Introduction: Easy Knit Princess Hats - Inspired by the Movie “Frozen”

I love to make things for my beautiful granddaughters who bring great joy to my life. At this time they are 1 and 2 1/2 years old and one of their favourite movies is Disney’s Frozen.


Their Mom made a dress for the oldest so she could dress up as one of the characters in the movie. This inspired me to make a wig / hat to complete the outfit.

I am into fairness and ended up making 2 hats, one for each girl. One is like the character Elsa with a single braid and the other is like Anna with pigtails.

I designed this pattern with the beginner knitter in mind. The pattern uses just a basic knit stitch and 2 needles, a great way to learn the basics of knitting.

This hat is sized to fit a child who is 1 - 5 years old.

And the best part of this project is the look of delight that it brings to a young child and the joy that you feel both making something with love and doing something nice for someone else.

Supplies

Bulky yarn
7mm (US 2) Knitting needles
Ruler
Scissors
Darning needle
Crochet hook(optional)

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

I love to work on projects that are quick, easy and feel good to wear.

You can use any kind of bulky yarn to make this hat, but I really like Bernat Pipsqeak which was used for the yellow hat. Another great yarn is Bernat Blanket yarn which was used for the version with braids. These are not expensive, are easy to knit with and feel so soft and warm.

For a small child’s hat with one or two braids, you will need:
1 ball of bulky yarn - Approximately 100 grams
1 set of 7mm knitting needles ( US size 2)

You will also need a ruler or measuring tape, scissors and a darning needle wth a large eye.

A crochet hook about 5mm is optional but will make it easier to attach the strands for the braids



Step 2: Check Your Gauge

It is important to take a few minutes to check your gauge to ensure your hat ends up being the correct size.

To do this, cast on 10 stitches. Knit each row until your piece measures 2”.

Measure how many stitches there are in 2 inches of your sample piece. It should be 5 stitches over 2”

If you have more stitches than needed, switch to smaller sized knitting needles. If you have less stitches, switch to a larger size needles.

Step 3: Knit the Hat

Cast on 36 stitches very loosely. This will make the hat stretchier.
You can use long tail cast on which works well. Details can be found here: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Long-Tail-Cast-on/

Knit every row (garter stitch) until piece measures 6”

Begin to shape the top of the hat.

Row 1:*k4, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (30 st)
Row 2: *k3, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (24 st)
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: *k2, k2tog; repeat from * to end (18 st)
Row 5: *k1, k2tog; repeat from * to end (12 st)
Row 6: *k2tog, repeat from * to end (6 st)

Cut yarn leaving about a 20” strand of yarn to be used to sew the hat together.

Step 4: Sew the Seam

Using the long strand of yarn threaded on a darning needle, thread yarn through the 6 stitches remaining on the needle.

Sew the seam and weave in yarn ends.

Step 5: Make and Attach the Braid

Cut about 26 pieces of yarn about 36 inches long. This is double the length of the finished braid which will be about 18” long. Make this pieces longer or shorter depending on how long you want the braids to be.

An easy way to do this is to wrap the yarn around a box, piece of cardboard or anything else that will give you strands that are twice the length of your finished braid.

Pull strands 2 or 3 at a time through the bottom edge of the hat using a crochet hook or darning needle.

Pull each strand so it is folded in half and has two equal lengths of about 18” from the bottom edge of the hat.

For a single braid, this should be spread across about 2 1/2” of the bottom at the back of the hat.

For pigtails (2 braids), divide the yarn lengths in half and attach each half to opposite sides of the hat spread across about 1 1/2 “ per braid.

See the photos for a better idea of what this will look like.

Once all of the strands have been attached, divide the yarn “hair” into 3 sections and braid until about 2” from the end. Using a piece of yarn abou 6 inches long, tie the end of the braid tightly. Trim to make it all an even length.

Enjoy!

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