"Animal Hat" - Hat Knitting Pattern in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

Animal Hats Knitting Pattern by Helena Rosen in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino

This delightful collection of animal hat knitting patterns by designer Helena Rosen is published by MillaMia and worked in MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino yarn. The pattern is rated Beginner / Improving in skill level, making it an accessible yet rewarding project for knitters who are building their confidence. Each hat is designed to fit a 6–12 month baby and features a practical tie construction that keeps the hat securely in place on even the most active little ones. The downloadable PDF includes instructions for at least two distinct animal designs — Mila Mouse and Bea Bunny Rabbit — each with its own colour combination and character-specific finishing details.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces fitted baby animal hats sized for infants aged 6–12 months. Each hat is shaped and seamed to create a three-dimensional animal character effect, complete with decorative ears, facial embroidery, and button embellishments. The tie construction is an integral part of the design, ensuring the hat stays on securely. Knitters are encouraged to personalise their hats by experimenting with trimming and lining colours and by selecting their own buttons to decorate the animal face.

Designs Included

Mila Mouse

Mila Mouse is worked in two colours of MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino: Storm (102) as the main colour (M) and Putty Grey (121) as the contrast colour (C). A small amount of Pitch Black (100) is used for embroidery details, and the design is finished with one black button to create the mouse's facial feature. The combination of grey tones gives Mila Mouse a classic, understated look that works beautifully for both boys and girls.

Bea Bunny Rabbit

Bea Bunny Rabbit is worked in Putty Grey (121) as the main colour (M) and Petal (122) as the contrast colour (C), giving the hat a soft, sweet aesthetic perfectly suited to a baby's wardrobe. Like Mila Mouse, Bea Bunny Rabbit features character-specific shaping and finishing to bring the animal to life.

Techniques Used

Both hats in this collection are constructed using a worked flat (back-and-forth) method and then seamed to finish. This means the fabric is knitted in rows rather than in the round for the main body of the hat, with seaming used to join the pieces into their final three-dimensional shape. Working flat is a fundamental technique in knitting that gives the knitter full visibility of both the right and wrong sides of the fabric at all times, making it particularly approachable for beginner and improving knitters.

The hat pieces are shaped using a combination of increases and cast-on rows to build the distinctive curved form of each side panel. Specific shaping rows alternate between knit-side increases using m1 (make one) and purl-side cast-ons to add stitches progressively, creating the angled silhouette of the hat brim and sides. Decreases are also employed in the construction, using techniques such as k2tog (knit two together), skpo (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over), and s2kpo (slip two stitches as if to k2tog, knit one, pass slipped stitches over) to reduce stitches symmetrically and shape the crown and ear sections.

Finishing techniques include embroidery worked in Pitch Black (100) yarn for facial details such as the mouse's features, as well as button attachment to complete the animal face. The pattern also references the use of double pointed needles for certain construction elements such as the ties, which are likely worked as a small i-cord or similar narrow tube.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) — the primary fabric stitch, worked as knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows, creating a smooth, classic knitted surface ideal for baby garments
• Make one (m1) — an increase stitch worked