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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Baby Football Hat

One of my friends at school/work asked me to make his 3 month old son a football hat.  He told me that his wife really liked the other two I made and is a big football fan.  I didn't see a pattern online that I liked, so I decided to make my own.  I think this will fit a baby up to 12 months because it is quite stretchy.





Baby Football Hat

Size: 0 – 12 months 
Finished dimensions: Height = 6 inches.  Relaxed circumference of about 13 inches, but stretches to over 16 inches.  
Gauge: 18 stitches by 24 rows = 4in on size 8 needles.

Material: 
Aran or Worsted weight yarn in brown and white.
Size 7 and 8 circular needles—either 1 long circular for magic loop, 2 circulars, or dpns—or sized needed to achieve gauge.
Size F crochet hook
stitch marker
needle to sew in ends

Skills needed: 
Knit stitch
purl stitch
knit two together (k2tog)
color changing
knitting in the round
Surface slip stitch crochet. (You can find some good tutorials online).

Abbreviations:
CO – Cast on
K – knit
P – Purl
K2tog – knit two together

Instructions:
Using larger needles and white yarn CO 60 stitches, place marker, and join in the round.  

Switch to smaller needles.

Rounds 1-6: K2, P2 around (60 stitches).

At end of 6th round cut white and leave a tail.  Join brown yarn.  Switch to larger needles.

Round 7:  K all stitches around (60 stitches).

Repeat row 7 until piece measures about 3.5 inches from the beginning.

Switch back to white yarn.

Next 2 rounds: K all stitches around (60 stitches).

Crown shaping:
Round 1: (K8, k2tog) repeat this around (54 stitches).
Round 2: K all stitches (54 stitches).
Round 3: (K7, k2tog) repeat this around (48 stitches).
Round 4: K all stitches (48 stitches).

Switch to brown yarn.

Round 5: (K6, k2tog) repeat this around (42 stitches).
Round 6: K all stitches (42 stitches).
Round 7: (K5, k2tog) repeat this around (36 stitches).
Round 8: K all stitches (36 stitches).
Round 9: (K4, k2tog) repeat this around (30 stitches).
Round 10: K all stitches (30 stitches).
Round 11: (K3, k2tog) repeat this around (24 stitches).
Round 12: K all stitches (24 stitches).
Round 13: (K2, k2tog) repeat this around (18 stitches).
Round 14: K all stitches (18 stitches).

Cut yarn and leave a long tail.  Thread the tail through all of the stitches on the needle, pull tightly, tie securely, and tuck ends in on the reverse side.

Lace detail on hat:
Using white yarn, tie a slipknot in the yarn and place yarn inside the hat (right side of hat is facing you).  
Two brown rows up from the ribbing begin surface slip stitch crochet and slip stitch until you’re two rows of brown away from the white stripe. 
Cut a white leaving a VERY long tail, and pull the last loop of white out towards you.  
Thread needle and bring the tail back inside the hat so that the working yarn is now on the wrong side. 
Working about 2 stitches away from the slip stitched line bring yarn up to outside of the hat, under the slip stitch in that row, and down inside the hat two stitches away from the slip stitched line.  This makes one of the laces.  Repeat this as many times as you’d like, equally spacing the laces.
Secure end when you’re done.
Tuck in all ends on inside of the hat.






45 comments:

  1. I have been looking ALL OVER trying to find a football hat pattern!! This is great!! My hope is to make a football hat, basketball hat, soccer hat and a baseball hat for our grandbaby (and of course our son!:) before he or she gets here! This is great!! Thank you so much!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awwww you're very welcome!!! I'd love to see your finished hat :).

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  2. I love this hat! I have a question, as I am knitting it right now: After I switch to the brown yarn on row 7 and you say to repeat row 7 until piece measures 3.5 inches from the beginning, do you mean including the white at the bottom? Or 3.5 inches of BROWN before I switch back to white again?

    What does "from the beginning" mean? The beginning of the entire hat or the beginning of the brown only?

    I am waiting to continue for your reply. And thank you again for this great pattern!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kathleen! I'm so happy you like this pattern. When I say that the hat should measure 3.5 inches from the beginning that means that you'll be measuring from the cast on edge (the white) all the way up. The beginning means the absolute beginning of your knitting. I hope that helps! I'd love to see your finished product :).

