Knit Hat Pattern — Classic Cuffed Beanie

Cuffed Beanie Pattern

1. Tips on knitting with two balls of yarn

   I really struggled knitting with two balls of yarn until I started using a little cloth bag to hold them while I knit. Somehow it’s enough to keep them from turning into a tangled mess.
   
   You can either wind both skeins into balls and use them both, or pull from the center and the outside of one ball, or split them into two smaller balls (I used a kitchen scale to get them even).
   
   You won’t need all of it, and I’d rather have one larger ball at the end to put in my stash than two smaller balls, but it’s up to you.

2. Cast on

   Cast on 84 (92) stitches using the long-tail cast on method.
   
   Or, if you are an experienced and/or ambitious knitter, use the Long Tail Tubular Cast On. This technique creates a very clean, elastic edge for a ribbed cuff. However, I find that it requires a lot of focus, and you really need to complete the cast-on row and the foundation rows in one sitting. At least, I do or I get lost.
   
   Also, for a 2×2 rib stitch (2 knit stitches, 2 purl stitches) you need to add an extra foundation row in order to rearrange the stitches into the correct order. I know. It’s time-consuming and tricky, so only attempt this if that sounds fun to you!

3. Join the stitches

   Join the stitches for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches and placing a marker at the beginning.

4. Knit the ribbed cuff

   Knit in 2 by 2 rib for 4 inches. That means knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches, around and around until your knitting measures 4 inches.

5. Switch to stockinette

   At the end of the round, switch to the larger size needles and start knitting in stockinette stitch. Since you are knitting in the round, that means you’re just going to knit every stitch, until your knitting measures 9 inches.

6. Start decreasing rounds

   For the next round:
   • knit one stitch
   • ssk (slip one stitch knitwise, slip one stitch purlwise, then insert the left needle into the front of these two stitches and knit them together)
   • knit 16 (18) stitches
   • knit two together (k2tog) and place a marker (make these markers a different color than the marker you already have placed at the beginning of the round)
   • repeat this pattern until the end of the round
   • knit one full round
   
   You should now have 4 markers — 3 you just placed and the original one to mark the beginning of the round — with 19 (21) stitches between them, for a total of 76 (84) stitches.
   
   For your next rounds, you are going to repeat the above pattern, decreasing the number of stitches knit between the ssk and the k2tog by two stitches each round. Continue knitting in this pattern until you have 12 (or 8) stitches remaining. (For the last round you won’t have enough stitches to ssk and k2tog in each section, so just knit the center two stitches together.)
   
   Use the markers to remind you when to ssk and when to k2tog. Switch to your double-pointed needles when your knitting gets too tight to fit on the circular needles.
   
   This is what your hat will look like after you place the markers:
   

7. Bind off

   Cut your yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Using a yarn needle, thread your tail through the remaining stitches and pull snug. Tie off on the inside, and sew in the end.
   
   This is what your hat will look like just before you bind off: