How to Make a Beanie: A Step-by-Step Knitting Guide

PDF download Download Article
Knit your own custom beanie with this beginner’s tutorial
PDF download Download Article

Beanies are a great project for new knitters who’ve mastered a few basic skills, like knit stitching and purling. If you’re ready to take on a new knitting challenge, read on! We’ve interviewed knitting experts Jen Webber and Blythe Nudelman to teach you all the steps to knit a beanie, from casting on to decreasing . Plus, learn whether knitting a beanie is a good project for beginners and if you can make a beanie using straight needles.

Section 1 of 5:

Casting On the Beanie

PDF download Download Article
  1. For the best fit, wrap a flexible measuring tape around the widest part of your head and write down the measurement. [1] Then, choose one of these beanie sizes that most closely matches your measurement:
    • Small: 20 1 ⁄ 2  in (52 cm) circumference
    • Large: 23 1 ⁄ 4  in (59 cm) circumference
  2. Pick bulky weight yarn in your preferred color and pull 10 inches (25 cm) away from one end. Choose a yarn made from cotton, acrylics, or wool blends depending on your preference. When choosing a wool, Webber says, “Acrylic is great because it’s inexpensive and it’ll hold up well in the washing machine… The care for wool can be more complicated. On the other hand, the wool items will last forever if you can keep moths away from them.” [2]
    • You'll use 2.63 ounces (75 g) of yarn for the small hat or 3.44 (97 g) for the large size.
    • This beanie is a great project if you'd like to use up some of your yarn stash since you won't be using the entire skein of yarn.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Take the yarn that you pulled out and twist the end into a loop that crosses over itself with the tail on top. Pinch the tail end with one of your hands, and slide the index finger and thumb of your other hand under the loop. Pinch the working yarn with these fingers and pull it through the loop to form the slip knot . [3]
    • If you're unsure whether or not you've made a slip knot, keep pulling. The knot will come undone if you've successfully made a slip knot. If the knot tightens and doesn't come loose, you didn't make a slip knot.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Take your slip knot and place it on one of the size US 10 1/2 circular needles . Then, pull on the yarn tail to tighten the knot around the needle. [4] If you’re making a small beanie, cast on 72 stitches, or cast on 80 stitches for a large beanie.
    • Keep in mind that circular needles are usually easier for beginning knitters than juggling 4 or 5 double-pointed needles.
    • Choose circular needles that are 47 inches (120 cm) long. While this might seem really big, the length allows you to bend them so you can make a magic loop. This way, you don't have to use double-pointed needles at all!
    5. Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:

Knitting the Body of the Beanie

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Slide all of the stitches to the cable that stretches between the needles and find the middle point. Bend the cable so half of the stitches are on one side while the other half are on the opposite side. Then, slide the stitches onto the needles. [5]
    • This is called the magic loop method and it's the simplest way for beginners to work on projects in the round. This is because you don't have to switch to double-pointed needles at any point.
    • For example, if you're making the small size, slide 36 stitches onto each needle. To make the large size, push 40 stitches onto each needle.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    To start working your first round, turn the needles so they're horizontal and hold the needle with the working yarn at the back so it's farther away from you. Slowly pull the back needle away from the stitches and bring it towards you. Insert the tip of this needle into the other needle and make one knit stitch . [6]
    • To make it easier to count rounds, slip a stitch marker onto this first stitch. Then, move the marker whenever you reach the end of a round.
    • Before you knit the stitch to join the round, check that the working yarn is over the cable and not under it.
    EXPERT TIP

    Jen Webber

    Knitting Specialist
    Jen Webber is a Knitting Specialist and the Manager of The Quarter Stitch, a crafting store based in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 17 years of knitting and crafting experience, Jen helps educate customers and the public on best knitting practices for their DIY projects.
    Jen Webber
    Knitting Specialist

    Use a stitch marker to keep track of which side you’re working on. If you have one that’s locking, it opens up like a safety pin. Then, you can attach it to the right side of your work. If you pick your project up and see it, you know you’re on the correct side.

