Watering the Trees Beanie by Amanda Stephens

Watering the Trees Beanie

Knitting
July 2025
DK (11 wpi) ?
22 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches
in Stockinette Stitch
US 4 - 3.5 mm
US 6 - 4.0 mm
90 - 275 yards (82 - 251 m)
Baby {Toddler, Child, Adult S/M, Adult L, Adult XL}
English
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download

DESIGN INSPIRATION

The Watering the Trees Beanie was designed with gifting and sharing in mind. My hope is that you will use this pattern to knit gift hats for yourself, your friends and family, and most importantly your neighbors who may need to be shown some extra love in the coming seasons.

The design is a hat version of my Watering the Trees Socks pattern, which came about after my then-six-year-old and two-year-old decided to “water” our backyard trees. This event mostly involved the two of them running around and spraying each other with the garden hose, but they had fun, and the two maple trees in our backyard did get a bit of water. When the light caught the droplets of water just right, a little rainbow added joy to our backyard fun.

The design features two mirrored cables to represent our two maple trees, and the textured ribbing makes me think of the streams of water from the garden hose. Carefully placed increases and decreases make the cables in this design really pop.

CONSTRUCTION

The Watering the Trees Hat is knit from the bottom to the top, beginning with a German Twisted Cast-On and 2x1 rib. Carefully placed increases transition the ribbing to tightly twisted cables and a fun texture pattern without bunching, and the cables and texture are continued into the crown decreases.

PATTERN INFORMATION

Difficulty Rating
INTERMEDIATE: Project is worked in the round and includes cables, increases, and decreases.

Recommended Yarn
Simply Spectacular DK by Emma’s Yarn, 75% superwash merino wool/25% nylon, 255 yds (233 m) per 3.5 oz (100 g): 1 {1, 1, 1, 1, 2} skein(s) (shown in Twilight and Legal Tender) OR approximately 90 {125, 160, 200, 225, 275} yds (82 {114, 146, 183, 206, 251} m) DK weight yarn.

This pattern will play nicely with any DK weight merino/merino nylon blend yarn in solid, tonal, lightly speckled, or low-contrast variegated colorways.

Needles/Notions

  • US #6 (4.0 mm) needles for working a small circumference in the round OR size needed to obtain gauge.
  • US #4 (3.5 mm) needles for working a small circumference in the round OR two sizes smaller than gauge needles.
  • 5-11 stitch markers for tracking repeats.
  • 1 unique stitch marker for tracking the beginning of the round.
  • Tapestry needle for finishing and weaving in ends.
  • Cable needle.

Gauge
22 sts and 32 rounds = 4” (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on larger needles.
Gauge was measured after washing and blocking, without stretching.

Sizes Available
Baby {Toddler, Child, Adult S/M, Adult L, Adult XL}
To fit head circumference: 14-16 {16-18, 18-20, 20-22, 22-24, 24-26}” (36-41 {41-46, 46-51, 51-56, 56-61, 61-66} cm)

Finished Measurements
Circumference, unstretched, after blocking: 11 {12.75, 14.5, 16.25, 18, 19.75}” (28 {32, 36.5, 41, 45.5, 50} cm)
Circumference, fully stretched: 16 {18.5, 21.5, 24, 26.5, 29}” (40.5 {47, 54.5, 61, 67, 73.5} cm)
Height, unstretched: 5.5 {6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 8.5, 9.5}” (14 {16.5, 19, 21.5, 21.5, 24} cm)

Shown modeled in Adult L (purple) and Adult S/M (green). The model has a head circumference of 23” (58.5 cm).

This pattern has been tech edited and test knit.