Ella Rae Hat Knitting Pattern

Ella Rae Teddy Hat

What is Being Made

The Ella Rae Teddy Hat is a charming knitted children's hat available in five sizes to fit ages 0-6 months through 4-5 years. This classic design features a fitted silhouette with a gathered crown, making it an ideal accessory for babies and young children. The hat is worked from the bottom up in a structured, seamed construction that creates a polished, finished appearance.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs bottom-up construction, meaning the hat is knitted starting from the brim and working upward toward the crown. The design uses flat knitting on straight needles rather than circular needles, which requires a seamed finish where the center back seam is joined after all pieces are complete. The crown shaping is achieved through strategic decreases worked across multiple rows, creating a gradual taper that draws the stitches together at the top of the hat. This method allows for precise control over the fit and proportions at each size.

Stitches Used

The Ella Rae Teddy Hat is constructed primarily in stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a neat appearance on the right side and a bumpy texture on the wrong side. Crown shaping is accomplished using knit two together (K2tog) decreases, which are worked in a repeating pattern across multiple rows. These decreases are strategically spaced and repeated nine to eleven times per row depending on the size, gradually reducing the stitch count from the initial cast-on through the final gathering at the crown. Purl rows are worked between decrease rows to maintain the stockinette stitch pattern throughout the shaping process.

Materials

The Ella Rae Teddy Hat is designed to be knitted with Ella Rae Cashmereno Sport yarn, a lightweight sport-weight yarn offered in two coordinating colorways: shade 11 Sandstone and shade 12 Travertine. The pattern requires 1-2 balls of 50g each, depending on the selected size, providing a generous yardage allowance for the complete project. Knitting is worked on US 2½ (3 mm) and US 3 (3.25 mm) straight needles, with the smaller needle size used for the ribbed or textured edge and the larger size for the main body of the hat. The recommended gauge is 25 stitches and 34 rows to 4 inches (10 cm) measured over stockinette stitch using US 3 (3.25 mm) needles, and checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure proper fit across all five size options.

Finished Measurements

• Size 0-6 months: 14 inches (36 cm) circumference around head
• Size 6-12 months: 15 inches (38 cm) circumference around head
• Size 1-2 years: 16 inches (41 cm) circumference around head
• Size 2-3 years: 17¼ inches (44 cm) circumference around head
• Size 4-5 years: 18½ inches (47 cm) circumference around head

The pattern shown in the sample is sized for 4-5 years, demonstrating how the design scales proportionally across the full range of available sizes.