Our Favorite Knit and Crochet Baby Hats

by Meg Dedolph

Once, about 16 years ago, I was dashing from the grocery store to my car with my 3-month old baby in a carrier, snug against my body, tucked inside my winter coat. It might have been November, and it was getting dark, and because I was working on about four hours of sleep, I did not have a baby hat with me. 

And maybe it was the universal rule of parenting in action – no matter how great a job you do on any given day, it’s going to be when you’re a little off your game that some Helpful Stranger decides to shout something, such as, “That baby needs a hat!"

Some days, it doesn’t take a lot to be a good person. Some days, it is enough to choose not to cuss out strangers who yell at you in parking lots.

But I was a knitter then, and I’m a knitter now, and as soon as I hear about a new baby in my orbit, I make them a baby hat, if only to keep friends from being hat-shamed when they’re just trying to get groceries. 

Baby hats are small and cute. They’re fast to make. And babies are forgiving hat models. Honestly, they’re already so adorable that you could roll up the edge of a paper lunch sack, slap it on a baby’s head and still get 80 likes for that photo.

Baby and kid hats allow you to indulge a whimsical side that adult hats just don’t provide. Nobody has come in the yarn shop asking me for an adult hat pattern that features rabbit ears. No one.

Here’s a roundup of some favorite baby hat patterns. Make one for a baby you know and save their parents from public embarrassment.

Emily and I have a soft spot for the pumpkin hat. You can crochet one, too.

If you make it in red or yellow or purple or blue, it can be any other fruit or vegetable you want. Rios is a great choice; so is Misha and Puff, or  Blue Sky Sweater. All of those yarns are machine-washable.

Another cute choice is the knot-top hat. Here’s a crochet version. Knitters, try this hat, but when you get to the top, rather than finishing it when you have 6-8 stitches left, just keep going until you get a tail long enough to tie in a little knot. I find three or four inches is enough. 

Here are a few suggestions if you want a little whimsy, because babies don’t actually care what’s on their heads. But parents do. If you have people who like silly winter hats, try knitting this hat. I skipped the colorwork to make it easier.

In our family, we called the parts sticking out ‘corner boings,’ and as this hat comes in multiple sizes, you can make them for everyone. It’s made with bulky yarn, so even though it requires hand-washing (as do babies), this wool-alpaca yarn is super soft and might be worth the extra care. Or hold some worsted-weight yarn doubled.

My favorite way to jazz up a plain knitted ribbed hat is by adding  colorful stripes. If you have leftover balls of yarn around from other projects, this is a terrific way to use them up, or pick your favorite sports team or school colors.

As a bonus, a ribbed hat is stretchier so it fits the kid for a longer time. If the kid is old enough to have an opinion, let them tell you what color to pull out next, and how thick to make the stripe. 

Finally, babies look great in hats with ears. Here’s a knitted rabbit ear one. It’s a little fussier than a plain hat, but oh my stars, is it ever adorable. Crocheters can play, too. 

(I had to use an adult head to model this rabbit ear hat that I made for a friend's kid, but hey, knitting stretches and you can really see the ears.) 

How about a knitted hat with cat or bear ears? Also cute for babies.

(If the kid you are making a hat for tends more toward stegosauruses than kitties, I’m here to say that three or four cat ears, made separately and sewn down the center of the hat make dinosaur spines.)

So next time you feel like you need a baby gift, consider the humble - but useful - hat and try one out.