Snow Bear Fair Isle Hat - Free Pattern

This hat was inspired by a friend who requested a "cutesy hat with ears." Adding ears to a hat pretty much guarantees cuteness. I was just getting into fair isle knitting when I designed this and couldn't resist adding that element as well. Make it for a kid, or for your own "inner child."

Level: Intermediate

Size:

XXS, XS (Kid sizes) [S, M, L] (Adult Sizes)
Circumference: 18, 20 [22, 24, 26] inches
Height: 7.5, 7.5 [8.5, 8.5, 9.5] inches

Yarn:

Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; worsted weight 4ply; 315 yd per 170g skein]; 1 skein each color
[MC] Grey
[CC] White

Needles:

1 16-inch US #5 / 3.75 mm circular needle
1 set US #5 / 3.75 mm double-point needles
9, 10, [11, 12, 13] stitch markers
Tapestry needle

Gauge: 24 sts/30 rows = 4 inches

Pattern Notes:

Fair isle makes things extra warm and snuggly, but it also causes pieces to lose their stretch. What you see is what you get. Make sure you gauge your circumference accurately because there won't be much stretch room at all. Switch to double pointed needles when stitches get too tight on the circular needles.
There will be 18, 20 [22, 24, 26] repetitions of pattern A around the hat and 5, 5 [6, 6, 7] repetitions of pattern A up the hat. For the crown, there will be 9, 10, [11, 12, 13] reps of pattern B around

MC = main color (grey), CC = contrasting color (white), PM = place marker.

Body:

CO 108, 120 [132, 144, 156] st.
Rounds 1-8: Knit 2x2 rib.
Round 9: Beg patt A. Cont for 30, 30 [36, 36, 42] rounds of patt.
Rounds 44-51: Switch to dpns. Place 9, 10 [11, 12, 13] markers before stitches shown in red in patt B. Begin patt B. K2tog before every marker except for the last row of patt. [7 dec rounds - 8 rounds total]
Rounds 52-58: Remove every other marker, leaving 5, 5 [6, 6, 7] on needles. K2tog before every marker [7 rounds]
Rounds 59: k2tog every 12 st. [1 round]
Rounds 60: k2tog for all st, until 8 st remain.

Finishing (Body):

Cut yarn leaving at least a 6 inch tail. Thread onto seaming needle. Take stitches off knitting needles, thread seaming needle into stitch loops. Pull tight to close hole. Knot yarn. Turn hat inside out to sew in tails.

Ears [Make 2] (Same for all hat sizes):

CO 10 st.
Rounds 1-6: k St st
Round 7 [RS]: SSK, knit to last two stitches, k2tog
Round 8 [WS]: p
Continue to p all WS rows.
Rounds 9 and 11: SSK, k to last two st, k2tog [4 st on needles]
Round 13: k2tog, k2tog [2 st on needles]
Round 15: kfb, kfb [4 st on needles]
Rounds 17, 19, and 21: kfb, k to last to st, kfb [10 st on needles]
Round 15: kfb, kfb [4 st on needles]
Rounds 23-28: k St st
BO all stitches.

Finishing (Ears)

Fold ear piece in half, WS facing out. Sew up sides. Turn RS out. Sew both ears onto body of hat as shown in the picture.


Pattern APattern B