Lightweight Cotton Beanie for Spring and Fall

A cotton beanie is the hat for days that are cool but not cold: light on the head, smooth against the skin and thin enough to fold into a pocket. This pattern uses DK weight (3) cotton, a shallow ribbed brim and a plain stockinette body worked in the round. It comes in two adult sizes, and every round of the crown is written out with its stitch count.

Why cotton behaves differently from wool

Wool fibers are springy, so a wool hat stretches over the head and pulls back in. Cotton has very little stretch and almost no spring. That changes three things about how a cotton hat is planned:

• Less negative ease. The fabric will not stretch far, so this hat is sized closer to the head than a wool hat usually is.
• A firmer brim. The ribbing is worked on a needle two sizes smaller, because the stitch pattern has to supply the grip the fiber does not.
• A firm gauge. Cotton is heavier than wool of the same thickness, and loose cotton fabric tends to sag with wear.

A blend of cotton with a little wool or another elastic fiber is easier on the hands and holds its shape slightly better. The guide to the best yarn for knitted hats compares fibers in more detail.

What you need

• Yarn: DK weight (3) cotton or cotton blend, about 170 (190) yd, or 155 (174) m. These are estimates; buy a little extra. DK is number 3 in the standard yarn weight system.
• Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) 16-inch circular for the brim; US 6 (4 mm) 16-inch circular and a set of US 6 (4 mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the body and crown.
• Notions: a stitch marker, a tapestry needle, scissors and a tape measure.

Gauge

22 stitches and 30 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on US 6 (4 mm) needles, measured after washing. That is 5.5 stitches per inch. Cotton can lengthen when washed, so knit and wash a gauge swatch before starting. If you count more than 22 stitches in 4 in, go up a needle size; if fewer, go down.

Finished sizes

Size	Cast on	Hat circumference	Hat height	Fits head of about
Adult small / medium	104 sts	About 19 in (48 cm)	About 8 in (20.5 cm)	20.5 to 21.5 in (52 to 54.5 cm)
Adult medium / large	112 sts	About 20.25 in (51.5 cm)	About 8.5 in (21.5 cm)	22 to 23 in (56 to 58.5 cm)

The head sizes are typical ranges; measure the wearer if you can. Instructions give the smaller size first with the larger size in parentheses: 104 (112). Where only one number appears, it applies to both sizes.

Abbreviations

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

The pattern

Brim

1. With the US 4 (3.5 mm) circular needle, CO 104 (112) sts. Cast on loosely; a cotton edge will not stretch to make up for a tight cast-on.
2. Pm for the BOR and join to work in the round, checking that the stitches are not twisted around the needle.
3. Rib rnd: (K1, p1) to the end of the rnd. The repeat uses 2 sts and is worked 52 (56) times.
4. Repeat the rib rnd until the brim measures 1.25 in (3 cm).

Body

5. Change to the US 6 (4 mm) circular needle by knitting the next rnd onto it.
6. Knit every rnd until the hat measures 5.5 (5.75) in, or 14 (14.5) cm, from the cast-on edge.

Crown

The crown is shaped in 8 sections. Change to the DPNs when the stitches no longer reach around the circular needle. For the reasoning behind the layout, see the guide to crown decreases.

Larger size only, set-up: (K12, k2tog) 8 times — 104 sts. Knit 1 rnd.

Both sizes now have 104 sts and continue as follows:

• Rnd 1: (K11, k2tog) 8 times — 96 sts.
• Rnd 2: knit.
• Rnd 3: (K10, k2tog) 8 times — 88 sts.
• Rnd 4: knit.
• Rnd 5: (K9, k2tog) 8 times — 80 sts.
• Rnd 6: knit.
• Rnd 7: (K8, k2tog) 8 times — 72 sts.
• Rnd 8: knit.
• Rnd 9: (K7, k2tog) 8 times — 64 sts.
• Rnd 10: knit.
• Rnd 11: (K6, k2tog) 8 times — 56 sts.
• Rnd 12: knit.
• Rnd 13: (K5, k2tog) 8 times — 48 sts.
• Rnd 14: (K4, k2tog) 8 times — 40 sts.
• Rnd 15: (K3, k2tog) 8 times — 32 sts.
• Rnd 16: (K2, k2tog) 8 times — 24 sts.
• Rnd 17: (K1, k2tog) 8 times — 16 sts.
• Rnd 18: k2tog 8 times — 8 sts.

Finishing

1. 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 twice and pull snug to close the top.
2. Weave in both ends on the inside. Cotton is smooth and ends can work loose, so weave each one in for at least 2 in (5 cm) and change direction once along the way.
3. Wash the hat as the yarn label directs, reshape it and lay it flat to dry. If the label uses symbols, the Craft Yarn Council care symbols chart explains them.

Step-by-step help with closing the top and hiding ends is in how to finish a knit hat.

Ways to adjust it

Add a little slouch

Knit the body 2 in (5 cm) longer before starting the crown: to 7.5 (7.75) in, or 19 (19.5) cm, from the cast-on edge. The crown is worked the same way. Allow roughly 40 yd (37 m) of extra yarn as an estimate.

Change the brim

Both cast-on numbers are multiples of 4, so k2, p2 ribbing fits without any change to the count: work (K2, p2) 26 (28) times around. For a softer edge with no ribbing at all, begin on the US 6 (4 mm) needle and knit every round from the cast-on; the edge will roll up, so add about 1 in (2.5 cm) to the body length. Because a rolled edge has no grip, it suits the smaller size on a given head. The comparison of hat brim styles covers the trade-offs.

If the hat feels loose after a few wearings

Cotton relaxes as it is worn. Washing and drying it flat usually brings the fabric back to size. If you are between sizes, the smaller one is the safer choice in cotton.