Knit Reindeer Beanie

Published: January 9, 2012 | Updated: November 11, 2019 | By Ashlee

This knit reindeer beanie is quick to whip up and perfect for the holidays. Make the beanie any size you want so it can fit anyone of any age.

I have been on quite the yarn kick lately. I have been loving both crocheting and knitting again, and especially hats.

After our pumpkin beanie and then the Turkey leg Thanksgiving hat I had to come up with something for winter!

I actually finished this just a few days AFTER Christmas, bummer, but I did make the hat bigger so MAYBE he’ll fit it next year (or my sisters new baby will?!?!).

But for now it’s a cute winter hat, esp since he spends most of his time in the Moby wrap and his head is the only thing people ever really see!

And could be be any cuter? I can’t BELIEVE he’s 3 months old already, the time goes WAY to fast for my liking.

Buy the Ad-Free pattern pdf here!

Materials:
Baby soft yarn- brown for this hat (I like Caron Simply soft)
size 6 double pointed needles (I use a long needle for the cast on)

Abbreviations:
k- Knit
p- Purl
k2tog- Knit two together (decrease)
ssk- slip one knitwise, slip another knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit (decrease)

Gauge:
10 stitches per 2 inches

Cast on: 72 (6 months- 84, 12 months- 96, toddler- 108)
I prefer to use the long tail cast on for hats, it leaves a clean and flexible edge.

divide stitches evenly onto double pointed needles and join

First 8 rows a simple rib pattern: k2, p2 around

knit around until the hat is as tall as you want it. I stopped mine at 4 3/4 inches and it’s a tad bit too long, I wish I’d stopped at 4 1/4 or 4 1/2. But some basic size estimates is newborn- 4.5″, 6 months- 5.5″, 12 months- 6″ and toddler- 6.5 inches

now to start decreasing for the crowns, the k2tog then ssk creates nice even lines up to the crown instead of having your decreases curve around your beanie. It’s a bit trickier, but totally worth it in the end in my opinion.

Crown:
row 1- k4, k2tog, ssk, k4 around (so there will be k8 in between the decreases)
row 2- k around
row 3- k3, k2tog, ssk, k3 around (now k6 between the decreases)
row 4- k around
row 5- k2, k2tog, ssk, k2 around
row 6- k around
row 7- k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 around
row 8- k around
row 9- k2tog, ssk
cut the yarn with several inches left. With a needle pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end.

And the beanie is done! A great base for any baby hat!

For the antlers you have two choices, using double pointed needles you can make them separately and attach them later or, like me, knit them directly onto the hat! Pick where you want your antlers (mine centered on each side, 4 rows down from the center- in hindsight I WISH I’d done my antlers more forward from the center) and slide 4 needles through 3 stitches on each side creating a square. We want to start with 12 stitches. Stuff it as you go.

Antlers
Materials:
baby soft yarn- tan (caron simply soft)
size 4 double pointed needles
filling

Abbreviations:
k- Knit
p- Purl
k2tog- Knit two together (decrease)
ssk- slip one knitwise, slip another knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit (decrease)
kfb- knit front and back (increase)

Rows 1-9- k around (12 stitches) starting on the right side, then the bottom, then the left side, and finally the top
row 10- k9, kfb, k1, kfb (14)
row 11- k around
row 12- k3, kfb, k1, kfb, k3, kfb, k3, kfb (18)
row 13- k around
row 14- k11, kfb, k5, kfb (20)
row 15- k12, cast on 2 skip 7, k1 (15- with 7 left on a separate needle for later) (don’t forget to stuff as you go)
row 16- k3, kfb, k3, kfb, k7 (17)
row 17- k around
row 18- ssk, k9, k2tog, k4 (15)
row 19- knit around
row 20- ssk, k7, k2tog, k4 (13)
rows 21-23- k around
row 24- k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k6 (11)
row 25- k around
row 26- k2tog, k3, ssk, k4 (9)
cut the yarn with several inches left. With a needle pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end (remember the stuffing).

going back to the skipped 7, add the cast on 2 stitches for a total of 9 and spread out evenly over 3 double pointed needles.
rows 1-4- k around (9)
row 5- k2, ssk, k1, k2tog, k2 (7)
cut the yarn with several inches left. With a needle pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end (don’t forget to stuff).

I had some wide holes where I knit the first row, so when I was done I took some extra yarn and sewed it a bit, tightening up the gaps, you can’t even see the gaps anymore!

I did the same thing here that I did for the antlers, knit right onto the hat. I slipped one of the double pointed needles right into the hat. I started my ears 4 rows below the antlers

Ears
Materials:
baby soft yarn- brown (caron simply soft)
size 4 needles (I just used the double pointed ones I was already using)

Abbreviations:
k- Knit
p- Purl
p2tog- purl two together (decrease)
k2tog- Knit two together (decrease)
ssk- slip one knitwise, slip another knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit (decrease)
pfb- purl front and back (increase)

slip needle into 6 stitches of a column on the beanie wherever you want the ears

row 1- k6
row 2- p2, k2, p2
row 3- k2, pfb, pfb, k2
row 4- p2, k4, p2
row 5- k2, pfb, p2, pfb, k2
row 6- p2, k6, p2
row 7- k2, p6, k2
row 8- p2, k6, p2
row 9- k2, p2tog, p2, p2tog, k2
row 10- p2, k4, p2
row 11- k2, p2tog, p2tog, k2
row 12- p2, k2, p2
row 13- k1, ssk, k2tog, k1
row 14- p4
row 15, ssk, k2tog, binding off as you go
Weave in ends

And it’s done!!! I love it! I’m sure there are better ways to create this, and I’m still a newbie, but I’m so tickled it turned out so well!

And here you can see what I was talking about earlier on the crown of the beanie. The k2tog, ssk creates these beautiful and straight ribbed lines instead of a curved line from using just k2tog each round. It’s personal preference, but this totally fits my style!

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