Top-down baby Noro hat (with pattern)

Baby hats are fast and easy to knit, and however it turns out, the wearer will look cute.

Original (bottom-up) pattern: Noro Hat by Saartje de Bruijn. I made 3- (instead of 4-) row purl bands (aka welts).

My top-down adaptation (baby-sized): I used almost one skein of Noro Kureyon (colorway 165) and 4.5mm needles.

CO 6.

Rnd 1 (right side): Knit in back loop of each stitch.
Rnd 2: Kb&f each st. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: K
Rnd 4: K1, M1 around. (24 sts)
K 1 rnd.
P 3 rnds.
K 1 rnd.
K2, M1, K3, M1, K2, M1, K3, M1, K2, M1 twice - 34 sts.
K 1 rnd.
P 3 rnds.
K 1 rnd.
K 1 rnd increasing by 10 sts (K3, M1, K4, M1… around). (44 sts)
K 1 rnd.
P 3 rnds.
K 1 rnd.
K 1 rnd increasing by 10 sts (K4, M1, K5, M1…). (54 sts)
K 1 rnd.
P 3 rnds.

Continue increasing in the middle knit rnd of the knit bands until circumference is big enough (hold it up to your intended wearer’s head….in this case, 74 sts resulted in a final circumference of 15” unstretched and 19” stretched, which fit N at 6 months to 11 months).

Thereafter, P 3 rnds, K 3 rnds until hat is nearly long enough, ending with a purl band (note: the final 8 rounds of knit will add about 3/4” to the length).

Finish by knitting 8 rnds (I did only 7 by mistake).

Bind off loosely.