The Tiny New Baby Hat
Materials: Approximately 80 yrds worsted weight soft
acrylic or washable wool yarn
Size 5 16” circular needles, and 4 size
5 double pointed needles, or whatever size needed to obtain gauge. (come on, do a gauge swatch… it’s for
the baby!)
Stitch marker
Stitch marker
Gauge: 20 stitches is 4 inches in stockinette stitch in the
round.
Finished circumference: 13 inches; fits 14-15 inch head very
nicely.
Size: newborn
CO 64 sts, place marker, and join to work in the round.
Knit all rounds until hat measures 4 ¼ inches.
Begin decreases, switching to double pointed needles when
sts become too tight:
(Knit all even
rounds.)
Round 1: (k6, k2tog) around
Round 3: (k5, k2tog) around
Round 5: (k4, k2tog) around (If desired, switch to a
different colored yarn at this point.)
Round 7: (k3, k2tog) around
Round 9: (k2, k2tog) around
Round 11: (k1, k2tog) around
Round 13: (k2tog) around
Round 14 and so on: repeat Round 13 until 3 sts remain.
Arrange remaining 3 sts onto one needle, and work an I-cord
for 2 inches. Bind off, and secure end inside the I-cord.
To finish, tie a knot in the I-cord, and weave cast on end
into the inside of the rolled brim.
It is so satisfying to give new parents a hat that actually fits their child when they put it on that child in front of you. You can smile and congratulate them, instead of apologizing and promising to make them a new hat because the one you made swallowed their child, or, the other scenario, your hat made their 1 day old baby look like a 1 year old because the hat was so small.
This way everyone wins, and you even made the baby a little cuter (if that's even possible, right?) with a little curly-q right on top. :)
