Free Pattern: Coral Pulp Lace Knit Beanie for Men

A Slouchy, Dreamy First Knit: The Coral Pulp Lace Beanie

If you have ever looked at a lace hat and thought, "That looks way too hard for me," this is the project that will change your mind. The Coral Pulp Lace Beanie is a relaxed, slouchy men's lounge hat worked in the round as one simple cylinder, so there is no seaming, no shaping to worry about until the very end, and no complicated charts to decode. It begins with a calm band of solid teal stockinette that folds up as a brim, then blooms into an allover coral lace pattern of tiny eyelet "lemon segments" that drift in soft diagonal lines. Knitted in fingering weight wool, the finished hat feels feather-light, soft, and gently warm, with a pastel, dreamy finish that looks far more advanced than the skills it takes to make it. If you can knit, purl, and make a yarn over, you can absolutely make this hat.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Fingering weight wool (approx. 400 m / 437 yds per 100 g skein). You need 1 skein in Teal (MC) and 1 skein in Coral (CC). The sample uses approx. 60 g Teal and 35 g Coral, so one skein of each is plenty.
• Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) circular needle with a 16" / 40 cm cable, plus a set of US 2 (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles for the crown (or the size you need to get gauge).
• Stitch marker (one, to mark the beginning of the round).
• Tapestry needle (a blunt, large-eye needle for weaving in ends).
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Finished size: Circumference (unstretched) 20" / 51 cm; height flat, before folding the brim, 11" / 28 cm. Fits head circumference 21–23" / 53–58 cm with a slouchy fit.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• st / sts – stitch / stitches (one loop on your needle is one stitch).
• rnd / rnds – round / rounds (one complete trip around the circle of stitches).
• K (knit) – insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from left to right, wrap yarn around, pull a loop through, and slide the old stitch off. This makes a smooth "V" bump.
• P (purl) – insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from right to left, wrap yarn around, pull a loop through, and slide the old stitch off. This makes a bumpy texture.
• yo (yarn over) – wrap the yarn once around the right needle (from front to back over the top) before working the next stitch. This creates a deliberate small hole (an eyelet) and adds one stitch.
• k2tog (knit two together) – insert the needle into the next two stitches at once and knit them as one. This decreases by one stitch and leans to the right.
• ssk (slip, slip, knit) – slip the next two stitches one at a time from the left needle to the right needle as if to knit, then insert the left needle into the front of both and knit them together. This decreases by one stitch and leans to the left.
• MC – main color (Teal).
• CC – contrast color (Coral).
• * ... ; rep from * – repeat the instructions between the asterisks as many times as stated.
• Work in the round – knitting in a continuous spiral on circular needles so the fabric forms a tube with no seam.

Gauge

32 sts and 44 rnds = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch, blocked. 30 sts and 42 rnds = 4" / 10 cm in Coral Pulp Lace pattern, blocked.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is how many stitches and rows fit into one inch of your knitting. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern expects, the hat will come out too large; if smaller, it will be too tight to wear. Always check before you begin.

How to swatch: With your Teal yarn and US 2 needles, cast on about 40 stitches and knit flat (or in the round) in stockinette for about 5" / 13 cm. Lay the swatch flat, block it lightly (dampen and let dry), then place a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 4" / 10 cm. If you have more than 32, go up a needle size; if fewer, go down. Repeat until you match.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count your stitches after every lace round. Each yarn over adds a stitch and each decrease removes one, so the total should always stay at 160. If you drift, you will know right away.
• Use the stitch marker. Slip it from the left needle to the right at the start of every round so you always know where the round begins.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight when you change colors or work a yarn over. Tension should be relaxed so the eyelets stay open and the hat stays soft.
• Watch the two yarn overs in Lace Rnd 7. That round has two yarn overs and two decreases, so count carefully to keep the eyelet pattern even.
• Switch to double-pointed needles when the circle gets small. Around the crown, the circular cable will be too long; move to the DPNs so the stitches stay comfortable.
• Trust the fold line. The single purl round is intentional; it marks where the brim folds up later.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up

With Teal (MC), cast on 160 sts using the long-tail method. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches. Place a marker for the beginning of the round. (160 sts)

Brim (Teal, Stockinette)

Rnds 1–24: Knit all sts. (160 sts) This gives about 2.5" / 6.5 cm of solid teal.

