Whip up a fun design with this easy mock cable kid’s hat knitting pattern!

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Design Story and Inspiration for This Free Knitted Hat Pattern

My sons love when I make hats for them, so they often benefit from the hat patterns you see on this blog.  I have quite a few patterns for adult hats and decided I needed to do more child’s sizes, especially with cooler weather coming up!  I’m adding to the winter wardrobe for my family this year, and I’m super excited about making them some hats, sweaters and mittens!

I love this mock cable stitch pattern, so I decided to use it for this easy pattern.  NO cable needle required!  The “cable” look is achieved by slipping a stitch on one row and adding the stitch back with a yarn over.  

I designed this hat for the Holiday Maker’s Challenge, an annual event that includes free downloadable PDF’s, gift guide and more!

Yarn Options for Our Knitted Kid’s Hat Pattern

I used Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek for this pattern because I had some leftover from another project.  I really love the way the colors work up (and I’m a huge fan of teal and white!), so I chose this yarn for this pattern.  It’s a worsted weight yarn (category #4) and can easily be substituted with any yarn that gets gauge.

How to Customize This Free Pattern

If you’d like to change up this free knitting pattern, you can make the following customizations:

If you change yarn weight, make sure you adjust both your needle size and the number of stitches depending on your desired result.  This stitch pattern is a multiple of 4.

This pattern is written to be worked on circular needles with the magic loop, but you can also easily use double-pointed needles.  I would not recommend straight needles as this is written to be worked in the round.

Feel free to add a yarn pom or a faux fur pom pom to this hat – it would look great!

Change up the colors – go with colorblocking, stripes, or even a solid color.  They would all work with this easy mock cable pattern.

Kids Hat Pattern Details

This pattern will fit child sizes from about 3-6 years old, but it has a lot of stretch to it, so my 8 year old is seen wearing it, and it fits him.  It can stretch to fit a wide range of sizes as I even put it on for a while.

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Kid’s Mock Cable Hat

What You’ll Need

Yarn: Yarn Bee Soft and Sleek, worsted weight, (4oz/186yds), 100% low pill acrylic

Needles: US Size 6 (4.00mm) and 8 (5.00mm) circular needle or dpn’s

Notions: Yarn needle, scissors

Gauge: 29 sts and 32 rows = 4” (10cm) in mock cable pattern with larger needles

Finished Size: Approx 16” circumference to fit kids ages 3-6 (stretches to fit)

Stitch Guide
Knit (k)
Purl (p)
Mock Cable (MC) – Sl 1, k2, pass sl st over k2.

Mock Cable Pattern Stitch
Preparation row: *K3, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 1: *MC, p1; rep from * to end.
Rnd 2: *K1, yo, k1, p1; rep from * around.
Rnds 3-4: *K3, p1; rep from * around.
Rnd 5: Rep rnd 1.
Rnd 6: Rep rnd 2.
Repeat rnds 1-6 for pattern st.

Kid’s Hat Knitting Pattern

With smaller needles, cast on 116 sts.

Brim

Work in K2P2 rib for 1.5”.

Body

Change to larger needles and mock cable pattern stitch.

Work in pattern stitch until hat measures 5” from beginning, ending with rnd 1.

Shape Crown

Rnd 1 (Dec Rnd): *(K1, yo, k1, p1) twice, k2, p1; repeat from * to last 6 sts, (k1, yo, k1, p1) twice – 107 sts.

Rnd 2 (Dec rnd): *(K3, p1) twice, k2tog, p1; repeat from * to last 8 sts, (k3, p1) twice – 98 sts.

Rnd 3 (Dec rnd): *K3, p1, k3, p3tog; repeat from * to last 8 sts (k3, p1) twice – 80 sts.

Rnd 4: Rep rnd 1 of stitch pattern. 

Rnd 5: Rep rnd 2 of stitch pattern. 

Rnd 6: Rep rnd 1 of stitch pattern. 

Rnd 7: *K1, yo, k1, p1, k2, p1; rep from * around – 70 sts. 

Rnd 8: *K3, p1, k2tog, p1; rep from * around – 60 sts. 

Rnd 9: *K3, p3tog; rep from * around – 40 sts. 

Rnds 10-12: Rep rnds 4-6 of crown shaping. 

Rnd 13: *K2tog, p1; rep from * around – 20 sts.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail.  Thread yarn tail on tapestry needle and slip each stitch off purlwise onto tail.  Pull tightly to close.

Weave in ends.

Final Thought on Our Kids Hat Knitting Pattern

I hope you enjoy this free knitting pattern!  I had a blast designing it.  If you’ve made some basic hats and are ready for something with just a bit more of a challenge, then this is a beautiful pattern for you.  It makes a cute hat that doesn’t require a cable needle or any intricate stitches.  

​These hats make great gifts, too!  I love a color changing yarn or using a different color for the rib pattern, another good option.  It’s an easy project that provides extra warmth on chilly days.  My third son has already claimed this one and I’d better get going on some for the other boys, too!

Happy Knitting!
Amanda