Introduction: Knit Beard Hat

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Use this free knitting pattern to make yourself a nifty (and warm!) bearded hat.  It's simple once you know a few tricks, and it knits up in no time.  You'll want to make one in every color for everyone you know!  No longer will you suffer from beard envy or cold chins - now you can make your own beard hat!

Step 1: Materials and Patterns

I used some leftover bulky weight yarn (super soft and fuzzy, which is good since it's going on my face!) and some large knitting needles.  This would have gone better with circular needles, but I'm a strong believer in "use what you got," so I did them on straight needles.  If you're familiar with knitting in the round, it should be no trouble for you to translate this pattern into something simpler!


Step 2: Start Simple

To boost excitement about this project (meaning: guarantee I'll actually finish it), I started with the smallest part: the mustache.  It starts with one cast on stitch that is increased every other row to make the full part of the mustache.  Then it is decreased and repeated.  Simple!

This also makes a schmancy bow tie!   I recommend wearing it while you're knitting up the rest of the hat.

Step 3: Casting on the Beard

This is the first hurdle - the provisional cast-on.   Since I haven't made a full Instructable on this just yet, I will refer you to the site I used to teach me!   The pictures are perfect and it's easy to follow.

PROVISIONAL CAST ON TUTORIAL

Try it out a couple of times until you get the hang of it.  And yes, using a different color of yarn for this part DOES help.

Now that you've got that mastered, let's start knitting us a beard!
Follow the pattern for increases and decreases (you can fiddle with this bit to make a longer or shorter beard if you prefer).   Now you've got the beard portion done and it's time to make the hat!

Step 4: Casting on the Hat

To join the two sides of the beard, we need to cast on a few more stitches.  This will be the part of the hat that goes across your face.  I use Carleyy's technique for the single cast on.

SINGLE CAST ON TUTORIAL

It's quick and easy!  Once you've done that for the allotted stitches, it's time to pick up the stitches from the other side of the beard that we made with the provisional cast on.

Pick up the stitches and knit into them, removing the provisional yarn (red in my case) as you go.  

Cast on another lot of stitches for the part of the hat that will go around the back of your head.

If you're knitting in the round, this is when you'd want to join your work and go to town!

Step 5: Finishing the Hat

Continue knitting back and forth on the hat until it's the height you want.

If you're feeling fancy, you can do some decreasing towards the top of the hat, but I didn't, and it worked out just fine!

When you're done knitting the hat, bind off all of your stitches loosely.  Leave a long tail of yarn.  Use the tail to sew together the two sides of the hat.

Take another piece of yarn and run it through the bound edge of the hat.  Cinch up the stitches and tie them all off in a tight circle.

The only thing left is to sew on your mustache!  I tried mine on to see where I wanted it, and pinned it in place.

Using the yarn tails of the mustache, sew the mustache securely to the beard hat.

That's it!  Now don't you want to make another one??  Hope you had fun!

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