Introducing the Lighthouse Beanie

A free watch cap style knitting pattern.

Introducing the Lighthouse Beanie, a free watch cap style hat. If you’re ready to knit, you can download the free pattern above (click the blue button).If you’d like to learn more about the pattern, construction, and materials required, keep reading:

Construction: Lighthouse is a basic, watch cap style beanie. This pattern is designed to be friendly to the adventurous beginner. If you can knit and purl in the round and decrease by knitting two together, you have all the skills needed to knit this classic hat.

The Lighthouse Beanie’s brim is knit using a knit one, purl one (k1, p1) stretchy rib pattern. The brim is extra long so you can either fold it over for a warm, beanie style fit or wear it unfolded as a slouchy hat.

After knitting the k1, p1 ribbed brim, the pattern transitions to knitting every round (stockinette stitch). The crown is shaped using k2tog (knit two together) decreases.

Finishing: To finish your hat, you’ll cut your yarn leaving at least a 6″ tail. You’ll thread that tail through your remaining live stitches using your yarn needle while removing the stitches from your double-pointed needles. Then pull the yarn taut to close the top of the hat. Pull the yarn gently, but do make sure the crown is completely closed. This is like pulling a drawstring closed.

Once you’ve got the top of the hat closed, keep that tail on your needle and push the needle through the top of crown so the yarn tail is on the inside of your hat. You then turn your hat inside out and weave in the tail as well as the loose end from your cast-on.

Pattern Specs:

• Skill level: Advanced Beginner – Intermediate
• Skills needed: knitting and purling in the round, decreasing by k2tog.

• Size: Small (Large) Adult
  • Circumference: Stretches to fit a 22” (24”) head circumference
  • Height: 8” (8 ½”) with brim folded

• Gauge: 18 sts and 25 rows per 4” in stockinette stitch knit in the round.

Materials:

• US 8 (5.0 mm) double-pointed needles, or size needed to obtain gauge. I use ChiaGoo double pointed needles.
• 175 (190) yards worsted weight wool or wool blend yarn. Sample shown using Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Oatmeal (1 skein).  
• Stitch Marker
• Yarn needle
• Scissors

You can download the free pattern by clicking the button at the top of the page or you can find this and all my free patterns on the free patterns page.

As always, I love to hear from you and see your projects. Tag me on instagram (@knitmckinley or use hashtag #knitmckinley).

Happy Knitting,

Kara

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