This adorable mallard duck hat knitting pattern is the perfect easy knitting pattern for anyone in your life who loves ducks!
We recently were reading Make Way for Ducklings at our house and I thought to myself, “I haven’t designed a duck hat!” We enjoyed laughing at the ducklings string of silly names and then I got to work.
I know that now we know better, but when I was a kid, our babysitter took us to the golf course to feed the ducks all the time and I love it. They were simultaneously cute, friendly and not scared of people. And you also knew they weren’t going to bite you which is a plus.
This cute mallard duck knitting pattern is a really easy animal hat knitting pattern to start with because the most impactful part of the hat, the colored sections are just regular old stripes. Easy peasy.
The yellow duck beak is knit separately and sewn on at the end but it’s a piece of cake, I promise!
Are you ready to knit a mallard duck hat with me? Quack, quack!
Mallard Duck Hat Knitting Pattern
Sizes included: 0-3 months, (6 months, 1-2 years, 3-6 years, Child Large/Adult Small, Adult Large) Read our sizing guidelines post for more information.
Gauge: 19 stitches = 4 inches
- Worsted weight yarn
- US 7 (4.5 mm) 16″ circular knitting needles
- US 7 (4.5 mm) double pointed needles
- Yarn needle
(If you need help, my favorite knitting reference book for everyone from beginners to advanced knitters is THIS ONE!)
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, 1-2 years, 3-6 years, Child Large/Adult Small and Adult Large! Thank you for supporting Little Red Window!
Mallard Duck Hat Knitting Pattern Instructions (6 months size):
Using long-tail cast on, cast on 64 stitches onto your circular needles with the brown yarn. Join to knit in the round and knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch in a rib stitch for 6 rounds, then knit all stitches until the entire brown section including ribbed rounds is
1.5 inches long. Switch to white yarn and knit all stitches for 2 rounds. Then switch to green yarn and knit all rounds until the hat is about 4.5 inches long.
Decrease (divide your stitches 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.
Beak:
Using double pointed needles as straight needles, cast on 9 stitches with yellow yarn. Leave a long tail to stitch the beak to the hat.
Row 1 (RS): purl all stitches
Row 2 (WS): ssk, k5, k2tog (7 stitches)
Row 3: purl all stitches
Row 4: ssk, k3, k2tog (5 stitches)
Row 5: purl all stitches
Row 6: ssk, k1, k2tog (3 stitches)
Row 7: p3tog (1 stitch)
Cut yarn and pull through last stitch to close. Weave in that end. Thread the long cast on tail on your yarn needle and sew the beak to the front of the hat.
To finish the hat:
Thread brown yarn on your yarn needle. Stitch one loose stitch for the eye. Repeat with the other eye and weave in ends inside the hat.
Happy Knitting!
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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