You’ll love knitting this adorable stripey zebra hat with this fun knitting pattern for newborns, babies or toddlers!
Oh my gosh, you guys, I think I have a new favorite hat. I know I say that a lot, but this time I really mean it. It’s a zebra with a stripey mane!! I mean, come on! Plus knitting those loopy mane stitches was something new for me and it’s totally fun. And black and white stripes work for boys and girls and go with all kinds of outfits. There’s pretty much not a color you can’t wear with a zebra hat, am I right? Ok, enough, trying to convince you that you need to make one, I’ll just let Baby V do the talking for me…Right?? If you want to make your own zebra hat, scroll on down to get the free knitting pattern!
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!
Stripey Zebra Hat Knitting Pattern (6 month size, see PDF version for other sizes)
Worsted weight yarn in white and black
US 7 16″ circular knitting needles
(If you need help, my favorite knitting reference book for everyone from beginners to advanced knitters is THIS ONE!)
Gauge: 20 st. = 4 inches
Using long-tail cast on, cast on 64 stitches with the black yarn onto your circular needles. Join to knit in the round and knit 1 stitch, purl 1 stitch in a rib stitch for 3 rounds. Switch to white yarn and knit 3 rounds. Switch back to black yarn and knit for 3 rounds. Continue on in this stripe pattern (3 rounds black, 3 rounds white) until the hat is about 4 1/2 inches long.
Decrease (continue stripe pattern & divide the stitches between 3 double pointed needles and knit with the 4th):
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 to the end of the round.
Round 7: (k3, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Round 8: Knit all stitches to the end of the round
Round 9: (k2, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Rounds 10: Knit all stitches
Round 11: (k1, k2tog) repeat to the end of the round
Rounds 12: Knit all stitches
Round 13: k2tog repeat to the end of the round
Cut yarn, pull through loops and close. Weave in ends.
To make the Mane:
To knit the mane you will need to know how to knit a loop stitch (knit loop), here’s how I do it:
Knit one stitch into the stitch on the left needle but leave that stitch on the needle. Bring the yarn from the back to the front between the needles, wrap it around your left thumb and bring it back to the back of your work between the needles again. Then, keeping the loop on your thumb, knit a second stitch into that original stitch that’s still on your left needle. Drop that stitch off the left needle. Then slip the first stitch over the second and off the right needle (you can either do this using the left needle or your fingers).
Here’s a video of me doing a loop stitch:
To knit the mane, cast on 8 stitches with black yarn onto straight needles.
Row 1: k1, knit 6 loops, k1
Row 2: purl all stitches
Row 3: k1, knit 6 loops, k1
Switch to white yarn:
Even rows: purl all stitches
Odd rows: k1, knit 6 loops, k1
To make the stripes, follow this pattern for 4 rows with white yarn, switch to black and follow for 4 rows and repeat until the mane is as long as you want it. My mane has 13 stripes.
Outer Ears (make 2):
Using double pointed needles as straight needles, cast on 10 stitches with the white yarn.
Rows 1-6: knit odd rows, purl even rows
Row 7: k2tog, k6, ssk
Rows 8-9: knit odd rows, purl even rows
Row 10: p2tog, p4, p2tog
Rows 11-12: knit odd rows, purl even rows
Row 13: k2tog, k2, ssk
Row 14: purl all stitches
Row 15: k2tog, k2tog
Row 16: p2tog
Cut yarn pull through loop to close. Weave in this end
Inner Ears (make 2):
Using double pointed needles as straight needles, cast on 6 stitches with the black yarn.
Rows 1-6: knit odd rows, purl even rows
Row 7: k2tog, k2, ssk
Row 8: purl all stitches
Row 9: k2tog, ssk
Row 10: purl all stitches
Row 11: k2tog
Cut yarn pull through loop to close. Weave in this end
To assemble the hat, use a long length of yarn to stitch the mane to the top center of the hat and down the back.
To make the ears, lay one black inner ear, purl side DOWN on top of one white outer ear (which has purl side UP), use the long black cast on tail of the inner ear to stitch them together. Be sure your stitches only catch purl loops on the white outer ear and do not show through to the back of the ear. Then pinch the ear at the base and use the white cast on tail to put one stitch through the bottom to help it hold its shape. Finally, still using that same cast on tail, stitch each ear securely to the hat on either side of the mane. And that’s it! The PDF printable also contains instructions for sizes 0-3, 12 months and 2T+!
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Learn to Knit – p3tog (Purl 3 Together) - September 12, 2024
- Alternating Rib Hat Knitting Pattern - September 10, 2024
- Learn to Knit – How To Use a Pom Pom Maker - August 29, 2024
Lesley says
Hi
Could you please tell me what ply or thickness worsted weight wool is. I have just found little red window and just luv yr hat patterns.
If you could just let me know I can start straight away they are amazing.
Thanku