Knit up this adorable monster hat knitting pattern for your baby or toddler or anyone who loves cute (and totally scary) monsters!
I love an adorable baby hat that can work for Halloween or any other time of the year and my monster hat knitting pattern is one of those! I’m sharing it with you now, as Halloween gets closer, because it would be SO cute on your little one for trick-or-treating.
But it also is not exactly Halloween specific and they can continue to wear it all year. Not like a jack o’ lantern hat, for example. That one’s pretty much just good for the month of October.
I also love this pattern because it’s easy, it’s a great one to start with if you’ve never knit one of my animal hat knitting patterns before because there are not a lot of separate pieces to add later. Just the eye and the pupil. Then the eyelashes and big friendly monster smile are added later with very very simple yarn embroidery.
I promise, you can knit a cute monster hat for your little monster! Ready to get started?
Looking for the pattern? Here’s how it works: This pattern is available for FREE in one size right here on my site (keep scrolling down). Or for just a few dollars, you can choose to purchase an upgraded PDF pattern that is nicely formatted and easy to print. Besides being easy to print, the PDF pattern also contains MORE SIZES with instructions for additional sizing including 0-3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 2T+! Thank you for supporting Little Red Window!
Little Monster Hat Knitting Pattern Supply List
Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches
(If you need help, my favorite knitting reference book for everyone from beginners to advanced knitters is THIS ONE!)
Little Monster Hat Knitting Pattern Instructions
Size 12 months
Using long-tail cast on, cast on 72 stitches onto your circular needles with green yarn. Join to knit in the round and k1, p1 in a rib stitch for 4 rounds. Knit all rounds until the hat is about 5 inches long.
Decrease (divide your stitches evenly between 3 double pointed needles or use magic loop):
Round 1: (k6, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 2: knit all stitches
Round 3: (k5, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 4: knit all stitches
Round 5: (k4, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 6: knit all stitches
Round 7: (k3, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 8: knit all stitches
Round 9: (k2, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 10: knit all stitches
Round 11: (k1, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 12: k2tog and repeat to the end of the round
Cut yarn, thread through loops and pull to close. Weave in ends.
To make the eye:
Using double pointed needles as straight needles, cast on 6 stitches with white yarn, leave a long cast on tail to stitch the eye to the hat.
Row 1 (WS): pfb, p4, pfb (8 stitches)
Row 2 (RS): k3, m1R, k2, m1L, k3 (10 stitches)
Row 3: purl all stitches
Row 4: k1, m1R, k8, m1L, k1 (12 stitches)
Row 5: purl all stitches
Row 6: k1, m1R, k10, m1L, k1 (14 stitches)
Rows 7-15: knit even rows, purl odd rows
Row 16: ssk, k10, k2tog (12 stitches)
Row 15: purl all stitches
Row 16: ssk, k8, k2tog (10 stitches)
Row 17: purl all stitches
Row 18: ssk, k6, k2tog (8 stitches)
Row 19: p2tog, p4, p2tog (6 stitches)
Cast off and weave in that end.
To make the pupil:
Using double pointed needles as straight needles, cast on 4 stitches with black yarn, leave a long cast on tail to stitch the pupil to the hat.
Row 1 (RS): kfb, k2, kfb (6 stitches)
Rows 2 – 4: knit odd rows, purl even rows
Row 5: ssk, k2, k2tog (6 stitches)
Cast off and weave in that end.
To assemble the hat:
Thread the long cast on tail from the eye on a yarn needle and use it to stitch the eye to the front of the hat.
Repeat with the black pupil.
Then thread a length of black yarn on your yarn needle and use it to stitch a few short stitches for the eyelashes as shown. Make sure these stitches aren’t too tight or they will pull when the hat stretches. Weave in the ends on the inside of the hat.
Finally thread another length of black yarn on your yarn needles and use a back stitch to stitch a cute smiling monster mouth. Make sure these stitches aren’t too tight or they will pull when the hat stretches. Weave in the ends on the inside of the hat.
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Solid Rainbow Swirl Hat Knitting Pattern - March 17, 2025
- Learn to Knit – s2kp or s2kp2 (slip 2, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) a centered double decrease - March 17, 2025
- Free Printable Knit & Crochet Yarn Labels - March 13, 2025
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