11 Adorable Knitting Patterns for Children’s Hats You’ll Love Knitting

Toddlers to pre-teens need hats every bit as much as preemies and infants. You can knit them with these beautiful patterns for children’s hats (most of them free!)

It seems like whenever we think of charity knitting for young ones, we concentrate on babies and preemies and forget about the ones who are walking and talking.

Knitting patterns for babies seem to be everywhere; for children, not so much. 

But children are often in need too:

• In poor households, children often go without hats, mittens, scarves.
• In orphanages overseas, children can often use a nice pair of warm socks.
• Children in traumatic situations can appreciate a warm blanket to snuggle up with.
• Children suffering from childhood cancers could use soft, comfortable hats when they start losing their hair following treatment.

Let’s start with hats!

I love knitting hats. Why? One, you only have to knit one of them. Two, they’re small and easy to knit. Three, they’re a fun way to play with colors and stitch patterns. And finally, they go such a long way toward keeping children warm.

Now, enjoy the collection of knitting patterns for children’s hats below!

Note: when I first published this collection, all the patterns below were free. Since then, however, some of them have been become paid patterns. I’ve kept the patterns in this collection because they’re wonderful patterns, and I firmly believe knitting designers should be rewarded!

2. Free Knitting Patterns for Children’s Hats

Barley

• What you’ll need to make it: 80 to 90 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 6 and 8 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: This is one of the most popular free children’s hats pattern online. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s an easy knit, and the pattern offers sizes from baby to adult. You could conceivably create a hat each for everyone in a family–just like you see in the photo!

It’s a terrific hat knitting pattern for beginners.

Garter Ear Flap Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 70 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 8 and 7 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: I can’t say enough about this adorable hat. I love everything about it, from the petite ear flaps to the lines radiating downward from the crown to the little frilly topper.

Antler Toque

• What you’ll need to make it: 150 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 6 and 8 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round); cable needle or spare DPN

• Why you’ll want to: This is another multi-sized hat pattern. It features beautiful side panels of cables that look like antlers. Try not to be too daunted by the cables; the pattern features both written and charted instructions, and the abbreviations list and chart key make everything very clear.

Classic Cuffed Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: About 250 yards (for hat with pom) or 170 yards (for hat without pom) of worsted weight yarn; US Size 5 and 7 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: It’s hard to improve upon a classic like the simple stocking cap with a wide cuff and a pom pom on top! It’s warm, snuggly, and adorable.

Little Scallops

• What you’ll need to make it: 328 yards sport-weight yarn; US Size 2.5 or 3 DPNs and/or circular needle (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: If you have a few piles of leftover sport-weight yarn, this could be your perfect pattern to use it up! My favorite thing about this pattern is its pretty scallops design.
  
  (The pattern appears in both Swedish and English; just scroll down the page for the English version.)

Clayoquot Toque

• What you’ll need to make it: DK weight yarn in 3 different colors: about 100 yards of a main color, 30 yards of one contrasting color, and 10 yards of a second contrasting color; US Size 4 and 6 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: Would you like to give Fair Isle a try? If so, you won’t find a better canvas than this one. This hat pattern’s toddler and child sizes are small enough to be far less intimidating when you’re contemplating seemingly complex colorwork.

Luuk

• What you’ll need to make it: 80 to 90 yards worsted weight yarn (for toddler & child sizes); US Size 8 DPNs and/or circular needle (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: This is one of the most forgiving hat patterns I’ve seen, in terms of sizing. Not only does its horizontal ribbing (you’ll alternate clusters of knitted rounds with clusters of purled rounds) make it stretchier, but it offers every size imaginable, from preemies to “large adults.” So you can knit it for tiny preemies as well as that notorious large-headed hard-to-fit relative.
  
  Best of all, it makes an adorable child’s hat!

Strib Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 120 to 125 yards worsted weight yarn (about 20 to 30 yards of this should be in 1 to 2 different colors, if you wish to create stripes); US Size 6 and 7 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round).

• Why you’ll want to: For the joy of creating a quick, sweet, and simple striped and ribbed beanie.

3. More Delightful Children’s Hats Worth Knitting

Note: the patterns here are no longer free, but they’re too good not to take a look at! And they’re definitely worth the price.

Swirl Hat

• What you’ll need to knit it: 100 to 200 yards of fingering weight yarn; US Size 3 DPNs and/or circular needle (depending on how you like to knit in the round)

• Why you’ll want to: The swirling lines of this lovely hat pattern make it especially stylish. And it’s not just for girls, either; in a dark color like blue, green, brown, gray, or black, it’s just as suitable for boys. As a bonus, it’s sized for preemies to adults, so you can knit one for everyone you love as well as many for charity!

Basic Hats for Everyone

• What you’ll need to make it: 165 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 7 DPNs and/or circular needle (depending on how you like to knit in the round)
• Why you’ll want to: When they say “basic hats for everyone,” they mean it! In 4 sizes (baby, child, small adult, large adult), and in 4 different styles (rolled brim, garter stitch brim, ribbed brim, and earflaps)), this could be the only hat pattern you ever need.

I Heart Cables

• What you’ll need to knit it: 231 yards DK weight yarn; US Size 3 and 6 DPNs and/or circular needles (depending on how you like to knit in the round); cable needle or spare DPN; stitch holder or scrap yarn
• Why you’ll want to: This pattern has all the design features you could possibly want: cables, earflaps, adorable ties to keep the hat snugly on the head, and a sweet pom pom. If you’re a cable lover like I am, you’ll find this hat pattern a blast to knit!

Now that you’re well-equipped with a selection of the most charming knitting patterns for children’s hats, you can help equip children in need–or any child you love–with a darling hat to keep them warm!