Free Dog Hat Knitting Pattern (Bobble Hat With Ear Holes)

If you’ve ever looked at your dog on a walk and thought, you need a tiny beanie, this is for you.

This dog hat knitting pattern is cute, cozy, and practical – with ear holes so it actually stays on and doesn’t annoy your pup.

You’ll knit a chunky bobble-style hat flat, add ear openings, a contrast brim, and a big pompom on top.

It’s sized for small to large dogs (with an XL option for big floofy heads), and it’s a fun, free knitting pattern for confident beginners and intermediate knitters who like quick, squishy projects.

Please scroll down to view the free pattern, or purchase a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF here.

Before You Get Started

A quick overview of what you’re making:

A chunky hat for dogs worked flat (back-and-forth) in rows.
Knit bottom-up with a contrast rib stitch brim, then stockinette stitch (stocking stitch) for the body.
Ear openings are worked on each side so those floppy ears can peek through comfortably.
The crown is shaped with a fast K2tog repeat and then gathered at the top of the hat.
A pompom and optional I-cord ties finish it off.

This hat pattern is written for straight needles, but you can easily adapt it to circular needles if that’s your preferred setup.

Skill level: Adventurous beginner (Comfortable with cast-on, knit row, purl row, simple decreases, and seaming. Advanced knitters will whip this up in an evening.)

Tip: Keep your favorite knitting reference book nearby if you want a refresher on techniques like I-cord or ribbing.

Tools / Materials Needed

Yarn

Bulky/chunky weight yarn (weight 5) in two colours
- MC (Main Color) – hat colour (e.g. green)
- CC (Contrast Color) – brim + pompom (e.g. white)
Yarn – Alize Lanagold Classic (100 g = 240 m / 262 yds)
S: MC 50 g (≈120 m / 131 yds), CC 25 g (≈60 m / 66 yds)
M: MC 60 g (≈144 m / 157 yds), CC 30 g (≈72 m / 79 yds)
L: MC 70 g (≈168 m / 183 yds), CC 35 g (≈84 m / 92 yds)
XL: MC 80 g (≈192 m / 210 yds), CC 40 g (≈96 m / 105 yds)

Wool, wool blend, or a soft cotton blend all work – choose something that will feel good against your dog’s skin and give a comfortable fit.

Needles

6 mm needles (US size 10) straight needles
(Optional) 6 mm double-pointed needles if you prefer to knit the I-cord ties in the round

Notions

Tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends
Stitch markers (optional, to mark sections or edges)
Pompom maker or cardboard circles
Scissors

Size Info + Gauge

This bobble dog hat with ear holes comes in 4 sizes to fit a wide range of breeds, including larger sizes for large dogs.

Sizes: S (M, L, XL)

Approx head circumference (just behind the ears):

S: 25–30 cm / 10–12 in – small breeds
M: 33–38 cm / 13–15 in – cocker spaniel, beagle, etc.
L: 40–46 cm / 16–18 in – border collie, similar
XL: 48–56 cm / 19–22 in – labs, goldens, shepherds

Choose the size closest to your dog’s head measurement.

You can adjust the length easily if you need a bit of additional sizing tweaks.

Gauge: (Helpful but not crucial for this project)

Approx 15 sts & 22 rows = 10 cm / 4 in in stocking/stockinette stitch with 6 mm needles.

Because this is a small hat pattern for dogs and not a fitted sweater, it’s forgiving – but try to get close to the gauge so it doesn’t end up too tight or too loose.

Abbreviations

CO – cast on
BO – bind off
st(s) – stitch(es)
K – knit
P – purl
K2tog – knit 2 together (decrease)
RS – right side
WS – wrong side

Pattern Instructions

Please scroll down to view the free pattern, or purchase a printer-friendly, ad-free PDF here.

Bobble Dog Hat With Ear Holes (4 Sizes)

Worked flat, bottom-up. Numbers given as S (M, L, XL).

Note: “Stocking stitch” here means stockinette stitch: knit on the RS, purl on the WS.

Cast On & Brim (CC)

Using CC and your preferred cast-on (a long tail cast on works well):

CO 44 (56, 64, 76) sts in CC.
Work 1 x 1 rib stitch (K1, P1) for 5 cm/2 in (or to desired brim depth), ending with a WS (purl row).
Change to MC.

Hat Body Before Ear Holes (MC)

Work in stocking stitch (RS knit row, WS purl row) until piece measures approx:

7.5 (8, 9, 9.5) cm / 3 (3¼, 3½, 3¾) in from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.