  3. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Once you've knit two (K2), purl two (P2) across all the stitches on one needle, turn the work so you can K2, P2 along all of the stitches on the other needle. This completes one round in a ribbed stitch. [7]
    • If you'd like narrower ribbing, work K1, P1 for all of the stitches instead of K2, P2.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    To make the bottom edge or brim of the beanie, continue to knit 2 (K2), purl 2 (P2) across each round. Work six rounds so you can see the ribbed pattern.
    • Keep a tally on a sheet of paper so you can keep track of how many rounds you've made. You can also find stitch or round counters at craft supply stores. Every time you finish a round, adjust the dial to advance the number so you can always see which round you're working on.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Once you've finished the ribbed edge, knit each of the stitches on both of the needles. This makes the garter stitch , which is what you'll use to make the body of the hat. [8] Work the garter stitch until the ribbing and body of the beanie measure 6 3 ⁄ 4 inches (17 cm) long for a small or 7 inches (18 cm) long for a large.
    • To measure, place the end of a ruler at your cast-on edge and measure the length of your knitted fabric.
    • If you want the beanie to be slouchy, knit an extra 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm).
    6. Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:

Decreasing the Crown of the Beanie

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    After you've made the body, gradually make the rows smaller as you come to the top of the hat. To start decreasing the large hat, knit six stitches. Insert your needle through the next two stitches and knit them as one to make a K2TOG stitch. [9] Then, slip two stitches onto the right needle, insert the left needle through them, and make one slip slip knit (SSK) stitch. Knit six stitches and repeat the pattern until you reach the end of the round.
    • The decreasing repeating pattern looks like this: K6, K2TOG, SSK, K6
    • If you're making the smaller hat, you don't need to work as many stitches, so follow this repeating pattern: K4, K2TOG, SSK, K4
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Once you've made an odd decreasing round, make a purl stitch for each stitch on both of your needles. This way, your beanie gradually tapers towards the top. [10]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Every time you work an odd decreasing round, reduce the stitch count by one. For example, if you had K4 at the start of the previous round, K3 for the next decreasing round. Remember to purl all of the stitches for even rounds. [11]
    • When you reach the top of the hat, you won't have many stitches left to work. For example, your last odd row has you K2TOG and SSK, while the last row just has you K2TOG.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Cut the yarn to leave a 10 in (25 cm) tail and thread it through the eye of a tapestry , darning , or yarn needle. Slide the needle through the stitch that's left on your needle. [12]
    • At this point, you don't need the circular needles since your beanie is off of them.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Knit a Beanie
    Pull the yarn to make the crown of the beanie gather. Then, sew back and forth over the top at least two times before you push the needle to the inside of the hat. Make a simple knot in the yarn inside the hat and trim the thread close to the knot. [13]
    • You don't need to weave in the excess yarn since the knot and tiny tail are completely hidden.
  6. Thread the yarn tail from where you started through the eye of the tapestry or darning needle. Then, weave the tail into the stitch that's near the base. [14] Sew back and forth at least two times to secure the tail to the hat and trim off the excess yarn.
    • Although most beanies don't have pom poms on top, feel free to make a soft pom pom with a long yarn tail. Use the tail to attach the pom pom to the crown of the hat and sew it to the inside of the hat. Adding a pom pom can also cover up any mistakes you may have made if you’re a beginner.
    • Nudelman says, “If you don’t decrease as you’re getting to the top of the hat, you can pull all the stitches together when you’re done, but it’s going to leave quite a large hole, which is why a lot of people will then put pom poms on top. If you don’t want a pom pom, you definitely want to decrease so that you have fewer stitches.” [15]
    7. Advertisement
Section 4 of 5:

Can a beginner knit a beanie?

PDF download Download Article
  1. Beginners can knit beanies, though some patterns may be tricky. Beanies are a relatively easy knitting project involving basic techniques like knit, purl, and decrease stitches. Making a beanie is also a great way to practice skills like knitting in the round and ribbing. However, beanies aren’t as easy to knit as flat projects like scarves , so it may be best to start with something else if it’s your very first knitting project. According to Webber, “Knitting a hat is a great second project. I would like to get some knitting under my belt before I take on a hat.” [16]
    • Before you start knitting a beanie, check the pattern to make sure you know how to do all the stitches involved. If you don’t, practice them beforehand!
    • “Learning to knit in the round feels huge, but once you have it, it’s not so bad,” assures Webber. [17]
Section 5 of 5:

Can you knit a beanie with straight needles?

