Looking for a basic beanie hat knit from the top down so you can custom fit the size and try it on as you go? You might like this one.

This is more of a recipe than a pattern, so that you may use any yarn you like and work at any gauge you like. This is a great pattern for handspuns! Please note that if you were working from the recipe before July 2007 that there was an error in how to determine the circumference of the beanie, and that has now been corrected should read “measure across from side to side (not diagonally) and multiply by 4 to get the perimeter (which will become the circumference of the finished beanie)”.

Tip: try the disappearing loop cast on as described on the TECHknitting blog for a really clean looking beginning!

Tip: try the Belly Button Start for Circular Knitting by Rosemarie Buchanan if the beginning in the recipe is really fiddly for you.