ColoradoMoms.com Presents

Skater BabyBrim Hat

I knit this super simple hat for Brady, my youngest.   It’s sooooo cute on him!!!  For the brim, I actually dismantled a cheapie store bought knit hat and used the brim from that, but you can also cut one from plastic canvas.

Skater Baby! ~ Brim Hat© Emily Vanek

Free for personal use. You may make these to sell for charity, but please do not make to sell for personal profit.

Cast on 72 stitches. Place marker and join in a round, being careful not to twist.

Work in k2p2 ribbing for 16 rounds, or until piece measures 2 inches. Fold brim to inside and prepare to join to current round to form casing. Insert left-hand needle into first st from the cast-on round, then k2tog with first st of current round. *Insert left-hand needle into next st from cast-on round, then k2tog with next st of current round; rep from * to approx halfway across round. At this point, insert your plastic brim so that half of it is inside your casing and half is out. Continue to form casing, pulling the knit brim up on top of the plastic brim and encasing the plastic brim as you work. The casing should fit snugly around the plastic brim.

Once you have joined the entire brim around, knit all stitches for approx 5 inches. You can join a new  color to make stripes. In the hat pictured I did 8 rounds of the main color (MC) and then 3 rounds of the contrasting color (CC), then 3 rounds of MC and 2 rounds of CC and finished the hat in MC.   (note: where the plastic brim is the widest, the stitches will be tight to maneuver for a couple of rounds.  Just try to knit a little looser in that area to help ease things fro the next round.)

Begin decreasing the hat with the following pattern…

Decreases (changed for better shaping):

Row 1: K6, k2tog (63 stitches)

Row 2: K5, k2tog (54 stitches)

ColoradoMoms.com Presents

Skater Baby

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MATERIALS

• Size: 6-12 months (You can adjust the size by adding or decreasing the cast on stitches by multiples of 8)

• Yarn – Aran/Worsted weight “4”, I used Mission Falls 1824 Wool.

• Needle – US size 7, 16” circular needles, Cable needle and US

• size 7 DPNs

• Also will need a stiff brim of sorts. You can make one out of plastic canvas or thick cardboard. If you are making your own brim, the measurements are 6inches across, 1.25 inches wide and a slight curve. You can take a 2 inch thick piece of material and make sure when you draw a pattern that there is a slight curve but that the brim material doesn’t exceed being 1.25 inches wide at the thickest part. Cover with black or colored duct tape.

© Emily Vanek & ColoradoMoms.com

Row 3: K4, K2tog (45)

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: Knit

Row 6: K3, K2tog (36)

Row 7: Knit

Row 8: Knit

Row 9: K2, K2tog (27)

Row 10: Knit

Row 11: K1, K2tog (18)

Row 12: Knit

Row 13: K2tog (9)

Break yarn leaving a 6 in tail, thread through remaining stitches and draw up tightly. Fasten and weave in ends.

For the Brim:

I cut a 6 inch strip of plastic canvas. I created a curve that made the entire piece 1 – 1.25 inches wide.

Next I wrapped it in duct-tape. This helps prevent snags while inserting, makes it harder to see through the stitches and also provides a bit more stability so you can bend it.

Fold the knit fabric so the Cast on edge (CO) is on top. Insert your needle through the first  stitch on the CO round and the first stitch on the round on the needles.

Knit like you would a regular stitch

And pull through both stitches.

3© Emily Vanek & ColoradoMoms.com

Eventually you will add the brim. the wrapped plastic canvas is bendable, use this to your advantage when trying to work around the stitches. Don’t get too frustrated if it’s tight and difficult. it will get easier and you can push the brim through more of the hat if needed. Push it out of your way, into the closed casing.

4© Emily Vanek & ColoradoMoms.com