PDF download Download Article
  1. While it’s possible to knit a beanie with straight needles , you’ll end up with a flat piece that needs to be sewn together and will have a seam on the side. [18] You’ll also have to use four or five double-pointed needles to work the hat, so using straight needles is better left for someone with intermediate knitting skills. Using circular needles and knitting in the round is generally much easier.
    • Webber explains that a lot of mistakes are made when sewing a project, “Because people try to sew that seam a little bit too tightly. You want to make sure that your stitches for your hand sewing match the tension of the knitting that you have done. That will help everything align a bit more easily.” [19]
    2. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Is it hard to knit a beanie?
    Jen Webber
    Knitting Specialist
    Jen Webber is a Knitting Specialist and the Manager of The Quarter Stitch, a crafting store based in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 17 years of knitting and crafting experience, Jen helps educate customers and the public on best knitting practices for their DIY projects.
    Jen Webber
    Knitting Specialist
    Expert Answer
    It does help to have some knitting under your belt before you take on a project like knitting a hat. For most of the hat, you'll use a circular needle, but then when you get to the top, you need to switch over to double pointed needles. That looks daunting, but the extra needles are really just holding the stitches.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 8
  • Question
    How do I knit a hat with only two needles?
    Community Answer
    You would have to use a pattern that is not in the round, and stitch it together afterwards.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 16 Helpful 37
  • Question
    I finished knitting my hat, it is small and I need to make it bigger without starting again. Can I do this?
    Eye of the liger
    Community Answer
    I'm very sorry to disappoint you, but that's impossible. Maybe you could give the hat to a child you know-a nephew or cousin. Then you can make a new hat for yourself.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 19 Helpful 28
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • To check the gauge before you start, knit a 4 in (10 cm) square in stockinette stitch. Then, measure the swatch, which should measure 14 stitches across and extend 18 rows.
        Thanks
        Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Knit a Sweater for Beginners
      How to
      Knit a Scarf
      How to
      Knit a Scarf on a Loom
      How to
      Knit a Baby Hat with Yarn
      How to
      Knit a Child's Hat
      How to
      End Knitting a Scarf
      How to
      Knit Socks
      How to
      Knit a Poncho
      How to
      Knit an Infinity Scarf
      How to
      Knit an Easy Hat
      How to
      Knit a Dress
      How to
      Knit a Baby Jumper
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://bhookedcrochet.com/2022/03/18/everyday-rib-knit-hat/
      2. ↑ Jen Webber. Knitting Specialist. Expert Interview. 4 August 2020.
      3. ↑ https://sheepandstitch.com/library/how-to-tie-a-slip-knot-for-knitting/
      4. ↑ https://sheepandstitch.com/library/how-to-tie-a-slip-knot-for-knitting/
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/xTuEDtGmOUE?t=299
      6. ↑ https://sheepandstitch.com/how-to-knit/
      7. ↑ https://www.simple-knitting.com/rib-stitch.html
      8. ↑ https://sheepandstitch.com/library/how-to-knit-garter-stitch-for-beginners/
      9. ↑ https://bhookedcrochet.com/2022/03/18/everyday-rib-knit-hat/
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/DSuecYYS3bw?t=1022
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/DSuecYYS3bw?t=1028
      3. ↑ https://bhookedcrochet.com/2022/03/18/everyday-rib-knit-hat/
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/Tizml07FNK0?t=1828
      5. ↑ https://sheepandstitch.com/pattern/how-to-knit-a-classic-ribbed-hat-free-pattern-and-video/
      6. ↑ Blythe Nudelman. Knitting Expert. Expert Interview. 2 April 2024.
      7. ↑ Jen Webber. Knitting Specialist. Expert Interview. 4 August 2020.
      8. ↑ Jen Webber. Knitting Specialist. Expert Interview. 4 August 2020.
      9. ↑ https://sheepandstitch.com/pattern/how-to-knit-a-hat-on-straight-needles-tutorial/
      10. ↑ Jen Webber. Knitting Specialist. Expert Interview. 4 August 2020.

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To knit a beanie, start by casting 80 stitches of medium-weight worsted yarn onto size 8 circular needles and placing a stitch marker at the end of the row. Then, knit 10 rows in a “knit 2, purl 2” pattern to create the brim of the hat. Next, alternate pure knit stitches and purl stitches in each row until the hat is about 10 inches long. Finally, narrow the hat at the top by knitting 2 stitches together in a single stitch until the top is closed and pulling the yarn tight. For tips on how to create a slouchier beanie, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 496,755 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Bobbi Taylor

        Dec 23, 2017

        "I am a beginner knitter and your detailed instructions with pictures was SO helpful. I particularly like your ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story
      If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission .

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement