POPCORN Hat Pattern for Babies and Toddlers

My “POPCORN” hats are worked flat in stocking stitch and use the BIG POPCORN technique I shared a few days ago to add a lot of texture and extra cuteness 😊

They come in 4 sizes: Newborn, 1 to 6 months, 6 to 12 months, and Toddlers.

Of course, if you need a very quick and easy pattern to make baby hats with bulky yarn, you can skip the popcorns and knit them in a regular stocking stitch.

Skill level: suitable for beginner knitters who know how to make k2tog and skp decreases (advanced beginners / easy level), and have some patience to make the popcorns 😂

–> If you want to see this pattern in Ravelry to add your project, click here. 

The entire popcorn hat pattern for all sizes is below.

You can also purchase the POPCORN hat pattern in a high quality PDF file for HERE or in my Etsy Shop HERE. The file includes the step-by-step photo tutorial to make the big popcorns, abbreviations, detailed instructions for each size, and notes about seaming.

POPCORN HAT PATTERN: DETAILS

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Color codes are the same as in the written pattern.
Newborn: to fit 12’’ to 14’’ (30.5 to 35.5 cm) of head circumference.
1 to 6 months: to fit 14’’ to 16’’ (35.5 to 40.5 cm) of head circumference.
6 to 12 months: to fit 16’’ to 18’’ (40.5 to 45.5 cm) of head circumference.
Toddler: to fit 18’’ to 20’’ (45.5 to 51 cm) of head circumference.

MATERIALS

• 1 pair of straight needles US 8 (5 mm).
• 1 pair of straight needles US 9 (5.5 mm).
• Approx. 48 yds (44 m) / 55 yds (50 m) / 80 yds (73 m) / 125 yds (115 m) of Bulky / Chunky (12 or 16 ply) yarn. OR of DK yarn (8 ply) USED DOUBLE (double the yardage).
• Tapestry needle to weave in yarn ends and scissors.
• OPTIONAL: faux fur or yarn pompom.

GAUGE

15 sts x 19 rows in stocking st with US 9 (5.5 mm) needles = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm)

ABBREVIATIONS

• CO: cast on
• BO: bind off
• RS: right side
• WS: wrong side
• st: stitch
• k: knit
• p: purl
• k2tog: knit 2 sts together
• skp: slip 1 st as if to knit, knit 1 st, pass the slipped st over
• pop: popcorn stitch. Work 4 sts in 1 st by knitting front and back 2 times into that one st, then working 4 rows in stocking st over those 4 sts, and finally passing the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sts over the 1st st to end up again with 1 stitch. You can see a step-by-step guide HERE.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. CO 46 (46, 54, 62) sts with US 9 (5.5 mm) needles.

I always cast on and bind off stitches with larger needles than I use for the main work. This prevent my cast on and bind off rows from being too tight.

2. With US 8 (5 mm) needles work approx. 1’’ (2.5 cm) / 1.25’’ (3 cm) / 1.5’’ (4 cm) / 1.5’’ (4 cm) in 1/1 rib, ending with a WS row.

3. Change to US 9 (5.5 mm) and knit in popcorn stitch with 1 garter stitch at each border (see glosary at the end) until your hat measures a total of 4.75’’ (12 cm) / 5.25’’ (13.5 cm) / 6’’ (15 cm) / 7.75’’ (20 cm), ending with a WS row.

4. Now you are ready to make decreases in each RS row, in order to shape the crown of the hat. Keep working as follows, depending on the size of your hat.

Newborn size and 1 to 6 months size

Continue in stocking stitch making decreases on the following rows:

Row 1) k4, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k6, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 4 sts remain, k4
(38 sts)

Row 3) k3, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k4, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 3 sts remain, k3
(30 sts)

Row 5) k2, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k2, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 2 sts remain, k2
(22 sts)

Row 7) k1, *k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 1 st remain, k1 (14 sts)

Row 9) *k2tog, k1*, repeat from * to * until 2 sts remain, k2tog (9 sts)

6 to 12 months size

Continue in stocking stitch making decreases on the following rows:

Row 1) k5, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k8, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 5 sts remain, k5
(46 sts)

Row 3) k4, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k6, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 4 sts remain, k4
(38 sts)

Row 5) k3, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k4, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 3 sts remain, k3
(30 sts)

Row 7) k2, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k2, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 2 sts remain, k2
(22 sts)

Row 9) k1, *k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 1 st remain, k1 (14 sts)

Row 11) *k2tog, k1*, repeat from * to * until 2 sts remain, k2tog (9 sts)

Toddler size

Continue in stocking stitch making decreases on the following rows:

Row 1) k6, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k10, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 6 sts remain, k6
(54 sts)

Row 3) k5, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k8, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 5 sts remain, k5
(46 sts)

Row 5) k4, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k6, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 4 sts remain, k4
(38 sts)

Row 7) k3, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k4, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 3 sts remain, k3
(30 sts)

Row 9) k2, k2tog, k1, ssk, *k2, k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 2 sts remain, k2
(22 sts)

Row 11) k1, *k2tog, k1, ssk*, repeat from * to * until 1 st remain, k1 (14 sts)

Row 13) *k2tog, k1*, repeat from * to * until 2 sts remain, k2tog (9 sts)

5. Cut the yarn leaving a long tail.

6. Using a tapestry needle pass the yarn inside the remaining 9 sts and slide them off your knitting needle:

7. Pull tightly to close. I usually give it another turn inside all sts.

8. Sew your hat using the lateral garter sts as guide:

9. Weave in yarn ends and attach a pompom if you want 😃

You can also purchase the POPCORN hat pattern in a high quality PDF file HERE or in my Etsy Shop HERE. The file includes the step-by-step photo tutorial to make the big popcorns, abbreviations, detailed instructions for each size, and notes about seaming.

STITCH GLOSSARY

Stockinette Stitch (also called Stocking Stitch)

RS: k all sts
WS: p all stsAlternate those 2 rows.

Seed / Moss Stitch

Row 1) *k1, p1*, repeat from * to *
Row 2) k over p, and p over k.
Always repeat row 2.

1 / 1 Rib Stitch

Row 1) *k1, p1*, repeat from * to *

Row 2) k over k, and p over p.

Always repeat row 2.

Popcorn Stitch (stocking st with popcorns)

I write below how I did the popcorns you can see in my hat’s photos. Alternatively, you can make the popcorns with more or less space (sts / rows) between them.

Rows 1) to 4) stocking st (k all sts in odd rows and p all sts in even rows)

Row 5) k4, *pop, k8*, repeat from * to * 4 (4, 5, 6) times, pop, k 5 (5, 4, 3) sts

Rows 6) to 10) stocking st (k all sts in odd rows and p all sts in even rows)

Row 11) k8, *pop, k8*, repeat from * to * 4 (4, 4, 5) times, pop, k 1 (1, 9, 8) sts

Row 12) stocking st (p all sts)

Repeat from Row 1) onwards until reaching the desired length.

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© Cecilia Fameli, 2020.
You’re welcome to sell your items produced from Oh La Lana! patterns. But you may not re-sale or re-distribute commercially my patterns in any manner. Thank you in advance for being respectful with my work!