was carried over the top instead of between the tips.
Crown
The crown changes to plain knit stitches and decreases in 8 equal sections of 13 (14, 15) sts. The larger sizes begin one or two rounds earlier and then join the same sequence. Change to DPNs when the stitches no longer reach around the circular needle.
- Rnd 1 (Large only): (K13, k2tog) 8 times — 112 sts.
- Rnd 2 (Large only): Knit.
- Rnd 3 (Medium and Large only): (K12, k2tog) 8 times — 104 sts.
- Rnd 4 (Medium and Large only): Knit.
All sizes now have 104 sts and continue together. Small begins here.
- Rnd 5: (K11, k2tog) 8 times — 96 sts.
- Rnd 6 and every even rnd through rnd 16: Knit.
- Rnd 7: (K10, k2tog) 8 times — 88 sts.
- Rnd 9: (K9, k2tog) 8 times — 80 sts.
- Rnd 11: (K8, k2tog) 8 times — 72 sts.
- Rnd 13: (K7, k2tog) 8 times — 64 sts.
- Rnd 15: (K6, k2tog) 8 times — 56 sts.
- Rnd 17: (K5, k2tog) 8 times — 48 sts.
- Rnd 18: (K4, k2tog) 8 times — 40 sts.
- Rnd 19: (K3, k2tog) 8 times — 32 sts.
- Rnd 20: (K2, k2tog) 8 times — 24 sts.
- Rnd 21: (K1, k2tog) 8 times — 16 sts.
- Rnd 22: K2tog 8 times — 8 sts.
From rnd 17 on there are no plain rounds between decreases, which rounds off the top. Every decrease round removes 8 sts, one per section. The crown takes 18 (20, 22) rounds and adds about 2.25 (2.5, 2.75) in (5.5 (6.5, 7) cm). The logic behind the spacing is explained in the guide to crown decreases.
Watch out
Each repeat must end exactly at the marker. If rnd 5 finishes with stitches left over or runs short, count the stitches before going on: there should be 104 at the start of that round.
Finishing
- Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 8 in (20 cm). Thread it onto the tapestry needle, run it through the 8 remaining sts and pull snugly to close the top.
- Take the tail to the inside and weave it in.
- Weave in the cast-on tail on the outside of the fabric near the edge. Once the cuff is folded up, that side faces the hat body and the end is hidden.
- Fold the cuff up 2.5 to 3 in (6.5 to 7.5 cm).
Step-by-step help with closing the top and hiding ends is in the guide on how to finish a knit hat.
Ways to adjust it
A different size
Multiply the wanted finished circumference by 6 and round to the nearest multiple of 8, which keeps both the ribbing and the 8 crown sections even. Then start the crown with the round whose stitch total, before decreasing, matches the cast-on. For example, 96 sts (16 in / 40.5 cm, a child’s size) would skip to rnd 7, since that round begins with 96 sts.
A deeper or shallower cuff
Every extra inch of cuff needs an extra inch of ribbing before the crown. For a cap worn with no fold at all, work the ribbing to only 5.5 (6, 6) in (14 (15, 15) cm) before the crown.
A thicker yarn
The same shape in worsted yarn with all-over 2×2 ribbing is written out in the 2×2 ribbed beanie pattern, which needs fewer stitches and knits up faster.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a hat a watch cap?
A watch cap is a close-fitting, usually ribbed hat with a cuff folded up at the bottom. It has no slouch and sits snugly on the head and over the ears.
How long should the ribbing be before the crown?
In this pattern the ribbing is worked to 8 or 8.5 inches, which allows for a folded cuff of 2.5 to 3 inches. For a cap with no fold, about 5.5 to 6 inches of ribbing is enough.
Why does the crown switch from ribbing to knit stitches?
Plain knit stitches let the eight decrease sections narrow evenly without interrupting the knit and purl columns, which keeps the instructions simple and the top smooth.
Can worsted yarn be used instead of DK?
Not with the same stitch counts. Thicker yarn has fewer stitches per inch, so the hat would come out much larger. Swatch in the new yarn and recalculate the cast-on from that gauge.
