Knitting Pumpkin Hats

I recently spent several weeks knitting pumpkin hats. As you know our grandchildren were just here for a ten-day visit. I started knitting a pumpkin hat for my two-month-old granddaughter. It went so quickly I decided that knitting hats for my other grandchildren was in order. My husband thought the hats were so cute he asked for one as well. By the time I was finished I had completed four adorable hats.

 

I found the pattern online at the website SimpleJill.com. You can download the pattern HERE. I have seen similar patterns elsewhere but Jillbert’s pattern caught my eye and I immediately found some yarn to complete the project.

 

The pattern was easy to read and not difficult at all. I purchase two skeins of yarn one a sage green and the other orange. I was able to knit four hats and nearly used up all the yarn! I was able to knit the hats while watching TV or driving in the car. In fact I worked on my husband’s hat on the way to the airport to pick up our two daughters and grandchildren!

 

I followed the pattern for knitting a newborn size and two child size hats. For my husband’s I adapted the pattern to fit his larger size head! Jilbert has some cute photos on her website. Here are the directions:

 

Pumpkin Hat Pattern

 

Size: newborn, (baby, toddler, child)

Gauge: 5 stitches/inch

Needles: size 6 (4mm) double pointed or 16″ circular or magic loop

Yarn: worsted weight in orange & a small amount of green

 

Always test your gauge — depending on the yarn, I’ve made this hat with needle sizes

that range from size 5 to size 7.

 

Cast on 64 (72, 80, 88) stitches. Mark your starting point and join in the round and knit

9 rows of stockinette stitch (knit every row). On the 10th row, knit into the back of each

stitch. This marks where the brim ends and helps keep the brim from continuing to roll

upwards.

 

Starting with the 11th row, knit every row until the hat measures 4.5″ (5″, 5.5″, 6.25″).

Start decreasing by knitting 2 together (K2tog), then knitting 6 stitches. Repeat all the

way around.

 

The next row, K2tog, K 5, repeat, all the way around.

Then K2tog, K4, repeat, all the way around.

Then K2tog, K3, repeat, all the way around.

Then K2tog, K2, repeat, all the way around.

 

Switch to your green yarn at this point.

Continue decreasing by K2tog, K1, repeat for the round.

Then, K2tog all the way around. You should have 8 (9, 10, 11) stitches left. Continue

these stitches in the round for an inch or so to form the stem. Finally, K2tog for one

round. You may have an odd stitch left over. That is OK. Cut the yarn and thread the

tail through the stitches.

 

We managed to get several pictures of everyone and looking at the pictures I think my husband had the most fun! It was a wonderful day at the Woodstock Farmer’s Market picking our fall pumpkins!