      Happy knitting!

      Delete
  3. Wow you are fast in responding! I sure appreciate that. I figured you meant from the very beginning, as that is what is usually meant by that instruction, but I hesitated because the white "border" measures 1-1/2" as it is, leaving only 2" for brown before switching back to white. That seemed like a small amount, but I will trust you. You picture looks like much more brown than that.
    I will proceed as directed and trust the pattern! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you match the row gauge? If you did your white ribbing should be about 1" leaving the rest for the brown.

      Delete
    2. I am definitely 1-1/2 " on the white. Sad to say, I did not match the row gauge. I did not check that first. My bad!

      Delete
  4. Hi -- do you know what I would do to make this pattern fit a toddler?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that if you cast on 70 stitches, knit until about 6.75 inches, and then follow the decreases in the original pattern, you should end up with a hat to fit a 1-3 year old toddler.

      You might want to position the top white stripe a little lower.

      The stitch count would be as follows:
      Row 1: 63
      Row 3: 56
      Row 5: 49
      Row 7: 42
      Row 9: 35
      Row 11: 28
      Row 13: 21

      As always I would suggest making a gauge swatch, measuring the child's head, comparing the two, and doing a little knitting math to ensure a good fit.

      Hope that helps! Happy knitting!

      Delete
    2. How about a pattern for a five year old?

      Delete
  5. this is adorable!
    what size circular needles did you use? 12 inches? 16? thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thank you! I'm not totally sure what the length of my needle was off hand, but I imagine it was probably a 32" circular. My circular method of choice is magic loop.

      If you did use a 16", you'd have to switch to dpns or add another circular as you approached the top since there will be too few stitches to fit nicely on the needle.

      Hope that helps!
      ~Jessica

      Delete
    2. thanks jessica. i just watched a magic loop method on youtube and all set to try this cute hat. thanks so much for getting back to me.

      Delete
  6. Thank you so very much for the free pattern. I put mine up on Ravelry. I sized it up to make a toddler version too. Thank you so very much! I will gift it tomorrow. :)

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  7. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful pattern. I can't wait to make it for my 1st grandchild who arrives in September.

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  8. I just love it. I need to make this for a newborn and this pattern was too big but I will save it for when my grandson grows! Can you provide the correct size for a newborn....I need to be a bit smaller...so not to sure about the decreasing of the stiches for the crown!

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you like the pattern. If you wanted to make a smaller hat you could try two different options.

      One method would be to use smaller needles (maybe a size 6 rather than 8 and a 5 rather than 7) and follow the pattern as written. You'd have to experiment with needle size, gauge, and fabric quality, because you don't want the hat to be too dense.

      Otherwise, you could cast on any multiple of 6 that works for you. Is the hat coming out too long too? If it isn't, you can follow the pattern up to the crown shaping that matches the stitch count you started with. For example, if you cast on 54 stitches, you could follow the pattern as written and "skip" the first crown shaping directions (because they decrease you to 54 stitches in the original pattern). I would just knit them and then begin the crown shaping next.

      I hope that makes sense!

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  9. Hi Jessica thank you for your prompt response, and yes it makes perfect sense!!! I will give it another try....hopefully I will get this time. Also I found I need to switch to double pointed needs when I start decreasing! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome :). DPNs would work too if you prefer to knit that way. I always prefer magic loop because I don't like how DPNs are fiddly. Happy knitting!

      Delete
  10. Can this pattern be knit on straight needles and sewn together ? Once Ll done. Thanks
    Line

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you can knit this flat on straight needles and then sew it together afterwards. To do that you will need to cast on 2 extra stitches on each end to accommodate the seam.

      For ribbing these end stitches will be knit on the right side and purled on the wrong side.

      You can continue the crown shaping as written, but your stitch count will be different.

      Good luck! :)

      Delete
    2. Jessica,
      Thanks, so much. Can 't aait to try this for my grandson n grand daughter. Parents are big fans so, they are sure to get a kick out of this hat. So, nice to see you post these well explain knit patterns. Merci
      Linda

      Delete
  11. I'd love to make this for my almost 2 yr old nephew. How do I figure out how ton!take it bigger??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that if you cast on 70 stitches, knit until about 6.75 inches, and then follow the decreases in the original pattern, you should end up with a hat to fit a 1-3 year old toddler.

      You might want to position the top white stripe a little lower.

      The stitch count would be as follows:
      Row 1: 63
      Row 3: 56
      Row 5: 49
      Row 7: 42
      Row 9: 35
      Row 11: 28
      Row 13: 21

      As always I would suggest making a gauge swatch, measuring the child's head, comparing the two, and doing a little knitting math to ensure a good fit.

      Hope that helps! Happy knitting!

      Delete
  12. My grandma really wants to make this hat for my nephew, but he is 6 years old. Any idea how you wild alter the pattern to fit him? Thank you in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think if you cast on 80 stitches, then make the ribbing, and then knit to 7 or 7.5 inches before doing the decrease section, that should fit a 6 year old. It would depend on the circumference of the child's head (and of course your grandma's gauge while knitting). Also, you might want to make the top white stripe before starting the decrease section. You'll have to see what it looks like as you go along. I do hope this helps! :)

      Delete
  13. Thank you so much for this pattern. Everyone in my family is a football nut! My 35 year old nephew and his wife decided that they would have a baby after all! 7 years married and telling us no babies. I was thrilled because I also had 2 other pregnant nieces (same family). I was sure it would be a boy but they wanted to wait and be surprised. So in the past 8 months I have made 14 baby blankets, 2 dresses, 2 tag blankets, and of course this hat for our "BOY" who turned out to be a beautiful girl. Offered to make a pink one and they could give the brown one to my niece having a boy just before the Super Bowl. But her Daddy wants the brown one and they are going to have a portrait done with it on her. So now I am making another brown one. Thank you for such happiness!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for sharing this with me!! I'm so happy that I was able to make you and your family happy :)!! I wish your family and their new babies all good things.

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  14. Thank you for sharing this pattern! So cute! I have the hat knitted but I do not quite understand "surface slip stitch crochet". Is that just doing a chain stitch and then attaching it at the beginning and the end into the brown and then doing the cross stitches like embroidery the keep it down? Could you please explain that process further? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi ChatKat!,

      Surface crochet is a way of crocheting stitches as embellishment on an item--it isn't the same as making a chain stitch and sewing in int place

      Here's a good video that shows surface crochet:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ8FI5PJfvk

      Hope that helps!
      ~Jessica

      Delete
  15. I would like to knit this hat on straight needles and Im wondering how to add on the 2 extra stitches on each end like you replied to another knitter? Do I add the extra stitches on when first casting them all on or before I start to decrease the top of the hat ? Thank you (:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You'd add the two extra stitches when you cast on so that you have them to seam the entire hat. Hope that helps.

      Delete
  16. Thank you very much for your help ! What a wonderful pattern you have made !

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  17. Wow! What a wonderful thing you are doing, giving...knowledge and joy, can't beat that! I've never made a hat before so you are also giving one the opportunity to expand their knitting portfolio of techniques and creativity. So just a huge thanks for making us all better than we were yesterday! Barbara

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  18. Can I use. Just regular needles for it

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  19. Just finished the football hat! It's the first thing I've knit in 35 years. I was no expert then, but it came out beautifully! Thanks so much for your generosity in sharing.

    The only change I made (after a practice version) was to switch the ribbing to a knit one, purl one for a tighter finish.

    I took a picture, but I guess I can't send it. Looks as good as yours though!

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  20. Need assistance after doing the ribbing the pattern says to knit but looking at the picture of the hat it looks like you
    You would do the SS stitch. This is Round 7.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure, no problem. You are right that it looks like stockinette stitch, because it is! However, the hat is knit in the round, so to get stockinette stitch in the round all you have to do is knit. If you are making this flat (and modifying) then you would alternate knit and purl rows.

      I hope this helps.

      Delete
  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is an easy paper craft for children that teaches them about shapes also. You can find more details on animalheadgear on the site Scarf - AnimalHeadGear.com.

    ReplyDelete