24 Easy Hat Knitting Patterns
These free knit hat patterns are perfect for beginners looking for a new challenge, or veterans looking for something relaxing.
For most knitters, hats are the first truly exciting pattern to knit. After potentially months of knitting plain old rectangles in various stitches, in the form of dishcloths, scarves, and blankets, it's always thrilling to be able to create a garment in the third dimension.
Furthermore, hat patterns are a very forgiving first type of clothing item to knit: the fit can look deliberate whether it's tight or slouchy, it's relatively quick to knit up, and it involves mostly techniques that beginners already have under their belts.
It is important, however, to know how to decrease (usually using the simple Knit 2 Together, or K2tog, technique), and how to knit in the round on circular needles and double-pointed needles, or DPNs. Even though these are the basic techniques necessary to learn in order to master any given hat pattern, there are some that are knit flat, or that only use a few of these techniques!
Check out our article on how to knit a hat for the simplest knit hat pattern to begin with, and once you've completed that, move onto our list below of other easy hat knitting patterns for beginners.
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Easy Hat Knitting Patterns: Straight Needles
Knitting a hat doesn't mean going out and buying your first set of circular needles! While knowing how to knit in the round is certainly an important skill in knitting, fresh knitters with little experience may find the technique to be a bit above their skill level. Before beginning a hat in the round, we recommend starting with one of these flat-knit hat patterns.
Never Easier Beanie
2-Hour Butterfly Beanie
Sherbert Beanie Slouch Hat
Grandma's Favorite Garter Stitch Hat
Spring Meadow Seed Stitch Beanie
My First Knit Hat
Golden Garter Knit Hat
Basic Blue Striped Beanie
Chunky Easy Knit Hat
Cozy Bulky Hat Knitting Pattern
Misty Moss Beanie
Crème Brûlée Cable Knit Hat
There is one important new technique beginners need to learn before they can finish even a flat-knit hat: seaming! Check out our handy article to teach you how to close up your knitting, well, seamlessly: How to Seam Knitting: 7 Methods
Simple Knit Hat Patterns: Circular Needles
If you're ready to tackle the circular knitting needles, these easy hat knitting patterns are for you. The benefit to using circular needles is that there is usually no seaming involved, but unfortunately, you'll almost always have to use double-pointed needles near the end of the pattern to accommodate for the small circumference of the hat as you begin to decrease near the top. This may seem daunting, and if so, you may choose to begin with one of the flat-knit beanies above.
Bulky Mustard Beanie
Winter Days Knit Rib Hat
Plait Hat
Marshmallow Fluff Chunky Hat
Beginner Garter Stitch Beanie
Everyday Knit Hat Pattern
Garter Rib Beanie
Nice and Neutral Slouch Hat
Dustweaver Seed Stitch Hat
Lizette Beanie
Faux Cable Beanie
100% Wool Pinstripe Toque Hat Winter Luxury
If you love any of the hats above, but you're not quite there in terms of skill level, check out our list of How to Sew Up a Knitted Hat
And don't forget to check out the Knot to Worry Hat pattern!
Note: This project is from I Like Knitting digital magazine. Non-members can access 3 free patterns every month. Subscribe to the I Like Knitting Gold Club for unlimited access to their entire pattern archive, featuring hundreds of exclusive patterns.
About the Author
Kristi Levy combines her passions of writing and knitting together as an editor of AllFreeKnitting.com. She's a firm believer in the merits of trying something new with each pattern you knit so you never stop growing as a fiber artist. Find more tutorials, collections, and original patterns by Kristi here: Kristi Levy
What was your first knit hat pattern?
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