For Bird Lovers Only: 10 Delightful Free Bird Hat Knitting Designs

Got birds on the brain at all times? You’ll love these free bird hat knitting patterns

Some people are cat people. Others are dog people.

And then there are the weirdos among us who are bird people. 🐦

Don’t get me wrong: I love dogs, and I’m the proud slave of a sweet black terrier mix named Winnie, as well as the “grandma” to a ginger pit mix lovebug. But I am indisputably a bird person at heart.

I’m one of those strange people who enjoy bird songs serving as my alarm clock. I could spend hours watching brightly-colored birds flitting around and gobbling down seeds at a bird feeder.

And in my youth, I bonded with a cockatiel named Raja, quite possibly the most cherished pet I had in childhood. 🥰

To this day, whenever I see a macaw or a cockatiel anywhere, I become entranced. I think I might be some sort of bird whisperer, because I’ve quieted down a couple of squawking macaws just by talking to them. 🎶

If I didn’t have a homicidal terrier that lives to hunt small critters, I might have a bird in my house now. (Hmm, maybe not, though. Hubby isn’t a pet-bird person, sadly.)

Happiness Is Joining Knitting with Birds

Thanks to my lifelong love affair with birds, I adore bird knitting patterns. My favorite bird is the owl,🦉so I’ve knitted quite a few owl-y kinds of patterns (like hats, mitts, and headbands).

Luckily for me, and my fellow birdbrains out there, many knitting designers also love birds! If you search on Ravelry for anything bird-related, you’ll likely find a very long list of patterns. Today I’m narrowing them down to hat patterns only.

I first put this collection together several years ago, and at that time, I found only 2 kinds of bird-shaped hat patterns: Angry Birds and owls. But over the years, far more bird varieties have joined the hat fray, much to my delight! 🐦🐧🐤

And a new type of bird-themed hat has also emerged: the hat emblazoned with bird images. These images appear through colorwork, cables, or just sewing.

So read on for the unique and beautiful hat-related ways for you (or a loved one) to show your bird love!

Dazzling Bird-Shaped Hats

Angry Birds

• What you’ll need to make it: About 100 yards worsted weight yarn (in the colors you want to use); US Size 8 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; small bits of felt, for eyes & eyebrows

• Why you’ll want to: This delightful hat features the popular and famous gaming bird, with possibilities for both red and black varieties.

Tweedy Owl Hat for Knitters

• What you’ll need to make it: 70 to 100 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 7 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; the smallest set of DPNs you can find (for the eyes, if you decide to knit them); crochet hook (optional for eyes, but you’ll want it for attaching the tassels); tapestry needle; material for eyes, if you prefer not to knit or crochet them

• Why you’ll want to: My favorite part of this darling owl is its adorable tassel-style ears. I also appreciate that the eyes can be knitted, crocheted, or created in other ways as suggested in the pattern. It can be a great opportunity for creativity!

Tweet

• What you’ll need to make it: About 100 yards sport weight yarn (in the colors of your choice); US Size 6 and 4 needles (in whatever configuration you desire for circular and flat knitting); stitch markers; embroidery yarn; tapestry needle

• Why you’ll want to: Designer Thelma Egberts created this hat pattern so it would resemble the Twitter mascot (back when it was still called “Twitter”). You could easily change it into a love bird or a cardinal by knitting it in different colors.

Cheeping Chick

• What you’ll need to make it: About 110 yards worsted weight yarn, in whatever colors you wish; US Size 6 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; locking stitch markers

• Why you’ll want to: These adorable hats fit newborns as written. But you can easily cast on more stitches and make it fit any size head. Like with “Tweet,” you can use different colors of yarn to create different birds (as shown here!).
  
  The kindly knitter who offered permission to use this photo, puffingriffinclaw on Ravelry, gave this helpful suggestion to anyone who would like to knit these hats for preemies:

Cast on 48 stitches (in DK weight yarn on a US Size 5 needle). Also adjust for wing placement, etc.

Penguin Pal Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 140 yards worsted weight yarn (divided into 95 yards black, 30 yards orange yarn, 15 yards white); US Size 6 needles; tapestry needle

• Why you’ll want to: What makes this darling hat truly remarkable is that all the magic happens through colorwork, rather than through stitching on eyes, beaks, and so on. And it works — just look at this sweet hat, and you’ll envision a chubby waddling penguin!

Delightful Hats with Embedded Bird Images

Angry Bird Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: 384 yards fingering weight yarn, plus scraps of thicker yarn in red, black, white, and yellow;

• Why you’ll want to: Because you know a child (or a child at heart?😁) who would prefer to show his/her Angry Birds love in a slightly more subtle way, you can knit this charming beanie featuring the funny face of an Angry Bird. (It’s created using duplicate stitch; you can find a video tutorial here.)

Who?

• What you’ll need to make it: About 120 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 6 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; cable needle or spare DPN; buttons for eyes, sewing needle, and thread (optional)

• Why you’ll want to: Because you or someone you love is as big of a fan of owls as I am. I love knitting patterns that use cables in this manner to create little owls, and this hat is no exception. The best thing about this design is that you don’t really need to add “eyes”–it’s adorable regardless!

Lysti Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: About 220 yards fingering weight yarn, in two different colors; circular needle and/or DPNs in a size required to get gauge (check the Projects tab for suggestions), depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: Even if you don’t love peacocks, this hat is irresistible. (I might be wrong about the kind of birds depicted in this hat, but they look like peacocks to me!) The colorwork is a stunning work of art.

Penguins Galore Hat

• What you’ll need to make it: About 115 yards worsted weight black yarn, 10 yards yellow/orange yarn, and 25 yards white yarn; US Size 2.5, 3, and/or 4 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round (see note)

• Why you’ll want to: I don’t see how anyone can look at this hat and not smile at the sweet row of penguins. Aren’t they adorable?
  
  Note: one particular knitter of this pattern has offered some very helpful notes, which you can find here.

Blooming Rooster

• What you’ll need to make it: About 240 yards fingering weight yarn, in two different colors, plus about another 40 yards of a third color; US Size 1 circular needles and/or DPNs, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; stitch markers

• Why you’ll want to: If you know someone who absolutely loves roosters, you absolutely must make this gorgeous hat!

Whether you’re a bird person, a bird whisperer, or just someone who likes to hear the birds sing once in a while, I’ll bet you’ll find one of these bird hat knitting patterns perfect for you or a loved one!