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I knitted this super easy ribbed beanie on circular needles and it’s a pretty fast knit, after all, a beanie isn’t that big.
But it’s not just fast and easy it’s also a fun knit and comfy to wear! This ribbed beanie hugs my head gently while keeping me warm.
The entire hat is knit in single ribbing, also called 1+1 ribbing, which makes it a one-size-fits-all because it’s super stretchy!
My hat actually fits me, my hubby, and both my kids that are 8 and 9 years old.
Luckily the kiddos say it’s itchy and hubby thinks the colors are too girly so I get to keep this beauty to myself!
7 good reasons to knit the ribbed beanie:
- It looks nice, and this kind of brimmed, ribbed hat is a modern classic.
- It’s super comfy to wear as this stretchy knit fabric hugs your head softly without being too tight
- The brim keeps your ears warm and the single layer of fabric at the crown makes sure you’re not too hot
- It’s a super easy and fast pattern to knit
- It’s fun to see how the colors blend together in the stripes!
- Use up some beautiful yarn from your stash! You can use any wool yarn that gives you 25–30 stitches per 4 inches / 10cm in single ribbing when held double.
- It’s a perfect Knitflix project. If you are as fond of watching Netflix and knitting as me…
Do you feel like this is a little too much to handle? Not so used to knitting yet?
No worries, I got your back! This beanie is super easy to make and I show all the steps in the video!
Knitting video: How to knit the Perfect ribbed beanie
If you like to see more videos like this one please subscribe to my youtube channel here!
What yarn to use
If you don’t want surprises I would go with a DK weight wool yarn for this beanie. Just because all fibers behave in their own way.
You can use any DK weight wool yarn, or combinations of wool yarns, that give you 25–29 stitches per 4 inches/10 cm in 1+1 ribbing.
If you don’t want the marled stripes you could go for a single strand in worsted/aran weight as well.
I used two strands of Ullcentrum 2-ply Sport Weight held together for this beanie and changed one of the strands out as I went to create the stripes.
Yarn suggestions:
- Buy Ullcentrum 2-ply Sport Weight at Fairlight Yarns. I’m so happy that I found one of my favorite Swedish yarns in a US webshop so that I can share it with you all! This yarn is rustic with rich, beautiful colors!
- If you like a superwash wool Patons Classic Wool DK Superwash is available on Amazon.
- KnitPicks has this beautiful yarn: Wool of the Andes Sport of 100% Peruvian highland wool. The color options for this yarn are great!
All the yarns suggested above are DK/Sport yarns, and you will need to use two strands at a time as I will show below.
I used this method because I like the marled fabric it creates. If you don’t want that effect you can use two strands of the same color or use one strand of heavier yarn. Then you need a worsted or aran weight yarn.
How I made my stripey beanie
I went with Ullcentrum 2-ply Sport Weight, a Swedish sport/DK wool yarn for my beanie, and knitted with yarn held double. The reasons are that I had this yarn in my stash (because it’s one of my many favorites), I love the colors, and I like the effect of knitting with two strands of different shades held together.
I used one main color (purple) for the entire beanie. For the stripes, I used three different shades of pink. I choose a ball of pink yarn and knitted it with the purple for nine rows, with the strands held together.
I took one image when I was about to add a new color and another after all knitting with all three strands for five stitches. After that, I cut the old yarn and used the lighter pink and the purple for nine rows, before switching again. I just left the tails hanging and weaved them in a bit later.
If you wish more information on how to knit with the yarn held double, I have a whole post dedicated to this subject here.
Free knitting pattern for the Ribbed beanie
Materials needed:
- DK yarn in four colors
- Circular knitting needles in size 5 US5 / 3,75mm
- One stitch marker
- Wool needle
- Scissors
Gauge: 25–30 stitches per 4″ / 10cm when knitting 1+1 rib with yarn held double. The ribbed fabric in this beanie is very stretchy so while gauge is of importance it’s not as crucial as when knitting stockinette or colorwork.
The stripes: The marled stripe effect on this beanie is created by knitting with two strands of yarn at the same time. One in your main color (mine is a deep purple) and one contrasting color. My contrasting colors are three shades of pink.
The main color is used throughout the entire project, the contrasting color is changed for every ninth row.
Cast on: 90 stitches with two strands of DK yarn held double. To make the cast on edge stretchy enough I cast on the stitches on both tips at the same time. (so that the circular needle is double inside the stitches) When I’m done I hold on to one tip and pull the cable until the other tip comes out before I join in the round.
Round 1: Place a marker at the start of your round. *K1, P1*, repeat *–* the whole round
Repeat row 1 until your tube is long enough. For me, that was about 12″ /30cm.
(Don’t forget to change your contrast color for the stripes every ninth row. )
How did I decide on that measurement? I pulled my needles until all the stitches had crammed up in a tiny ring on the crown of the hat. Then I tried it on with both yarn and needles dangling around my face 🙂
When I could wear the hat like that and was able to fold the brim as wide as I wished for, I started the decreases.
Decreases:
The 4 decreasing rounds are the last of the beanie. Make sure that you knit 5 rows of ribbing with your last contrast color before the decreases. That way your last color block will be the same width as the others.
Decrease round 1: *K1, k2tog, P1, p2tog*, repeat *–* the whole round. (60 stitches left)
Decrease round 2: *k2tog, p2tog*, repeat *–* the whole round. (30 stitches left)
Decrease round 3: Same as decrease round 1 (20 stitches left)
Decrease round 4: Same as decrease round 2 (10 stitches left)
Brake the yarn, leaving a tail to pull through the remaining stitches and weave in your tails.
Your next read:
––> The easiest rib stitch pattern
––> Cast on and join in the round on circular needles
––> How interchangeable knitting needles makes your life easier
