THE HARPER BEANIE
Your step-by-step guide to making your masterpiece
Hey there, stitch superstar! You’ve got your knitting kit and you've unlocked the secret sauce to making your very own Harper Beanie, and we’re excited to be stitching it out with you.
This guide will be your BFF through the entire journey. Whether you’re brand new to knitting or just here for a refresh, we’ll take you from “how do I hold these sticks?” to “look what I made!” — one cosy row at a time.
Heads up! You'll need the physical pattern that came in your knit kit as well as this online guide. The pattern contains the specifics, this guide gives you the extra layer of detail.
INCLUDED IN YOUR KIT
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT (Or CLOSE ENOUGH!)
Before we dive into the good stuff, let’s warm up those hands and needles. Think of this like stretching before a workout, except comfier, cuter, and way more fun.
Grab some of the yarn from your kit (just a little, you’ve got enough to spare!), and get familiar with the motions. Try out the stitches you’ll be using in this pattern. This is your time to mess it up, try again, and feel things out — no pressure, no judgement, just you and your new fave hobby.
Bonus: practising now = fewer headaches later (trust us on this one).
Slip Knot
Casting On
Knit knot
Casting Off
TEST YOUR GAUGE
Once you’re feeling comfy with the stitches, it’s time to check your gauge. We know, we know — it sounds technical, but it’s really just about making sure your tension matches the pattern.
Why? Because different knitters = different stitch tightness. And we want your finished masterpiece to fit like a dream.
So grab your measuring tape, knit up a little swatch (there’s a guide for that at the link below!), and let’s make sure you’re on track before the main event begins.
How to test your gauge
THE SHANNON CARDIGAN
If done correctly, your 10x10cm knitted swatch should measure 8 stitches wide, and 13 rows high when knitted in garter stitch (knit stitch) on your 12mm needles.
Repeat after me:
“I solemnly swear to knit bravely, unpick calmly, and pretend I meant to do that.
I accept that chaos is part of the craft, and possibly part of my personality.
I will finish what I start… eventually.”
The Harper Beanie is perfect for beginners. In fact, we designed her specially for newbies who want an easy-as-pie project. So chunky, so cosy and so your new favourite.
THE BEANIE
Using your 12mm needles, cast on the correct number of stitches.
💭 Your stitches will run down onto the plastic tube connecting your needles. That's totally fine! Circular needles are a knitters bestie - even if you’re knitting flat! Instead of cramming a mountain of stitches onto two straight sticks, circular needles let the project sit comfortably on a flexible cord, taking the weight off your hands and wrists.
💡 Your piece of knitting will grow as you knit so don't be concerned if after you've cast on the piece doesn't look big enough.
We knit our beanie in garter stitch. This is where we knit all the stitches every row. Easy!
💭 One of the things we found the hardest when we were learning to knit was keeping track of our rows. Before we were able to easily identify a row of stitches we used a pen and paper to keep track. That's why we've included handy circles in our patterns - you can tick them off as you go. The dashed circles are for the larger sizes.
Cast off your stitches!
When you've got just one stitch left on your right needle, simply cut your yarn from the ball (leaving about 20cm) and thread it back through your last stitch to secure it.
🔥 Nice Work!
SEAMING & CINCHING
Okay, let's seam our beanie together.
Fold your piece in half so the cast on and cast off edges meet.
You'll use your darning needle and sew your cast on and cast off edges together using one of the techniques in the video below.
The final step is to cinch the top of our beanie closed. We thread our yarn through the loops at the top of the beanie, collecting one loop for every row. Then slowly and gently pull to close the top. Kind of like closing a drawstring bag.
Secure with a knot on the inside of the beanie and voila! Your beanie is done.
