Baby Chinese Emperor Hat
This hat is a very basic beanie and could be knit in a variety of sizes and weights of yarn. I knit it in worsted weight, so the instructions are based on that, but you could consult other beanie patterns to figure out needle size and number of cast-on stitches if you wanted to make a different size or use a different weight of yarn. The \*“long life” symbol is worked as a separate piece and sewn on.
Yarn:
Lion Brand Wool-ease (or other worsted weight yarn) - approx. 10 g (25 yds) in red - approx. 9 g (21 yds) in black Cascade Heritage (or other fingering weight yarn) - a few yards in black - a few yards in yellow
Needles:
US 6 (4.0 mm) 16" circular and set of dpn, or size needed to obtain gauge US 0 (2.0 mm) straight Gauge: 22 sts= 4” in stockinette stitch with thicker yarn and larger needles I recommend making the symbol patch first, so you can see how big it will be and how it will fit onto the hat. Symbol patch: Using smaller needles and fingering weight yarn, CO 17 sts in black. Purl one row. Work chart in stockinette, carrying yarn behind work. Purl one row. Bind off. Hat: Using larger needles and worsted weight yarn, CO 66 sts in black. Join in the round, work in 1x1 rib until slightly before the middle of the round. Knit all stitches for the width of the symbol patch in an odd number of stitches (I knit 9 sts). Continue 1x1 rib to end of round. Repeat this round until your work is the height of the patch. Change to red and work one round as established. Next round, knit all stitches. Work in stockinette stitch (knitting all stitches) until work measures 4” from cast-on edge. Crown decreases: Round 1: [k2tog, k7, ssk]. Repeat to end of round. 54 sts Round 2 and all even rounds through round 6: Knit. Round 3: [k2tog, k5, ssk]. Repeat to end of round. 42 sts Round 5: [k2tog, k3, ssk]. Repeat to end of round. 30 sts Round 7: [k2tog, k1, ssk]. Repeat to end of round. 18 sts Round 8: [kl, ssk]. Repeat to end of round. 12 sts Round 9: k2tog. Repeat to end of round. 6 sts Break yarn, thread end through remaining stitches and pull tight.
