Bumble… a stylish beanie for the whole family
Max, Bodhi, and Emily in ‘all the knits’ from Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe, including the Bumble Beanie!
Bumble is the final (and my very favourite!) pattern from our latest collection, Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe. Although Max & Bodhi’s is ‘all about the babes’, we would like to include grown-up babes in that definition!
Bodhi and Max are rockin’ the Bumble beanie with glorious big pompoms! These two are knit in Rainbow Heirloom Sweater in ‘boyfriend jeans’ with ‘cloudy sky’ pompom and The Uncommon Thread Merino DK in ‘beeswax’ with ‘golden praline’ as a contrast colour.
Love it to Bits
Why do I love this hat so much? Well firstly, it’s a really addictive knit. You won’t be able to resist casting on a second, then a third… The second reason I love it is it’s a chameleon. Bumble has the potential to be an entirely clean and simple design which just lets a beautiful skein of semi-solid yarn shine, AND the potential to showcase bold and unexpected colour combinations!
Emily is wearing the adult S, knit in Rainbow Heirloom Sweater in ‘cloudy sky’ with a bright pompom in The Uncommon Thread Merino DK in ‘beeswax’
This beanie is also a perfect project for using up leftover sweater yarn, because it’s knit in a heavy DK / light worsted weight yarn (think Cascade 220). Knit a bit slouchy with or without pompom, it would be SUPER COOL for a young dude, and it’s quite obviously adorable on ladies and bairns!
Bodhi’s a beauty in her Bumble beanie and Playdate cardigan, both from Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe
Beanies in a million colours! The additional samples shown here are in The Uncommon Thread Merino DK in ‘toast’ and ‘squirrel nutkin’, Sweet Fiber Merino Twist Worsted in ‘canary’ and Hazel Knits Cadence in ‘frost’ and ‘white winged dove’.
Bumble is knit using a simple technique called slipped-stitch knitting which creates a tweedy colourwork effect in two colours, or a subtle waffle effect in one colour. It is very simple to work. You only ever use one colour at a time, like when you’re knitting stripes, and you simply work some stitches, and slip others. Don’t know how to slip a stitch? We’ve got a tutorial for you!
One important thing to note is that when working slipped-stitch patterns, there is a tendency for your gauge to be quite compressed. So you will use much larger needles than you would for stockinette stitch. You could knit a swatch, or simply knit a hat (it’ll fit somebody), then measure gauge against that before you knit your next one!
Four Ways to knit the Bumble Beanie
Let’s take a closer look at how the design looks knit in a single colour, one-round stripes, and two-round stripes. The slip-stitch pattern is also quite pretty on the ‘wrong side’, so try it inside-out before you sew that pompom on!
In a single colour, the slipped-stitch pattern creates a subtle waffle texture pattern. This is Rainbow Heirloom Sweater in ‘cloudy sky’.
The ‘wrong side’ of a single-colour hat. The slip-stitch pattern makes an interesting texture with little banded columns. This is Sweet Fiber Merino Twist Worsted in ‘canary’.
A two-colour Bumble Beanie with one-round stripes. This is Hazel Knits Cadence in ‘frost’ and ‘white winged dove’.
The ‘wrong side’ of a two-colour Bumble Beanie with one-round stripes.
A two-colour Bumble Beanie with two-round stripes. This is The Uncommon Thread Merino DK in ‘toast’ and ‘squirrel nutkin’.
The ‘wrong side’ of a two-colour Bumble Beanie with two-round stripes.
Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe: Modern Baby Knits
Max & Bodhi’s Wardrobe is finally complete, you can get the complete ebook here! Inspired by our two newest darlings, this collection is filled with modern and unisex wardrobe staples. Nothing says love like a baby covered in woolies, so grab your needles, and cast on for a little cutie today!
This little collection would make a great gift for an expectant knitter or grand-knitter. You can use the ‘gift’ function on Ravelry to send a copy instantaneously. It’s got a load of ridiculous cute baby photos too, I’m keeping a copy for me just as a coffee-table book!
More unisex beanies by TCK:
Tin Can Knits 
I love this hat. I have knit 5 so far for several little people in my life. However, when I start to make decreases, the stitch between the two decrease stitches is very loose. I try to pull it tight, but this stitch is still so loose compared to all the rest of them.bI can’t figure out why. Can you help?
It will be a bit loose because it is a slipped stitch
These are beautiful!! I love the color work :)
I love it! And those babies decked out in knitted things is just impossible to beat!
I love the texture of the hats, they are awesome! both the right sides andd wrong sides are really attractive. But what I really can’t get over is the top photo of those babes all snuggled up in head to toe knitwear- they look so freaking adorable!!
Is the pattern for this hat available independent of the book? Would love to knit one for my grown-up self. :)
Yep! All of the pattern from Max and Bodhi’s Wardrobe are now available individually and in the ebook