Cherub Hat in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino (FR) - RB002-00010-FRP - Downloadable PDF

Cherub Hat in Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino by Erika Knight – Pattern Summary

What You Are Making

This downloadable PDF pattern by Erika Knight guides knitters through creating the Cherub Hat, a charming baby hat designed with distinctive shaped ears that give it its cherub-like character. The pattern is sized for babies from 0–3, 3–6, 6–9, and 9–12 months, making it a versatile project for newborns through the end of the first year. The hat is photographed in Pickles 123 and Nutkin 121, two colourways of the specified yarn.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, a luxuriously soft 4-ply weight yarn, perfectly suited to delicate baby skin. Only 1 x 50g ball is required across all four sizes, making this an economical as well as a beautiful project. The blend of cashmere, merino, and microfibre in this yarn produces a fabric that is both warm and incredibly gentle.

• Yarn: Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino, 4-ply weight
• Quantity: 1 x 50g ball for all sizes
• Shown in: Pickles 123 and Nutkin 121

Needles Required

Two types of needles are needed to construct this hat in the round and then work the ear sections flat:

• 1 circular needle, size 3¼mm, no longer than 40 cm
• 1 set of 4 double-pointed needles (DPNs), size 3¼mm

The circular needle handles the main body of the hat worked in the round, while the double-pointed needles allow the knitter to transition smoothly as stitch counts decrease toward the crown, and to manage the small stitch counts of the ear sections.

Techniques and Construction

This is rated as an intermediate level knitting pattern, making it ideal for knitters who are comfortable with circular knitting and are ready to tackle more detailed shaping techniques. The construction begins in the round using the circular needle, working the body of the hat from the brim upward. As the hat progresses, knitters will switch to double-pointed needles for the crown shaping.

The most distinctive and technically interesting element of this pattern is the formation of the ears. This involves a carefully sequenced row of casting off (binding off) stitches at specific intervals while simultaneously placing groups of stitches on hold for the second ear. The knitter works across a defined number of stitches, casts off a central group, continues across the next section, and then leaves those stitches waiting while completing the first ear in back-and-forth (flat) rows. The second ear is then returned to the needles and worked in the same manner.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

• Knit stitch (endroit / end) – the primary stitch used throughout the hat body and ear construction
• Knitting in the round – used for the main body of the hat on the circular needle and DPNs
• Working flat (aller/retour) – used specifically for shaping each individual ear once stitches are separated
• Casting off (rabattre) – used at precise points to separate the ear stitches from the main hat body
• Placing stitches on hold – stitches for the second ear are left waiting while the first ear is completed
• Stitch markers – used to mark the ear positions and removed at specific points during the ear-separation row

Sizing Details

The pattern covers four sizes with stitch counts clearly differentiated throughout using the standard bracketed format. Ear stitch counts vary by size, for example the number of stitches cast off for the ear base and the number of stitches worked per ear section differ between the smaller and larger sizes, ensuring a well-proportioned result at every age.

• Sizes: 0–3 months