Bleep Hat Knitting Pattern

Bleep Hat in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino

What Is Being Made

The Bleep Hat is a striped infant knit hat designed by Martin Storey. This project creates a classic baby hat with a fitted silhouette, available in four size options to accommodate infants from newborn through 12 months old. The hat features a ribbed cuff and tapered crown with a structured top shaping.

Sizes and Finished Measurements

The Bleep Hat is offered in four sizes:

• 0-3 months: 15 cm (6 inches) circumference
• 3-6 months: 17.5 cm (7 inches) circumference
• 6-9 months: 19.5 cm (7¾ inches) circumference
• 9-12 months: 21 cm (8¼ inches) circumference

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level project employs several fundamental knitting techniques. The hat is worked in the round using a set of four double-pointed needles, which allows for seamless construction. The pattern incorporates stripe patterning worked continuously throughout the body of the hat, requiring careful attention to color changes while maintaining stitch integrity. The crown shaping uses strategic decreases to taper the top, with multiple decrease rounds spaced by plain rounds to create a smooth, professional finish. The ribbed cuff is worked in a 2x2 rib pattern before transitioning to stockinette stitch for the main body.

Stitches and Stitch Details

The Bleep Hat utilizes a limited but essential stitch vocabulary appropriate for baby garments. The cuff begins with a 2x2 ribbed pattern (knit 2, purl 2 repeating around) worked for 3 cm, which provides elasticity and helps the hat stay securely on an infant's head. The main body transitions to stockinette stitch (knit all rounds), which creates a smooth, flat fabric ideal for displaying the stripe pattern. Crown shaping is accomplished through K2tog (knit 2 together) decreases, which are worked in a regular pattern of 8 decreases per round. The decreases are spaced with plain knit stitches between them, creating an evenly tapered crown. The pattern includes multiple decrease rounds—working (K8, K2tog), then (K7, K2tog), continuing down to (K1, K2tog) and finally (K2tog) eight times—until only 8 stitches remain, which are then closed off.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

This pattern is designed specifically for Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, a premium yarn blend ideal for delicate infant garments. The yarn is worked at a gauge of 23 stitches and 30 rows to 10 centimeters measured over stockinette stitch using the larger needles. The pattern calls for three color options from the Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino range: Denim (shade 112), Piglet (shade 122), and Pickles (shade 123), with one ball (50 grams) of the main color required for each size.

Two sizes of double-pointed needles are required: a set of four 3¼mm (US 3) needles for the ribbed cuff, and a set of four 3½mm (US 4) needles for the main body and crown shaping. Double-pointed needles allow the knitter to work seamlessly in the round without a seam, which is particularly important for infant wear where comfort and fit are paramount.

Pattern Structure and Construction

The hat begins with a cast-on of 80 to 104 stitches depending on size, distributed evenly across three of the four double-pointed needles. The ribbed cuff is worked for 3 centimeters, establishing the foundation for the hat. After the cuff, the knitter breaks off the cuff color yarn and transitions to the stripe pattern, continuing in stockinette stitch for 16 to 24 rounds depending on size. The crown shaping then begins with a series of decrease rounds, each reducing the stitch count by 8 stitches, until the final round closes off the remaining 8 stitches. This methodical decrease sequence ensures an even, professional-looking crown.