My new pattern collection is up! It’s called Elementary Hats: seven hats that will keep your child warm and stylish from pre-K all the way to middle school! The designs are gender-neutral and feature easy-to-execute techniques like simple cables, colorwork and duplicate stitch. In the spirit of the school theme, all charts are created with crayons, markers and highlighters!
Pre-K: No homework yet! Just bobbles and a cute i-cord topper on this toddler hat.
Kindergarten: Kindergarten is all about the ABC’s and 123’s. Duplicate stitch is a fun, surprisingly easy technique used to embellish this fun hat.
First Grade: This eye-catching hat, featuring a bright brim and an easy fleck pattern, is sure to go to the head of the class.
Second Grade: Things are starting to get serious so be sure to wear this THINKING CAP, which features a rolled brim, stripes and triple pom-poms.
Third Grade: This versatile three-color fair isle pattern would look great in a third-grader’s favorite team colors – or favorite Hogwarts house colors.
Fourth Grade: Nothing babyish for fourth graders, this hat features chic stripes that are easily woven through the knitting.
Fifth Grade: “Sophistication” is the vocab word for this hat, which features a sleek contrasting-color band along the brim and alternating, disappearing cables set against a reverse stockinette backdrop.
I hope you like these hats as much as I do! If so, they’re available on Ravelry and on Craftsy. Please spread the word!
More With Les 
August 27, 2013 at 9:52 am
A very creative collection there — good luck!
August 27, 2013 at 10:14 am
Thank you! 🙂
September 10, 2013 at 7:59 am
Hi Leslie–I clicked on your name when I read your comment reply in my reader, and it zipped me over here. What fun! Just yesterday, my parents dropped off part of my “inheritance” from my grandmother–her knitting and crochet needles, patterns (going back to the 1940’s!) and a suitcase of yarn. I’d love to try knitting some of these hats for my granddaughters. When will the patterns be available?
September 10, 2013 at 8:36 am
Thanks so much, Tracy. The patterns are available here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/elementary-hats/patterns. They’re also up on Craftsy. Would love to see your versions! 🙂
September 10, 2013 at 9:55 am
I’m checking them out right now!
If I had more time, I’d be knitting continuously (instead, I spend a lot of my “knitting” time, writing instead, or cooking, or gardening–oh, there just are not enough hours in the day to do all the lovely things in the world). But, I have found that hats are the perfect knitting projects for me. Quick, versatile, and they make wonderful gifts.
September 10, 2013 at 10:35 am
I totally agree!
Sent from a handheld device – please excuse brevity & typos.
September 11, 2013 at 10:09 am
[…] had a positive response so far to Elementary Hats. It hasn’t received that much exposure on Ravelry yet. If you have any occasion to spread […]
September 13, 2013 at 3:31 pm
leslie! LOVE them! especially the “thinking cap”. i must have a bit of second grade still in me cause i want to make that for ME!
this was SUCH a clever idea!
September 13, 2013 at 4:14 pm
Thank you! 🙂
August 26, 2014 at 11:45 am
[…] to knit a hat for your favorite elementary school kid. My Elementary Hats collection features seven hat patterns for the little learner in your life! Check it out on […]