Diagonal Rib Baby Hat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This stitch pattern has a nice subtle texture that looks good in solid or
multicolor yarn.  It makes a suitable practice piece for combined knitting,
with just enough complexity to keep you on your toes, but is not difficult
to memorize (at least until the decrease).

Materials:
  Bernat Softee Baby yarn (size 3, 100% acrylic): ~20 grams
  US 3 (3.25mm) 12" circ needle (16" might work)
  US 3 (3.25mm) dpns or magic loop circ, for decrease
  US 4 (3.5mm) circ or long dpn, for casting on
  One stitch marker
  Tapestry needle

Body:
With a half-wingspan tail, CO 72 st (or any multiple of 8) onto US 4 needle
using Estonian cast-on method, then transfer to US 3.  PM, join in the round,
and follow diagonal rib chart below for 4 repeats (32 rnds).  If you want to
include a partial repeat for height adjustment, put it at the beginning (say
by starting with rnd 5 instead of rnd 1); this will keep the crown design
lined up with your final rnd 8.

  8  :-**--**-:
  7  :-**--**-:
  6  :**--**--:
  5  :**--**--:
  4  :*--**--*:            Symbol key
  3  :*--**--*:              -  knit
  2  :--**--**:              *  purl
  1  :--**--**: <<<          :  repeat

Crown:
If you used combined knitting for the body, slip all sts around while
fixing reversed mounts so they are uniform for decreasing, and purl
"properly" from now on.

1: (p2tog, k2)                  <each p2tog joins a knit and a purl>
2: (p1, k2)
3: (k2, p1)
4: (k2, p1), stopping 1 st before end of round
shift all loops around needles to the left by 1 st, so they start with a purl
5: (k2tog, p1)                  <each k2tog joins a purl and a knit>
switch to dpns or magic loop    <8,12,8,8 or 12,12,12 works well>
6: (p1, k1)
7: (k2tog)
8: (k)
9: (k2tog)

Finishing:
Cut a half-wingspan tail and use a tapestry needle to run it around
through all sts; pull snug.  Cast on 3 st with backward-loop method
onto a US 3 dpn, then sew tail down and up through top of hat so that
sts are centered.  K3, then sew tail down and up once again.  Knit
i-cord for 1.5", run tail through the 3 sts on needle, and sew end
to top of hat to form a little i-cord loop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Designed by Cathy Riemer, June 2016.  Free to use, distribute, and modify.