Bubble Hat

Our Bubble Hat is made from 100% Bamboo DK yarn and is available in 3 sizes with either a ribbed or picot edging.

You will need

You will need 2.5mm and 4mm DPN’s (or circular needles if you prefer) and a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round.

The largest size uses 33g of yarn for the main colour, and each of the 3 bubble rows uses 6g of contrasting colour(18g total). The smaller sizes will use less. Our packs allow extra yarn incase you are a looser knitter.

We have made yarn packs especially for this pattern

Sizing

The hats are made smaller than the required size so that they will stretch to fit. We found the picot cast on gave a much looser fit around the brim (but looks so much cuter in the smaller sizes!)

Small: Finished size 32cm around, to fit 36cm

Medium: Finished size 44cm around, to fit 49cm

Large: Finished size 56cm around, to fit 60cm

Casting On

Picot: With 2.5mm DPN’s or circular needles, cast on 78/92/104 stitches total using a Picot cast on.

A Picot cast on is done by casting on 5 stitches, now k2, cast off 1 stitch, k1, cast off 1 stitch. Now put the stitch from the right needle onto the left.

*Now cast on 4 stitches, k2,cast off 1, k1, cast off 1. Now put 1 stitch from right needle and repeat from * until you have 77/91/103. Cast on 1 stitch.

Now join in the round and knit 1 round.

Now transfer to 4mm dpn’s/circular needles and knit 3 rows. Purl 1 row (yes, we forgot to do this in our smaller example hat!) and knit 5 more rows. At some point while knitting these 5 rows increase once by 1 stitch so you have 79/93/105 stitches.

You are now ready to progress to the ‘middle section’.

Ribbed: With 2.5mm DPN’s or Circular needles cast on 78/92/104 stitches and work in 1×1 rib (k1, p1) until you have knit 10 rows.

Change to 4mm DPN’s/ circular needles and knit 6 rounds, during these rounds increase once by one stitch so you have 79/93/105 stitches.

You are now ready to progress to the ‘middle section’.

Middle Section

You are now going to knit the ‘Bubble’ section. If you are not familiar with the bubble stitch it may be helpful to watch a video of how to do the stitch alongside our instructions.

This section is also where you will add you extra colours. If you have more than one colour for this section you will add a new colour every 6 rows. This is an 18 row section.

The pattern for this section is;

Rows 1-5: Knit

Row 6: (K3, Knit 4 below) K1

Rows 7-11: Knit

Row 12: K1(Knit 3 below, K3)

Rows 13-18: As rows 1-6

However I will explain this 18 row pattern in more detail below;

Add your new colour and knit 5 rounds. (It is up to you if you wish to carry the main yarn colour while you do this, or cut it and rejoin at the end of this section. )

On row 6 Knit 3, then drop/ladder the next stitch back so you are knitting the first ‘v’ stich of this colour (eg the stitch from row 1) It feels scary to drop those stitches, but this is how we form the bubble. Again it may be helpful to see this in a video if you are unfamiliar. Continue this all the way around, and knit the last stitch.

You have now completed one section of bubble stitch and if you have more than one colour for this section you will change colour again now, and knit 5 rows. Now on the 12th row we will make the bubble again, but because we want them to be in the middle of the previous bubbles, we will Knit 1 stitch, then knit the stitch 4 below. Now we will knit 3 stitches, then knit the stitch 4 below and continue until the end of the row.

Now finally, changing colour if needed, we will repeat the first 6 rows again.

When you have knitted all 18 rows move on to the finishing section.

Finishing

Change back to your original/main colour yarn, and knit a round. In this round decrease a stitch so you now have 78/92/104 stitches and knit until the hat measures 5/5/6 inches long, or desired length.

You are now ready to decrease.

Small:

Row 1: K1, K2tog around (52 stitches)

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K1, K2tog around, knit last stitch (35 stitches)

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: K1, K2tog. Knit last 2 stitches (24 stitches)

Row 6: Knit

Row 7: K1, K2tog around (16 stitches)

Row 8: Knit

Row 9: K1, K2tog around. Knit last stitch (12 stitches)

Row 10: K2tog

Pull thread through last 6 stitches and secure. Weave in ends.

Medium:

Row 1: K1, K2tog around. Knit last 2 stitches (62 stitches)

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K1, K2tog around. Knit last 2 stitches. (42 stitches)

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: K1, K2tog around. (28 stitches)

Row 6: Knit

Row 7: K1, K2tog. Knit last stitch. (19 stitches)

Row 8: Knit

Row 9: K1, K2tog. Knit last stitch. (13 stitches)

Row 10: K2tog around, knit last stitch.

Thread yarn through remaining 7 stitches and secure. Weave in ends.

Large

Row 1: K1, K2tog. Knit last 2 stitches (70 stitches)

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K1, K2tog. Knit last stitch. (47 stitches)

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: K1, K2tog. Knit last 2 stitches. (32 stitches)

Row 6: Knit

Row 7: K1, K2tog. Knit last 2 stitches. (22 stitches)

Row 8: Knit

Row 9: K1, K2tog. Knit last stitch. (15 stitches)

Row 10: K2tog around. Knit last stitch.

Thread yarn through the remaining 7 stitches and secure. Weave in ends.