I love knitting, but sometimes, I just don’t want to spend hours on a blanket or an intricate pattern. I want a quick project that still leaves me with a nice, professional, finished item that I can use and wear right away. A few weeks ago, I decided to come up with a pattern that I could use all the time without worrying about time, or difficulty, or the amount of yarn I needed. I wanted something that was “one size fits all” and easy. I came up with the Marley Beanie! It’s perfect for guys and girls, and it took me a little over an hour to make. Here is the free beanie knitting pattern!
I was out shopping with one of my friends a few weeks ago, and we actually came across a beanie EXACTLY like this in one store. It was the same ribbed texture, black yarn and a taupe pom that my friend loved. She was ready to pay the $40 that store was charging, but I had to stop her. That was such a ridiculous amount of money for something so easy to make and I could get better quality yarn to make the beanie even softer than what they had. I’m all for supporting handmade artists and paying the little bit extra for something custom, high quality and made by an actual person, but this was not it. This was flat, machine made and from a giant chain that was charging far too much. I made this for my friend, instead, and she likes it more than the one she was going to buy.
This free beanie knitting pattern is going to be a staple for craft fairs and selling online, or giving as gifts. It’s super easy to make and you don’t have to worry about sizing or having the right amount of yarn. I used one skein of Lion Brand’s Hometown USA and it was the right amount for this beanie, so I didn’t even have leftovers to deal with. I adore this Marley Beanie and I hope you do too! If you do decide to sell finished items made from this pattern, please credit me as the designer with a simple link back to this page. It really helps!
The full free pattern is written out below. For those who’d prefer to print the pattern and take it with you for on-the-go and to markup as you go, you can buy the inexpensive printable PDF from my Etsy and Ravelry shops. The PDF is formatted without ads or comments, so it’s easy to read.
Buy the printable PDF on Etsy.
Buy the printable PDF on Ravelry.
Materials:
- 1 skein Lion Brand’s Hometown USA yarn*
- US #13 (9.00mm) circular knitting needles
- Stitch marker
- Faux fur pom – Etsy has tons of great ones!
Abbreviations:
- k – knit
- p – purl
- k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
Pattern Notes:
- Skill level: beginner
- Sizing: One size fits all (adults/teens)
Marley: Free Beanie Knitting Pattern
If you’re new to knitting, here are two videos that will help you out: Long Tail Cast On and 1×1 Rib Stitch.
Round 1: Cast on 56 stitches using a long tail or knitted cast on. Then, being careful not to twist the stitches, join to work in the round. Mark the beginning of the round with a stitch marker.
Round 2: *Knit 1, purl 1* around
Rounds 3-33: Continue working in K1P1 ribbing until the hat is about 10 inches tall and only 2-3 feet of yarn remain from the skein. You don’t really need to measure this; just continue working and stop when you only have enough yarn for 2 or three more rounds.
Round 34: K2tog around (28 stitches remain).
Round 35: K2tog around (14). Then, thread the end of the yarn through a jumbo tapestry needle and pull the til through the remaining stitches. Pull to close the top of the beanie, and fasten off the yarn. Weave the tail in and trim any excess.
Finishing Touches:
To finish it off, add your pompom to the top and sew it securely into place. Use a large tapestry needle and be sure to go through the ball of the pom, not just the fur, to attach it properly. Wiggle the needle around a bit to make sure you’ve gone through the fabric and batting inside. I used a ready-made faux fur pom that I got from Michaels. It was actually a keychain and I just removed the keychain part of it, but since then I’ve found some online I like. You can check those out here.
I really hope you like this pattern! These would be great if you wanted to make a bunch and sell them at a craft fair or just to people you know, but please remember to credit me! I’m totally cool with you sharing images and selling anything made from my patterns, as long as you include a link to my post. Have fun making these beanies, and don’t forget to check out my other beanie patterns!
Related: Fairy Tale Slouchy Beanie Pattern
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See you soon 🙂
Visit my pattern shops on Ravelry, Craftsy, and Etsy to buy the printable PDFs of all my patterns. They’re ad-free, comment-free and your support helps me run The Blue Elephants so I can continue publishing free patterns here.
My material lists sometimes include affiliate links (denoted with a *) for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to products I personally use, love, and recommend. You can read more about this in my Disclosure.
I worked hard on this pattern, so please be respectful and do not sell or redistribute this pattern as your own. If you sell finished items made using this pattern, credit The Blue Elephants as the designer and link back to the blog post or the Etsy pattern link. For any other questions, read my Terms of Use or contact me.

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