Sleepy Polar Bear Hat - knitting pattern

There's nothing quite like a cute, cosy hat for your kid that knits up super fast to make you feel like the queen of domestic productivity.  So good, it had to be shared.

~ Sleepy Polar Bear Hat ~

Materials

2 x 100g skein of bulky-super bulky weight yarn (I used some delicious local natural yarn I found in my favourite craft shop which was unlabelled)

scrap of brown yarn, to embroider the bear's eyes and nose

set of 5 7mm DPNs

3 stitch markers or scrap yarn

yarn needle

Gauge: 1" = 3 stitches / 4.5 rows

Size: Child, fits ages 2 - 4

Abbreviations

k - knit

p - purl

st st - stockinette stitch

k2tog - knit 2 stitches together

st(s) - stitch(es)

rnd - round

cont - continue

rep - repeat

SM - stitch marker

CO - cast on

BO - bind off

m1 - make 1 stitch

Starting with the ear flaps ~

CO 4 sts.  Knit 1st row.  Turn.

row 2: k1, m1, k2, m1, k1 (6 sts).

row 3: knit.

row 4: k1, m1, k4, m1, k1 (8 sts).

row 5: knit.

row 6: k4, m1, k4 (9 sts).

row 7: k4, p1, k4.

row 8: k4, m1, k1, m1, k4 (11 sts).

row 9: k4, p3, k4.

row 10: k4, m1, k3, m1, k4 (13 sts).

row 11: k4, p5, k4.

row 12: knit.

row 13: k4, p5, k4.

Rep rows 12 & 13 3 times altogether.  Cut yarn, keeping sts on the needle.  Make another ear flap in the same way.

Hat ~

CO 7 sts.  Turn the needle so the working yarn is on the left.

Knit 11 sts from one ear flap, then bring in another DPN to knit the remaining 2 sts.

Turn and CO 14 sts, turn (again so you have working yarn on the left) and knit 2 sts from 2nd ear flap.

Take a 3rd DPN and knit remaining 11 sts from ear flap, turn, CO 7 sts.

Join, being careful not to twist sts, to begin working in the round (you will have 54 sts altogether; 18 on each needle):

rnd 1: purl, knitting the 5 knit sts in ear flaps.

rnd 2: knit.

Rep rnds 1 & 2 3 times, then cont knitting in st st until hat measures 5" deep.

Crown ~

Prepare to decrease like this:

k9, place SM, k remaining 9 sts from needle.  Rep this on each needle, so you have 3 SMs in the centre of each needle.

Decrease ~

rnd 1: k until 2 sts remain before SM, k2tog, k until 2 sts remain on needle, k2tog.

rnd 2: knit.

Rep rnds 1 & 2 7 times altogether, until 12 sts in total remain.

Cut yarn leaving a 5" tail.  Thread this onto a yarn needle and slip each st purlwise, pulling tight to close the hole.  Secure and sew in all loose tails.

Bear Ears (make 2) ~

CO 3 sts.  Knit 1st row.  Turn.

row 1: k1, m1, k1, m1, k1 (5 sts).

rows 2 & 3: knit.

row 4: k2, p2, k2.

row 5: k2, m1, k1, m1, k2 (7 sts).

row 6: k3, p3, k2.

row 7: knit.

Rep rows 6 & 7 once more.

BO, leaving a long enough tail to sew the ears to the hat.

Using the picture as a guide, sew ears to hat.  

Using your scrap of brown yarn, embroider the sleepy bear eyes and nose - either copy how I did it using the picture as a guide, or make up your own.

All done!  And now I might just make a whole family of these... And try out various ear-style possibilities...