Elmo Hat

©Heidi Arjes, 2012. This pattern is for personal use only.  Commercial use without written

permission of the author is prohibited.

Materials:

Size 8 16” circular needles

Size 8 dpn

Red medium weight yarn (I used red heart)

Small amounts of white, orange, and a couple yards of black

Yarn needle

Gauge: 8 stitches = 2 inches in stockinette stitch

Hat – Make Red hat correct size to fit a child or toddler

Note: The finished size on the hat above (and the pattern below) is 18” without stretching.  I have since made more hats, and I make sure to make them smaller than the above hat so that they fit a toddler’s head.  You may want to alter the hat pattern or use another simple pattern to make the appropriate size.

Using size 8 16” circular needles, cast on 66 stitches

Row 1-6: Knit

Row 7: Purl

Row 8-?:  Knit until hat measures 3-4 inches from cast on or desired height

Insert stitch marker at beginning of round. Begin to decrease on circular needles, switch to double pointed when stitches are too few to manage on circular needles:

Round 1: *K2tog, K9*, repeat until end of round

Round 2: Knit

Round 3: *K2tog, K8*, repeat until end of round

Round 4: Knit to end of round

Round 5: *K2tog, K7*, repeat until end of round

Round 6: Knit to end of round

Round 7: *K2tog, K6*, repeat until end of round

Round 8: *K2tog, K5*, repeat until end of round

Continue decreasing every round (i.e. K2tog, K4 one round then K2tog, K3) until there are about six stiches left on the needles. Cut yarn about 18 inches from the hat.  Use yarn needle to thread through remaining stitches and pull tight.  Stitch to secure, weave in end.

Eyes (Make 2)

Dpn size 5, White yarn

Increasing

Cast on 9 stitches, dividing so there are 3 per dpn

Round1 (and all odd rounds): Knit

Round 2: Kfb in each stitch (6 st. per needle)

Round 4: *K2, Kfb* repeat to end of round (8 st. per needle)

Round 6: *K3, Kfb* repeat to end of round (10 st. per needle)

Place stitch marker at round six and knit until you are ~3/4 of an inch from the marker

Before or while decreasing, stuff eye with fiberfill and decrease around stuffing.

Decreasing:

Round 1: *K2tog, K3* repeat to end of round (8st per needle)

Round 2: Knit

Round 3, *Kt2tog, K2* repeat to end of round (6 st. per needle)

Round 4: *K2tog, K1* repeat to end of round (4 st per needle)

Round 5: *K2tog* repeat (2 st. per needle)

Cut yarn with ~12 inch tail, using yarn needle, thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight, stitch a few stitches to secure.  Save tail for use in attaching eye to hat.

Nose

Size 5 dpn, orange yarn

Make exactly the same as the eyes except knit ~1 – 1.25 inches from marker before decreasing.

Finishing:

Embroider on eyes

Using yarn needle, sew eyes and nose onto hat so that it looks like Elmo

For notes on knitting balls for the eyes and nose and embroidering the black onto the eyes, refer to itty-bitty toys by Susan B. Anderson.