Are your toys needing a little boost to their wardrobe at this spooky time of year? This cute witchy hat takes just about an hour, and a little bit of black yarn, but looks stylish and seasonal! At the end you'll also find a few tips for knitting a cute black dress, for those who want the complete ensemble.
Witchy Hat
Materials
Small hat (to fit smaller Fuzzy Mitten toys): 10 g of fingering weight yarn in black, 3-4 m of fingering weight yarn in contrasting colour (optional), set of five 3 mm (US size 2.5) double pointed needles (dpns)
Large Hat (to fit larger Fuzzy Mitten toys): 20 g of worsted weight yarn in black, 4-5 m of worsted weight yarn in contrasting colour (optional), set of five 4 mm (US size 6) double pointed needles (dpns)
Notions: tapestry needle, yarn or narrow ribbon or elastic for ties (see finishing notes), millinery for decoration (optional, such as buttons, feathers, etc) plus hand-sewing needle and thread to attach
Gauge
Small: 8 sts and 11 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in stockinette stitch
Large: 5.5 sts and 8 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in stockinette stitch
Size
Small: 5 cm (2“) tall, 25 cm (10”) around brim
Large: 7.5 cm (3“) tall, 36 cm (14”) around brim
Notes
You can also use a set of 4 dpns, but you will need to redistribute stitches between needles as you decrease.
Find the stitch abbreviations at the end of this post.
Small Hat
CO 72 sts with fingering weight yarn and 3 mm dpns.
Distribute sts evenly between 4 needles. Join in the round, being careful not to twist.
Rnd 1-3: Beg with a P rnd, work 3 rnds in garter st.
Rnd 4: [k4, k2tog] x 12. (60 sts)
Rnd 5-7: Work 3 rnds in garter st.
Rnd 8: [k3, k2tog] x 12. (48 sts)
Rnd 9-11: Work 3 rnds in garter st.
Rnd 12: [k2, k2tog] x 12. (36 sts)
Optional: work next 3 rnds in contrasting yarn.
Rnd 13-15: Knit in st st.
Continue with black yarn.
Rnd 16: [k7, k2tog] x 4. (32 sts)
Rnd 17-19: Knit 3 rnds in st st.
Rnd 20: [k6, k2tog] x 4. (28 sts)
Rnd 21-23: Knit 3 rnds in st st.
Row 24: [k5, k2tog] x 4. (24 sts)
Rnd 25, and following odd rows: Knit.
Rnd 26: [k4, k2tog] x 4. (20 sts)
Rnd 28: [k3, k2tog] x 4. (16 sts)
Row 30: [k2, k2tog] x 4. (12 sts)
Row 32: [k1, k2tog] x 4. (8 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining stitches, and pull tight to gather. Weave in yarn ends on WS.
Finishing
Ties: To help the witch hat stay on the toy, you can add yarn or ribbon ties to opposite sides of the inside crown. 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 yarn or ribbon can be threaded through the inside of the brim and tied or sewn on. 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.
Millinery: for a fancier hat, decorate with buttons, feathers, flowers, ribbon, or whatever else you like. Attach with a hand-sewing needle and thread.
Large Hat
CO 72 sts with worsted weight yarn and 4 mm dpns.
Distribute sts evenly between 4 needles. Join in the round, being careful not to twist.
Rnd 1-3: Beg with a P rnd, work 3 rnds in garter st.
Rnd 4: [k4, k2tog] x 12. (60 sts)
Rnd 5-7: Work 3 rnds in garter st.
Rnd 8: [k3, k2tog] x 12. (48 sts)
Rnd 9-11: Work 3 rnds in garter st.
Rnd 12: [k2, k2tog] x 12. (36 sts)
Optional: work next 3 rnds in contrasting yarn.
Rnd 13-15: Knit 3 rnds in st st.
Continue with black yarn.
Rnd 16: [k7, k2tog] x 4. (32 sts)
Rnd 17-19: Knit 3 rnds in st st.
Rnd 20: [k6, k2tog] x 4. (28 sts)
Rnd 21-23: Knit 3 rnds in st st.
Row 24: [k5, k2tog] x 4. (24 sts)
Rnd 25-27: Knit 3 rnds in st st.
Rnd 28: [k4, k2tog] x 4. (20 sts)
Rnd 29, and following odd rows: Knit.
Rnd 30: [k3, k2tog] x 4. (16 sts)
Row 32: [k2, k2tog] x 4. (12 sts)
Row 34: [k1, k2tog] x 4. (8 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining stitches, and pull tight to gather. Weave in yarn ends on WS. Follow finishing instructions above.
Witchy Dress
Want to knit a fetching witchy dress too? I made this one from the dress included in the Tabby Cat pattern, with just a few modifications.
You'll need just black yarn to make this version, about 30 g of fingering weight should be plenty.
Ignore the yarn colour change after Row 21.
Skip the texture pattern on the skirt, and just work in plain stockinette stitch.
You can knit the full length given in the pattern, or stop when you feel the skirt is long enough, and then work the garter stitch edging.
It's as easy as that!
Tip: this dress pattern is written for my small (8-9" tall) size toys. If you want to make a witchy dress for a larger toy, you can try the Blossom Dress from the Summer Picnic outfit, although it does have a textured lace design on the bodice.
Abbreviations
[ ] x N = repeat sequence in brackets N times ("to end" means to repeat until the end of the row)
Beg = beginning
CO = cast on
Garter st = garter stitch, alternate 1 round purled and 1 round knit
K or k = knit
k2tog = decrease 1 by knitting 2 stitches together
P or p = purl
Rnd = round, or one row worked in the round
RS = right side (knit side in stockinette stitch)
st or sts = stitch or stitches
st st = stockinette stitch, knit all rounds
WS = wrong side (purled side in stockinette stitch)
The cute little Jack O'lantern is from my Bat pattern, another fun Halloween pattern to knit.