To celebrate my new website, I've designed a party hat for your toys to wear! While it's simple to knit, you can add a variety of embellishments to complement any style or party theme. I've created two sizes: a small size for my smaller (8-9" tall) toys, and a large size for my larger (14-16") toys to wear. I hope you will enjoy this pattern, and share it with everyone who enjoys cute knits!
Materials Required
10 g of fingering or 15 g of worsted weight yarn, pair of 3 or 4 mm (US size 2.5 or 6) knitting needles, tapestry needle, 30-40 cm (12-16”) ribbon or contrasting yarn for ties, or ⅛” wide elastic, optional: buttons, sequins, fabric flowers, pom-pom, etc to embellish (plus hand-sewing needle and thread to attach)
Gauge
Small: 8 sts and 13 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in garter stitch
Large: 5.5 sts and 11 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in garter stitch
Size
Small: 4 cm (1½“) tall, 10 cm (4”) around at base
Large: 6 cm (2½“) tall, 13 cm (5¼”) around at base
Small Hat
CO 33 sts with fingering weight yarn and 3 mm needles.
Row 1-3: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 4: [k6, k2tog] x 4, k1. (29 sts)
Row 5-7: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 8: [k5, k2tog] x 4, k1. (25 sts)
Row 9-11: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 12: [k4, k2tog] x 4, k1. (21 sts)
Row 13, and following odd rows: Knit.
Row 14: [k3, k2tog] x 4, k1. (17 sts)
Row 16: [k2, k2tog] x 4, k1. (13 sts)
Row 18: [k1, k2tog] x 4, k1. (9 sts)
Row 20: [k2tog] x 4, k1. (5 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining stitches, and pull tight to gather.
Large Hat
CO 33 sts with worsted weight yarn and 4 mm needles.
Row 1-3: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 4: [k6, k2tog] x 4, k1. (29 sts)
Row 5-7: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 8: [k5, k2tog] x 4, k1. (25 sts)
Row 9-11: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 12: [k4, k2tog] x 4, k1. (21 sts)
Row 13-15: Knit in garter stitch.
Row 16: [k3, k2tog] x 4, k1. (17 sts)
Row 17, and following odd rows: Knit.
Row 18: [k2, k2tog] x 4, k1. (13 sts)
Row 20: [k1, k2tog] x 4, k1. (9 sts)
Row 22: [k2tog] x 4, k1. (5 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining stitches, and pull tight to gather.
Finishing
Sew back seam to cast-on edge. Weave in yarn ends on WS.
Embellish the hat with buttons or a few sequins, or add a pom-pom or fabric flower to the top. Or try adding a ribbon bow, or other trimmings, to the brim of the hat.
Ties: To help the party hat stay on the toy, you can add ties to opposite sides of the cast-on edge. The length of the ties depends on the size of the toy, and where the ears are placed: you’ll want at least 15 cm (6”) long ties for smaller toys, and 20 cm (8”) long ties for larger toys. The ribbon or yarn can be threaded through the cast-on edge and tied on, or attached with a hand-sewing needle and thread. You may need to experiment with your toy a bit, to find the best position to tie on the hat.
Elastic: For younger children, you may prefer to attach the hat with a loop of elastic. To find the length required, pin one end of the elastic to one side of the hat brim. Then loop the elastic around the ears or chin of your toy, and mark where it reaches the other side of the hat. Give yourself an additional 1 cm or so on each end for sewing the elastic to the inside of the hat brim.
Abbreviations
[ ] x N = repeat sequence in brackets N times ("to end" means to repeat until the end of the row)
CO = cast on
K or k = knit
k2tog = decrease 1 stitch by knitting 2 together