easiest beanie EVER! + tutorial

[uluru]

Where do the raised "stripes" come from?

[soozeq]

I'm also one of those knitters who just knows knit purl and usually just makes a rectangle... and I have made some hats very similar to this one.  I just have one little tip I thought might be helpful.  If you want to lessen the bunching at the top (where you pulled it like a drawstring bag), then do this:

When you get near the end, knit two together across the row (by this I mean, instead of just sticking your needle through one loop, stick it through two, as if it were one).  You don't necessarily have to do it for the whole row, you could even do: knit two together, then just one regular stitch, then knit two together, then a regular stitch etc.  If you do that for the last couple of rows than there isn't so much bulk at the top and it will be smoother.  

I hope my explanation makes sense.  I'm not really up on all the cool knitting terms... haha.

I see what you're saying, but that's not going to work for this - the cast on and BO edges are sewn together. It will leave one edge narrower than the other so can't be seamed evenly. One side of the rectangle is the top edge, so by decreasing at one end you get a not-rectangle. The only way to make less stitches for the top edge (if you were using thinner yarn) would be to work some short rows so one side edge (as you knit it) would be shorter than the other edge.

[soozeq]

uluru, the 'raised stripes' are from the garter st being knit on larger needles and stretched out. They're the purl bumps.

[Ruby Copperhead]

I love simple patterns, and this hat looks great! Congrats!