Basic Beanie In The Round

Crown

Rib brim

Knitting hats in the round is fast and easy. When knitting in the round there is very little purling and no seaming!
This pattern will start on a 40cm circular needle for the brim and body of the hat and change to double pointed needles to reduce the crown. When stitches are decreased they no longer fit comfortably on the 40cm circular needle and are easier to work on double pointed needles.
This pattern uses minimum abbreviations, to help a beginner better understand.
Knitted hats are mostly worked from the brim to the crown. Brims tend to be worked in a ribbing to prevent them rolling and to provide a firm fit. When the brim is completed, the main body of the hat is knit. Once the required height for the hat is reached, the crown is knitted by reducing stitches. The remaining stitches are threaded onto the cut working yarn and pulled tight and secured by stitching.
Materials
Yarn
2 x 50gms balls of Totem 8 ply by Patons, (200 meters)
Other 8ply yarns can be substituted. When substituting yarns, it is important it be of the same weight. A good guide is to look at the number of meters in the balls, a similar amount is needed. Fibre content is important too. Wool is best as it has the elasticity to fit well and keep the correct shape.
Needles
1 X 4mm, 40cm circular needle,
1 set of 4, 4mm double pointed needles
Don’t be tempted to buy cheap needles, often the joins are not smooth, they are difficult to work with and can damage the yarn.
1 x stitch marker, a piece of scrap yarn in a contrasting colour works well. The stitch marker is used to mark the beginning of the rounds.
Abbreviations
K – knit
P- Purl
Sts – stitches
( ) – instructions in brackets are repeated
K2tog – knit two stitches together
DPNS – double pointed Needles
Gauge
22sts to 10cms
If gauge is loose there will be less stitches to the 10 cms, if tight there will be more stitches.
To change your gauge, change the needle size used. Loose knitters use a smaller needle size 3.75mm and tight knitters use a 4.5mm needle size
Size – Adult
This hat is 52cm in circumference slightly smaller than an average adult head. This allows it to fit snug. The height from brim to crown is 25 cms, this measurement is best generous, allowing coverage of ears, or even the brim to be turned up.
It is easy to adjust the size of the pattern by adding or reducing the cast on stitches by a multiple of 4, and be increasing or decreasing the height of the hat. If changes are made, then it is necessary to also make changes to the crown decreases.
For your first hat keep to the numbers in the pattern. It will fit someone.
The Pattern
Cast on 100sts on 40 cm circular needles and place marker to mark beginning of round.
Join in the round as you knit the first round below.
The Brim – Worked in Colour A
Rounds 1 – 14 (k2,P2) to end or round
Additional rounds of rib can be knitted if desired. When making a brim to turn up, place a round of knit stitches at the fold position, then return to (k2,P2) rib. This make a crisp turn up.
The Body – Worked in Colour B
Break colour A and tie in Colour B, use a half bow, it is easy to undo and sew in snuggly when the hat is completed. If a knot is tied, it can work to an obvious spot in the knitting.

Work in stocking stitch until the hat measures 20cms from cast on edge

When working in the round, stocking stitch is made by knitting every round, no purling is done.
The Crown – Worked in Colour A
Break yarn B and join in yarn A
Knit one round before decreasing. Adding this round makes for a neater colour change, preventing the K2togs from showing in the body of the hat.
When the stitches are too few and are stretching the hat. Knit the stitches onto the double pointed needles. Double pointed needles are worked by having stitches divided evenly onto three needles and knitting with a fourth. As each needles stitches are knitted off, it becomes the working needle.
Round 1 – (k8, k2tog) to end of round (90sts)
Round 2 and all even round – knit
Round 3 – (k7, k2tog) to end of round (80)
Round 5 – (k6, k2tog) to end of round (70)
Round 7 – (k5, k2tog) to end of round (60) – (change to DPNS)
Round 9 – (k4, k2tog) to end of round (50)
Round 11 – (k3, k2tog) to end of round (40)
Round 13 – (k2, k2tog) to end of round (30)
Round 15 – (k1, k2tog) to end of round (20)
Round 16 – (k2tog) to end of round (10)

Finishing
Break the yarn, leaving a tail of 20cms. Thread the tail onto a darning needle and thread through the last ten stitches. Thread through the first stitch to the last stitch. Pull tight to close the stiches. Do this a couple more times to make the top of the hat secure. Bring the yarn to the wrong side of the hat and weave in the end.
Untie the colour joins and tie them snug. Sewing in the ends in opposite directs.
Blocking
To block your hat, soak it in warm water. Gently squeeze out the water and lay the hat flat to dry, pulling it gently into shape. Blocking helps even the stitches giving a professional look to your work. If selling your work this is a must, ensuring the hat will not shrink when washed correctly by its new owner.

Thankyou Gemma for modelling