Baby Bonnets

Baby Bonnets Knitting Pattern by Marilyn Janis

What Is Being Made

This downloadable knitting pattern creates classic baby bonnets designed by Marilyn Janis. The pattern includes four different sizes to accommodate growing babies: newborn to 3 months, 3 to 6 months, 6 to 12 months, and 1 to 2 years. Baby bonnets are traditional head coverings that tie under the chin, providing warmth and protection while offering a charming, timeless aesthetic for infants and toddlers.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting pattern employs several fundamental techniques suitable for knitters with basic experience. The bonnet features a picot edge, which creates a decorative, scalloped trim along the lower edge of the garment. The construction begins with a folded hem created using the knit-through-cast-on-edge method, where live stitches are knitted together with corresponding stitches from the cast-on row to form a neat, finished edge. The pattern also incorporates increases during the shaping phase and uses knit two together decreases to shape the crown of the bonnet. An eyelet row featuring yarn overs creates openings through which a decorative tie cord is threaded.

Stitches Used

• Stocking Stitch: The primary stitch throughout most of the bonnet, created by alternating knit rows and purl rows to produce a smooth, flat fabric with a distinctive V-pattern appearance on the right side.
• Yarn Over: Used in the eyelet row to create decorative openings and increase stitch count in a visible, intentional manner.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used both in the eyelet row pattern and during crown shaping to reduce stitch count and form the bonnet's fitted shape.
• Garter Stitch: Created by knitting every row, used for the picot edge section to provide structure and definition.

Materials and Tools

This pattern requires Sirdar Snuggly DK yarn in 50-gram balls. DK (double knitting) weight yarn is a medium-weight option that works quickly while maintaining excellent stitch definition. Knitters will need two sets of knitting needles: size 3.25mm needles for the initial cast-on and picot edge sections, and size 4.00mm needles for the main body of the bonnet. The size difference between needles creates the characteristic picot fold. Additionally, a 3.00mm crochet hook is required to create the tie cord that threads through the eyelet row, allowing the bonnet to be secured under a baby's chin. The tie cord adds both functionality and a finished, professional appearance to the completed garment.

Pattern Progression

The bonnet construction follows a logical sequence beginning with casting on between 59 and 65 stitches depending on size. The picot edge is created through a fold technique: nine rows of stocking stitch are worked, followed by an eyelet row featuring yarn overs and knit two together decreases spaced evenly across the row. Nine additional rows of stocking stitch follow before the fold row, where stitches are knitted together with their corresponding cast-on edge stitches to create the picot trim. The pattern then transitions to larger needles and continues in stocking stitch with strategic increases for larger sizes. The bonnet body is worked to a specific length (12 to 15 centimeters depending on size) before crown shaping begins, which uses a series of decreases to gather the top of the bonnet into a fitted closure.