Top Knot Baby Hat
Our Top Knot Baby Hat, in our cotton and yak Morning yarn, is a fresh, little flower bud of a hat for the fresh, little babies in your life!
This delightfully simple free baby hat knitting pattern is all stockinette all the way, starting with an effortless rolled brim. For the crown, you’ll decrease in a spiral pattern at just three points, creating a slightly pointed shape and the look of swirling, layered petals about to burst into bloom!
Now for the really fun part… You can choose whether to finish your hat with a darling, little knot or with a bitty loop! Either way, you’ll knit a short I-cord and follow our instructions to secure it.
Our Morning yarn is just right for tender babes. It is very soft and machine washable, and its mix of organically grown cotton and yak is cozy in cold weather yet breathable and cool in warm weather, too!
A palette of cheery, up-with-the-sun colors gives you so many happy options to play with. We designed this free baby hat knitting pattern in a range of sizes, since heads grow so fast… You’ll just have to make a variety of colors, in a mix of knot and loop closures, to create a whole bouquet of hats!
With so many colors to try, three sizes to choose from, and two hat toppers to pick, the Top Knot Baby Hat is sure to be your go-to gift to welcome new life into this big, beautiful world!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. Click here to see even more of Hiromi’s work!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoTopKnotBabyHat, and #PurlSohoMorning. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
To make 2 hats in any size, you will need…
- 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Morning, 75% organically grown cotton and 25% yak. Each skein of this light worsted/DK weight yarn is 191 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 70 (80, 90) total yards required.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 12-inch circular needles, optional
- A set of US 5 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
We knit our hats in the following sizes and colors…
- Newborn: Heirloom White + Tender Green
- 3–6 Months: Grassland Gray + Cucumber Ice
- 6–12 Months: Yellow Apple + Pink Radish
GAUGE
21 stitches and 31 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
Newborn (3-6 Months, 6-12 Months)
- Finished Circumference: 12½ (13¾, 14¾) inches
- Finished Height: 7 (7½, 8) inches, excluding I-cord, with edge unrolled
PATTERN
BODY
Cast 66 (72, 78) stitches onto circular or double pointed needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit every round until piece measures 4¼ (4½, 4¾) inches from cast-on edge, unrolled.
CROWN
NOTE: If you cast on with circular needles, change to double pointed needles when necessary.
Set-Up Round: [K22 (24, 26), place marker] 2 times, knit to end of round.
Decrease Round: [Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), slip marker] 3 times. [3 stitches decreased]
Repeat Decrease Round 19 (21, 23) more times. [6 stitches remain]
Next Round: *K2tog, remove marker, repeat from * to end of round. [3 stitches remain]
I-CORD
With remaining 3 stitches, work an I-cord for 3½ inches.
Bind-Off Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second stitch and off right needle.
FOR TOP KNOT STYLE
Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Pull it through remaining stitch.
Thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Draw tail through tip of I-cord, leaving enough ease so I-cord remains straight, then weave it into the inside of the Crown.
Weave in any remaining ends and gently wet block.
Tie I-cord in a knot, and you’re done!
FOR TOP LOOP STYLE
Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Pull it through remaining stitch.
Thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Make a loop with I-cord and draw tail through fabric at base of I-cord, then weave it into the inside of the Crown.
Weave in any remaining ends and gently wet block.
LEARN ABOUT MORNING + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
75% organically grown cotton and 25% yak, Morning adds something very special to this project! The cotton lends strength and a cool touch, while the yak is super soft and pliant. Together, this light worsted/DK-weight yarn has a satisfying weight, a very soft feel, and an incredibly lovely hand. In 14 up-with-the-sun colors, Morning is an absolute pleasure to knit!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Morning knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop cotton yarn
- Shop yak yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Beautifully designed hat. Love it! Thank you.
Thank you so much Ellisen! We are so happy to hear you are enjoying this new design as much as we are!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
What does it mean in this decrease step to slip the marker?
Decrease Round: [Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), slip marker] 3 times. [3 stitches decreased]
Do I move the marker, or always k2tog right before the marker?
thank you.
Hi Alma,
Thank you for writing in! Slip maker means you will transfer the marker from left to right needle without moving its placement between stitches. In this case you are working to 2 stitches before the marker and then working a k2tog. I hope this helps clarify but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Looks like a very cute little hat. I’ll need to have a go. Just what I’ve been looking for
We are so happy to hear that! Please let us know if you have any questions along the way!
All the best,
Gavriella
May I use this pattern for donated hats to local hospitals birth and delivery department to send home with new babies?
Hi Judy,
Absolutely! That sounds like a wonderful use for the hats you knit!
All the best,
Lili
What lengths should I buy of the size 5 double pointed needles? Is 6″ okay?
Hi Elizabeth,
That is a great question! 6″ needles will be perfect. Please let us know if you have any other questions along the way!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you
You are very welcome!
Please make this pattern for adults! Love it!
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for writing in! I will be sure to pass you idea along to our team!
All the best,
Gavriella
I have a question that may seem a little obvious. I have knit the hat and done the decrease. I have my 3 stitches left. The hat is Inside out on the needles, correct? So do I do the I cord on the inside? or do I mover the stitches to the correct side before beginging the I cord? Thank you for you assistace as I have never made this hat or done an Icord before.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for asking! Your knit stitches should be on the outside facing you before working the i-cord. I’d recommend rearranging your stitches this way to be sure you can work the i-cord on the outside to match the knit stitches on the body of the hat. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
My granddaughter is a RN and works in NICU, in the past I have knitted premie hats for the babies to wear, is there a premie pattern for this pattern or actually any pattern I could use to make hats for her department?
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for writing in! I’m so sorry to say that we do not currently have any premie hat patterns at the moment. One thing you could try is to knit this pattern with thinner yarn at a smaller gauge. I’d just be sure to gauge swatch first to help you get an idea of which set of directions to follow. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
If I wanted to make this hat for a child who was between 12months and 3 years, how many stitches would you use?
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for writing in! To get the best fit, I would first recommend measuring the circumference of the child’s head. Then, subtract about 2 or 3 inches so that the hat fits with negative ease. The next step would be to multiply the number of stitches per inch (5.25 stitches, according to the gauge of the pattern) by this circumference. Finally, round the resulting number to the nearest multiple of 3.
Then you can follow the pattern essentially as written! You’ll just need to make sure to place the stitch markers evenly spaced out at the beginning of the CROWN section. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
This is such an adorable hat. Thank you for the pattern!