Bubbles beanie hat

View of purple cabled beanie from back

Bubbles beanie hat

One year, the week before Christmas, I decided to knit a hat for my cousin’s Christmas present. I played around with a few ideas from which the Bubbles beanie emerged. Fortunately, it’s quick to knit, so it’s perfect for gift knitting!

The bubbles on this beanie are formed using a simple cable pattern. They rise from the rib then disappear on the crown.

You knit Bubbles in the round from the rib up. You start with a tubular cast-on giving a lovely edge to the rib. The rib merges into the cable pattern, which in turn merges into the decreases on the crown.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the tubular cast-on; the pattern includes a photo tutorial. If you need more detail, you can read one of the following tutorials:  How to Knit tutorial: the tubular cast-on method for 2×2 rib (for knitting right-handed) or How to Knit tutorial: the tubular cast-on method for 2×2 rib (for knitting left-handed).

A British Yarn

Woman wearing purple cabled beanie

I chose to knit my Bubbles beanie in Rowan Cocoon (80% wool, 20% mohair). This is a British yarn; it comes in over 20 colours. You’ll need less than one 100 g ball to knit your beanie. I knit the original beanie in Rowan Chunky Tweed; this was discontinued years ago, but I had a ball waiting for the right pattern! The beanie is quite stretchy, so I think you’ll find you can use a variety of chunky yarns.

Bubbles pattern options

The digital pattern is available to download from the Being Knitterly Ravelry Pattern store. You can also buy a printed pattern from the Being Knitterly webshop. The printed pattern comes with a Ravelry digital download code.

Woman wearing purple cabled beanie

The pattern is available written for knitting left-handed as well as the standard one for knitting right-handed.

Woman wearing purple cabled beanie

The pattern is written for three head circumferences: 51 [56: 61] cm | 20 [22: 24] inches. The hat circumferences are 39.5 [44: 48.5] cm | 15 [17.25: 19] inches, so you wear it with 11.5 – 12.5 cm negative ease. The finished length is 21 cm | 8.25 inches for all sizes.

View of purple cabled beanie from back

You knit the Bubbles beanie in rounds. You’ll need 5.5 mm | UK 5 | US 9 and 6.5 mm | UK 3 | US 10 – 11 of your preferred type for working small circumferences. You’ll also need a cable needle, a stitch marker for marking the start of the round as well as some waste yarn for the tubular cast-on.

I hope you enjoy the knitting the Bubbles beanie as much as I did.