Transition and Lace Body

Change to Coral (CC).

Rnd 25: Knit all sts. (160 sts)

Rnd 26: Purl all sts. This is the fold line. (160 sts)

Rnd 27: Knit all sts. (160 sts)

Now work the Coral Pulp Lace pattern. The pattern is a multiple of 8 sts and repeats over 8 rounds:

• Lace Rnd 1: *K1, yo, k2tog, k3, ssk, yo; rep from * to end. (160 sts)
• Lace Rnd 2: Knit all sts and yarn overs. (160 sts)
• Lace Rnd 3: *K2, yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k1; rep from * to end. (160 sts)
• Lace Rnd 4: Knit all sts and yarn overs. (160 sts)
• Lace Rnd 5: *K3, yo, k2tog, ssk, yo, k2; rep from * to end. (160 sts)
• Lace Rnd 6: Knit all sts and yarn overs. (160 sts)
• Lace Rnd 7: *K4, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1; rep from * to end. (160 sts) (Two yarn overs and two decreases; count carefully.)
• Lace Rnd 8: Knit all sts and yarn overs. (160 sts)

Rnds 28–35: Work Lace Rnds 1–8 once. (160 sts)

Repeat Lace Rnds 1–8 ten more times. That brings you through Rnd 115, for a total of 11 full lace repeats (about 8.5" / 21.5 cm of lace). (160 sts)

Crown Shaping (Teal)

Change to Teal (MC). Switch to double-pointed needles when the circle becomes too small for the circular cable.

Rnd 116: Knit all sts. (160 sts)

Rnd 117: *K8, k2tog; rep from * to end. (144 sts)

Rnd 118: Knit all sts. (144 sts)

Rnd 119: *K7, k2tog; rep from * to end. (128 sts)

Rnd 120: Knit all sts. (128 sts)

Rnd 121: *K6, k2tog; rep from * to end. (112 sts)

Rnd 122: Knit all sts. (112 sts)

Rnd 123: *K5, k2tog; rep from * to end. (96 sts)

Rnd 124: Knit all sts. (96 sts)

Rnd 125: *K4, k2tog; rep from * to end. (80 sts)

Rnd 126: Knit all sts. (80 sts)

Rnd 127: *K3, k2tog; rep from * to end. (64 sts)

Rnd 128: Knit all sts. (64 sts)

Rnd 129: *K2, k2tog; rep from * to end. (48 sts)

Rnd 130: Knit all sts. (48 sts)

Rnd 131: *K1, k2tog; rep from * to end. (32 sts)

Rnd 132: Knit all sts. (32 sts)

Rnd 133: *K2tog; rep from * to end. (16 sts)

Rnd 134: *K2tog; rep from * to end. (8 sts)

Assembly and Finishing

Close the top: Cut the yarn leaving a 6" / 15 cm tail. Thread the tail onto your tapestry needle and pass it through the remaining 8 stitches one at a time, sliding them off the needles as you go. Pull the tail tight like a drawstring to close the hole, then push the needle to the inside of the hat and secure it with a small stitch or two.

Weave in ends: Thread each loose end onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches on the inside of the hat, changing direction once so it cannot work loose. Trim the excess close to the fabric.

Block: Soak the hat gently in cool water for about 15 minutes, squeeze (do not wring) out the water in a towel, then lay it flat on a towel or blocking mat. Pat it to the finished measurements, gently opening each eyelet with your fingers so the lace shows. Let it dry completely.

Fold the brim: Fold the teal band up along the purl fold line. The solid teal band sits against the forehead and the coral lace blooms above it.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Play with color: Swap the teal and coral for any two pastel shades you love, or try a single-color version for a quieter, tonal look.
• Adjust the size: The pattern is a multiple of 8 stitches. To make the hat larger or smaller, add or remove 8 stitches at cast-on and adjust the crown decreases to match.
• Try a different yarn: A soft wool or wool-blend in fingering weight works best. Always re-check your gauge if you substitute, since fiber content changes how the fabric drapes.
• Change the slouch: Add or remove lace repeats to make the hat taller or more fitted; each repeat adds about 0.75" / 2 cm of height.