Ear Opening Rows

Next row (RS – ear openings):

S: K7, BO 6, K18, BO 6, K7.
M: K8, BO 8, K24, BO 8, K8.
L: K9, BO 10, K26, BO 10, K9.
XL: K10, BO 12, K32, BO 12, K10.

You’ll have the same number of stitches as you started this row with; the bound-off sections form the bottoms of each ear opening.

Next row (WS – cast on over gaps):

Cast-on when you reach each gap:

S: P7, CO 6, P18, CO 6, P7.
M: P8, CO 8, P24, CO 8, P8.
L: P9, CO 10, P26, CO 10, P9.
XL: P10, CO 12, P32, CO 12, P10.

You are back to: 44 (56, 64, 76) sts.

Now your ear holes are formed, ready for those floppy ears to poke through.

Continue Hat Body

Work again in stocking/stockinette stitch until the piece measures approximately:

13 (14.5, 16.5, 18) cm / 5 (5¾, 6½, 7) in from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.

(Adjust length here if you want it to sit higher or lower on your dog’s head.)

Crown Shaping

We’ll do simple gathered decreases – quick and hidden under the pompom.

This is where the K2tog repeat comes in.

Row 1 (RS): K2tog across – you now have 22 (28, 32, 38) sts.
Row 2 (WS): Purl.
Row 3 (RS): K2tog across – you now have 11 (14, 16, 19) sts.
Row 4 (WS): Purl.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail.

Thread the tail through the remaining sts, pull tight to close the top, and secure on WS.

Finishing

Seam

Fold the hat in half with the RS together.
Seam the back from brim to crown using mattress stitch.
Weave in all ends.

Pompom

Using CC, make a large, fluffy pompom and sew it firmly to the very top of the hat.

Optional Ties (I-Cord)

These help keep the hat snug on windy, chilly days.

With MC and RS facing, pick up 3 sts at the lower edge of the hat, just below one ear opening.
Work I-cord:
- K3, slide sts to other end of needle without turning, and repeat until cord measures 15–20 cm / 6–8 in.
BO and weave in tail.
Repeat on the other side.

These ties can be loosely tied under the dog’s chin to keep the hat in place.

Optional Flat Ties (instead of I-cord)

With MC or CC, for S (M, L, XL) CO 40 (50, 60, 72) sts.
BO all sts knitwise.
Make 2.
Stitch one tie to each side of the hat, underneath the center of the ear hole opening, so they can be tied loosely under your dog’s chin.

Try On & Tweak

Pop the hat on your dog, bringing the ears through the openings.

If the holes feel tight or loose, you can:

Gently stretch them with your fingers, or
Crochet a round or two of single crochet around each opening to firm and shape them.

Now you’ve got an adorable hat to match your dog sweaters and winter knits – perfect for any dog lover.

FAQ

1. What kind of yarn should I use?

A soft bulky weight yarn is ideal – wool or a wool blend is warm, but a cotton blend can be great if your dog has sensitive skin or lives in a milder climate.

Avoid anything too scratchy or hairy around the face.

2. Is this pattern suitable for beginners?

If you’re comfortable knitting a basic beanie and following detailed instructions, you’ll be fine.

If you’ve made a baby hat or a baby bear hat in the past (even a simple 0–3 months size), this will feel familiar – with a couple of extra steps for the ear openings.

More confident knitters, including advanced knitters, will find this a nice, relaxing project.

3. How do I adjust the size for my dog?

You have four sizes already, including larger sizes for large dogs.

For additional sizing tweaks:

Add or subtract a few rows in the hat body to alter depth.
To slightly increase or decrease width, you can adjust your needle size or yarn weight (keeping an eye on gauge).

Always measure around your dog’s head just behind the ears before choosing a size.

4. Can I sell hats made from this pattern?

You’re welcome to knit this for gifts and personal use.

If you plan to sell finished knitted dog hats, please credit the designer and link back to the pattern page so other makers can find this free pattern too.

5. What can I pair this with?

This bobble hat looks super cute with:

Matching or coordinating dog sweaters
A simple garter or rib stitch scarf
Your own chunky beanie so you can twin in style

It’s the perfect quick project to grab your favorite knitting reference book, a cup of tea, and enjoy some cozy stitching on a cold afternoon.

I love seeing your finished projects on social media.

If you enjoyed making the dog hat, I’d love to see yours on Instagram, tag me @handylittleme.

If you are on Facebook, stop over to the handylittleme Facebook group and share a photo.

I’d love to see your work.

Happy Knitting!

More Dog Patterns

You may also like these free patterns for dogs:

Free Dog Hat Knitting Pattern (Bobble Hat With Ear Holes)

Before You Get Started

Tools / Materials Needed