Matching knitted Striped Beanie

 It's hard to stay grumpy for too long when your this cute.

 And when you have just got a pretty new hat to wear to Preschool.

I have made a cute little striped hat to match the Debbie Bliss Cardigan I just finished knitting for Little Miss Four. Made with 12 ply 100% wool it's a quick easy knit you can customise with your own unique combination of colours. Little Miss Four is a little string bean, so if your hat wearer is more bonny, then assume that this size will fit a 2 to 4 year old. There is plenty of stretching room in this design. However, if you want to increase the size just add extra stitches in multiples of 10, and increase the length of the sides of the hat before starting the decrease rows.

Start off by casting 80 stitches onto size 4mm knitting needles. Rib Knit 1 (K1) Purl 1 (P1) for 8 rows, ending with a right side row.
Change to 5mm needles and work 6 rows of stocking stitch (stst) (that's 1 row knit, then 1 row purl repeated) ending with the right side facing.

Join on your first colour - in this case pale blue - work 2 rows stst. Pick up the main colour again, break off the pale blue, and work 2 rows of the main colour in stst.

Join on the 2nd colour - in this case purple - work 2 rows stst. Pick the main colour and work 2 rows stst. Leave the purple yarn attached as this colour is repeated.

Join on the 3rd colour - in this case dark pink - work 2 rows stst. Pick up the pain colour again. Break off the dark pink. Work 2 rows stst in the main colour.

Pick up the 2nd colour - purple - and work another 2 rows stst. Break off the purple yarn, pick up the main colour again. The right side should be facing and the hat should measure 11.5cm from the beginning.

Begin the decrease rows:
First decrease row: K8, K2 together (K2tog). Repeat this sequence of 10 stitches until the end of the row.
2nd and every alternative row: purl until end.
3rd dec. row: K7, K2tog. Repeat sequence until end.
5th dec. row: K6, K2tog. Repeat.
7th dec. row: K5, K2tog. Repeat.
9th dec. row: K4, K2tog. Repeat.
11th dec. row: K3, K2tog. Repeat.
13th dec. row: K2, K2tog. Repeat.
15th dec. row: K1, K2tog. Repeat.
17th dec. row: K2 tog. Repeat.
18th row: purl.
Next row: K2tog. Repeat.
Continue to K2tog on knit rows until 3 stitches remain. Knit a cord by passing the knit stitches onto the left needle and knitting through them again. Continue to do this until the cord is the required length.

Use a wool darning needle to sew the hat together, starting from the top. Sew the ends of the contrast strips into the seam and trim off any extra wool.

Ready to wear as a matching set. Enjoy your knitting not that the cold weather is creeping in!