Difficulty: Beginner ✦✧✧✧✧
This Christmas, I wanted to make my baby a Scandinavian elf hat for taking our family holiday photos.
This hat is modeled after the hats from Finland that I used to wear as a child. These hats are a little longer than a typical Santa hat and do not have a white cuff. I have given instructions below if you want to add a white cuff to your hat.
This hat is available in two sizes: newborn to 3 months and 3-6 months.
I suggest trying the hat on your child periodically to determine how large you need to make it. The hat should fit just over the top of your baby's head, but not down the forehead, before stopping the increases and continuing with the pattern after Row 58.
I made this hat in Knit Picks Mighty Stitch in Serrano, with a 5mm hook.
Gauge: 9 sts in 11 rows is 2 inches square.
All sizes:
Row1: 6 sc in a magic ring.
Row 2: [sc, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (9 sts)
Rows 3-4: Sc in each st around. (9 sts)
Row 5: [sc 2, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (12 sts)
Rows 6-7: Sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Row 8: [sc 3, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (15 sts)
Rows 9-10: Sc in each st around. (15 sts)
Row 11: [sc 4, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (18 sts)
Rows 12-13: Sc in each st around. (18 sts) Row 14: [sc 5, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (21 sts)
Rows 15-16: Sc in each st around. (21 sts)
Row 17: [sc 6, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (24 sts)
Rows 18-19: Sc in each st around. (24 sts) Row 20: [sc 7, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (27 sts)
Rows 21-22: Sc in each st around. (27 sts) Row 23: [sc 8, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (30 sts)
Rows 24-25: Sc in each st around. (30 sts) Row 26: [sc 9, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (33 sts)
Rows 27-28: Sc in each st around. (33 sts) Row 29: [sc 10, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (36 sts)
Rows 30-31: Sc in each st around. (36 sts)
Row 32: [sc 11, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (39 sts)
Rows 33-34: Sc in each st around. (39 sts) Row 35: [sc 12, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (42 sts)
Rows 36-37: Sc in each st around. (412 sts) Row 38: [sc 13, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (45 sts)
Rows 39-40: Sc in each st around. (45 sts) Row 41: [sc 14, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (48 sts)
Rows 42-43: Sc in each st around. (48 sts) Row 44: [sc 15, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (51 sts)
Rows 45-46: Sc in each st around. (51 sts) Row 47: [sc 16, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (54 sts)
Rows 48-49: Sc in each st around. (54 sts) Row 50: [sc 17, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (57 sts)
Rows 51-52: Sc in each st around. (57 sts)
3-6 month size:
Row 53: [sc 18, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (60 sts)
Rows 54-55: Sc in each st around. (60 sts) Row 56: [sc 19, 2 sc in next st] repeat 3 times. (63 sts)
Rows 57-58: Sc in each st around. (63 sts)
All sizes: 18 rows of: sc in each st around. (57, 63 sts)
3-6 month size: 2 more rows of: sc in each st around. (57, 63 sts)
Optional cuff: If you want to add a cuff (like a traditional American Santa hat), follow these instructions. Try using a fluffy yarn, like homespun or eyelash (held together with a strand of normal yarn) to give it texture.
• Switch to white.
• 2 sc in the first st, sc 25 or 31 (0-3 mo or 3-6 mo sizes, respectively), 2 sc in the next st, sc in the remaining sts around. (59, 65 sts). • 8 rows of: Sc in each st around. (59, 65 sts)
All sizes, with or without the cuff:Reverse sc or crab st in each st around. Sl st 2, tie off.
Fold up the cuff.
Add a pom pom or jingle bell to the top. I used Clover's 1-inch pom pom maker for mine.
