Classic Knit Beanie Pattern with a Folded Brim

A classic beanie is three simple parts: a deep ribbed brim that folds up into a cuff, a plain stockinette body, and a crown shaped in eight wedges. This knit beanie pattern is worked in the round in worsted-weight yarn, comes in three sizes, and uses only knit, purl and one decrease.

What you need

• Yarn: worsted weight (4), about 150 (170, 190) yd (137 (155, 174) m). These are estimates, so buy a little extra. A smooth, elastic wool or wool blend shows the ribbing well; the Craft Yarn Council yarn weight system explains what the number 4 on a label means.
• Needles: US 6 (4 mm) 16-inch circular for the brim; US 8 (5 mm) 16-inch circular for the body; US 8 (5 mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the top of the crown.
• Notions: 8 stitch markers (one in a different color for the beginning of the round), a tape measure, a tapestry needle and scissors.

Gauge and finished sizes

Gauge is 18 stitches and 24 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette on the larger needle, which is 4.5 stitches per inch. If your fabric has more stitches than that in 4 inches, go up a needle size; if it has fewer, go down. A gauge swatch for hats takes a short while to knit and is the only way to know the hat will come out the size listed.

The hat is meant to be smaller than the head so it stretches to stay on. Head ranges are typical, not exact, so measure the wearer around the widest part of the head and compare with the Craft Yarn Council head circumference chart or the site’s own knit hat size chart. Throughout the pattern, numbers are given as S (M, L); one number applies to all sizes.

Abbreviations

• CO: cast on
• k: knit
• p: purl
• k2tog: knit 2 stitches together (1 stitch decreased)
• st/sts: stitch/stitches
• rnd: round
• pm: place marker
• BOR: beginning of round

The pattern

Brim

1. With the US 6 (4 mm) circular needle, CO 80 (88, 96) sts using a stretchy cast-on such as the long-tail cast-on.
2. Lay the stitches flat and check that the cast-on edge is not spiraled around the needle, then pm for BOR and join to work in the round. The guide to joining in the round without a twist shows what to look for.
3. Rib rnd: (K2, p2) to the end of the rnd. Repeat this rnd until the ribbing measures 4 in (10 cm) from the cast-on edge. This is twice the depth of the finished cuff, because half of it folds up.

Body

1. Change to the US 8 (5 mm) circular needle by simply knitting the next rnd onto it.
2. Knit every rnd until the piece measures 7.5 (7.75, 7.75) in (19 (19.5, 19.5) cm) from the cast-on edge, measured with the brim unfolded and the fabric lying flat without stretching.

Crown

The crown is divided into 8 equal sections of 10 (11, 12) sts, with one decrease at the end of each section. On the last body rnd, place a marker after every 10 (11, 12) sts; the eighth marker is the BOR marker already in place. Change to DPNs when the stitches no longer reach around the circular needle.

1. Size L only: (K10, k2tog) 8 times — 88 sts. Knit 1 rnd.
2. Sizes M and L only: (K9, k2tog) 8 times — 80 sts. Knit 1 rnd.
3. All sizes: (K8, k2tog) 8 times — 72 sts. Knit 1 rnd.
4. (K7, k2tog) 8 times — 64 sts. Knit 1 rnd.
5. (K6, k2tog) 8 times — 56 sts. Knit 1 rnd.
6. (K5, k2tog) 8 times — 48 sts. Knit 1 rnd.
7. (K4, k2tog) 8 times — 40 sts. From here, decrease on every rnd with no plain rnds between.
8. (K3, k2tog) 8 times — 32 sts.
9. (K2, k2tog) 8 times — 24 sts.
10. (K1, k2tog) 8 times — 16 sts.
11. K2tog 8 times — 8 sts.

That is 13 (15, 17) crown rnds in total, adding roughly 2.25 (2.5, 2.75) in (5.5 (6.5, 7) cm) of height. Unfolded, the finished hat is about 9.75 (10.25, 10.5) in (25 (26, 26.5) cm) tall.

Finishing

1. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 8 in (20 cm). Thread it onto the tapestry needle and pass it through the 8 remaining sts, slipping them off the needles as you go.
2. Pull the tail firmly to close the hole, take it to the inside and weave it in.
3. Weave in the cast-on tail on the side of the brim that will be hidden once the cuff is folded: the cuff shows the inside of the ribbing, so run the tail along the outside of the lower brim.
4. Block lightly if the stitches look uneven, without stretching the ribbing.

Each of these steps is covered in more detail in the guide on how to finish a knit hat.

If something looks off

• A ladder of loose stitches between DPNs: pull the first two stitches on each needle a little snugger than usual.
• The count is wrong after a decrease rnd: count each section between markers. Every section should hold the same number; the one that differs is where a decrease was missed or doubled.
• The cast-on edge feels tight: the edge has to stretch as far as the ribbing. Cast on over the larger needle next time, then knit the brim on the smaller one.

Ways to adjust it

• No cuff: work only 1.5 in (4 cm) of ribbing and start the crown when the piece measures 5.5 (5.75, 5.75) in (14 (14.5, 14.5) cm) from the cast-on edge.
• Deeper cuff: work 5 in (12.5 cm) of ribbing and add 1 in (2.5 cm) to the length before the crown. Allow roughly 20 yd (18 m) more yarn.
• Different ribbing: (K1, p1) works on all three stitch counts and gives a finer, flatter cuff.
• Rounder or more pointed top: the spacing of plain rounds changes the shape, as explained in the guide to crown decreases.