The XOXO Beanie

The XOXO Beanie by Amanda Coffeen

What Is Being Made

The XOXO Beanie is a charming knitted hat designed by Amanda Coffeen of RosiePosie Design Co. This beginner-friendly beanie features a playful pattern of hugs and kisses motifs created through colorwork techniques. The finished adult hat measures approximately 9.5 inches in height and 9 inches in width, making it a cozy, close-fitting accessory perfect for cold weather.

Design and Pattern Features

This design showcases a classic stranded colorwork pattern that can be customized through color selection. Crafters can choose contrasting colors to make the XOXO motifs pop boldly, or opt for a more subtle, tonal approach depending on personal preference. The pattern is worked from a chart that repeats four times per round, creating a balanced, all-over design around the crown of the hat.

Knitting Techniques Used

The XOXO Beanie employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginners:

• Stranded colorwork (fair isle): Two colors are carried simultaneously throughout the pattern work, with floats running along the inside of the fabric. The pattern instructions emphasize keeping these floats loose and maintaining consistency in which color is knitted over to ensure even tension and a professional finish.
• Circular knitting: The hat is constructed in the round using circular needles, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless, tubular fabric.
• Top-down construction: The beanie is worked from the brim upward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments.
• Decreases for shaping: The crown is shaped using decreases to taper the hat to a finished point.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The XOXO Beanie uses basic knitting stitches that make it accessible to beginners:

• Knit (k): The fundamental stitch that forms the base fabric
• Purl (p): Used in combination with knit stitches to create textural variation
• Knit 2 together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the crown of the hat

Materials and Tools

The pattern calls for super bulky weight yarn, which works up quickly and creates a thick, insulating fabric ideal for winter wear. The suggested yarn is Malabrigo Rasta or any comparable super bulky yarn.

• Yarn requirements: Color A (white) — 58 yards; Color B (red) — 22 yards
• Needles: US 13 (9 mm) 16-inch circular needles and US 15 (10 mm) 16-inch circular needles for the main pattern work, plus US 15 (10 mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs) for working the crown decreases when stitches become too few for circular needles
• Additional supplies: Stitch marker, darning or tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and scissors
• Optional embellishment: A faux fur or yarn pom-pom to top the finished hat

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 9.5 stitches by 12.5 rows over a 4-inch square when working the colorwork pattern on US 15 needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the finished hat to measure the intended adult size of 9.5 inches tall by 9 inches wide.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, the XOXO Beanie is an excellent introduction to stranded colorwork knitting. While it incorporates two-color fair isle techniques, the straightforward stitch vocabulary and clear chart-based pattern make it approachable for knitters new to colorwork. The super bulky yarn weight means the project works up quickly, providing gratifying progress and a finished garment in a relatively short timeframe.