How to Make a Loom Knit Caterpillar Cocoon and Hat for Newborns (Free Pattern)

Materials & tools you'll need

Step 1 — Set up the circle loom and cast on

Use the adult-hat-size circle loom for the cocoon. Hold three strands of worsted weight yarn together and treat them as one. A single strand comes out gappy and loose on a circle loom, and three strands give the cocoon a chunky, solid fabric. Make a slip knot with all three strands: form a loop, cross it over itself, hold the tail and pull the working yarn tight. Pass the yarn through the centre of the loom and hook that first loop onto the extra peg on the outside of the loom, which anchors your work.

Make your first stitch as a second slip knot for extra security: cross the yarn to form a loop, pull a big loop through, tighten it and place it on the peg right next to the anchor peg. Now wrap each peg once, working all the way around the loom in whichever direction is comfortable, and then wrap every peg a second time so each peg holds two wraps. Know which peg is your first one, because it is easy to lose your place.

Back at the first peg, wrap it and pull the yarn in so you have something to hold. Then use the loom hook to lift the first loop over the second loop and off the peg, and repeat on every peg around the loom. From here on, each row is the regular stitch: wrap each peg once, then pull the loop from the previous row over the new one with the loom hook. Pulling the previous row down close to the loom as you go leaves more room for your wraps.

Step 2 — Knit the first colour block

Work 15 rows of the regular stitch in your darkest greens, using three strands held together. The first block is 15 rows rather than 12 because the bottom edge is left unfinished and rolls over, so the extra rows make this segment look as long as the others. If you would rather finish the bottom edge straight, work 12 rows instead.

Pick one green you have plenty of to repeat through several of the colour changes, as in the video. It helps the sections feel related even as the colours shift.

Step 3 — Work the tight rows and change colours

After the 15 rows, drop down to two strands for the tight rows. Cut one strand, leaving a short tail, and tie it onto one of the strands that is staying so it doesn't get lost. For the tight stitch, don't wrap new yarn around the pegs. Keep the working yarn in front and use the loom hook to pull the loop from the previous row over the stitch on each peg, all the way around the loom. Work two rounds this way. The result is a flatter, tighter band than the regular stitch, and it makes the rows beside it bulge out like caterpillar segments.

To change colours, pull all the stitches down to the loom, then cut the strands you are replacing and leave a tail. Tie the new yarn on with a regular knot, pull it tight against the loom and double knot it for security. Tie the knot as low as you can so the colours blend smoothly, and keep the knots on the inside of the cocoon. Build back up to three strands and work the next block in the regular stitch.

Step 4 — Build the five colour segments

Repeat the pattern to build the body, alternating dark and light colourways: dark, light, dark, light, dark. For a newborn, the full row sequence is 15 regular rows, 2 tight rows, 12 regular, 2 tight, 12 regular, 2 tight, 12 regular, 2 tight, then 15 regular rows to finish. Each tight section drops to two strands, and each regular section goes back up to three.

The final 15 rows are 12 rows in the last colourway plus 3 more in a darker colour, with no tight rows in between. In the video, brown comes back in for those last three rows to balance the ends and draw attention to the tail end of the caterpillar. The light segments lean on yellow and brighter or variegated greens, and the dark segments on dark greens with a little brown. The number of segments is flexible: the video started with a plan for four and ended up with five once the cocoon looked too short, so add or remove a segment to change the length.

Step 5 — Cast off and close the base

Cut all three strands, leaving a long tail. It needs to reach all the way around the loom, so wrap it around once and allow about half as much again. Thread all three strands onto a plastic yarn needle. Starting at your first peg, pull the yarn tight, stab the needle into the loop on that peg, pull it tight, then go through the same loop again to make a knot. Pass the needle up through the bottom of each loop in turn, all the way around, and finish by going back through that first loop to complete the circle.

Use the loom hook to lift all the loops off the pegs, then pull the tail tight to close the base into a little sock-like shape. Pull it as tight as you can, then stab the needle into the base across from where the tail comes out. Turn the cocoon inside out, stitch a couple of criss-cross X shapes across the base, tie a tight knot, trim the ends and turn it right side out again. After washing, the tight rows draw in further and the puffy sections stand out more, which gives the caterpillar look.

Step 6 — Crochet the eyes (make two)

Each eye has a green centre and a yellow rim, worked with a 3.75mm crochet hook in worsted weight yarn. If you need a refresher on the stitches, see the half double crochet stitch tutorial and the single crochet stitch tutorial. Start with a slip knot in green and work into that loop as an adjustable ring, with the short tail at the bottom and the working yarn on top. Chain 2, which counts as your first stitch, then work half double crochets into the ring until you have 12 stitches in total. Pull the tail to close the ring, and join the round with a slip stitch.

For round 2, chain 2 and work 2 half double crochets into every stitch around, which gives you 24 stitches and keeps the circle flat. Tighten the centre again if there is any gap. Then change to yellow, tying the two colours together as low as you can so the transition blends in, and join with a slip stitch. Chain 1 and work 2 single crochets into every stitch around for 48 stitches. Join with a slip stitch and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the eye onto the hat.

Keep the eye to 48 stitches. Any larger and it looks oversized on a newborn hat, so size it to suit the hat. Pick the prettier side to face out, with the colour-change threads on the back. Make a second eye the same way.

Step 7 — Crochet the antennae (make two)

Use brown (or a very dark purple) worsted weight yarn and the 3.75mm hook. Make a slip knot and keep it loose, since you will be working into the chain loops. Chain 30, then chain 1 and turn. Work 20 slip stitches along the chain, then 5 single crochets and 5 half double crochets, which brings you to the end of the chain.

Work 2 more half double crochets into the last space at the tip, then turn the work so you can come back along the other side of the chain. Work 4 more half double crochets, then 5 single crochets, then slip stitch the remaining 20 stitches back to the start. Fasten off and pull the loop through, leaving a long tail for attaching the antenna to the hat. Make a second antenna the same way. All four appliques took about half an hour to make, including filming.

Step 8 — Loom knit the hat and cast off

Use the smallest circle loom, the newborn hat size, and hold two strands of worsted weight yarn together: one red and one variegated pink, red and white. Two strands are enough here because the hat is small and needs to stretch over a baby's head. Cast on exactly as in Step 1: slip knot on the anchor peg, a second slip knot as your first stitch, then two wrapped rounds and the first pull-over. If your loom has no marked starting peg, put a piece of tape on one so you always know where each round begins.

Work 15 rows of the regular stitch, which is more than enough for a brand-new newborn. If the hat doesn't look big enough for the baby you're making it for, add a row or two. Then clip the yarn, leaving a long tail, and thread it onto a plastic yarn needle.

Secure the final stitch by stabbing the needle through it, pulling the yarn up as a loop, passing the needle through that loop and pulling it tight, then going through the final loop again to make a knot. Whip stitch around the hat through every loop, go down through the first stitch again, and use the loom hook to lift all the loops off the pegs. Pull the yarn tight to close the crown, stitch next to it and pull it extra tight, then turn the hat inside out. Stitch around the small opening a few times and stab through the whole thing in five or six places so the crown stays strong. Make a final knot, trim and turn the hat right side out. The edge rolls up a little, just like the cocoon.

Step 9 — Sew on the antennae and eyes

For the antennae, use a crochet hook to poke the long tails through the top of the hat: go up through a gap, grab both tails and pull them back down. Thread the tails onto a yarn needle and sew all the way around the base of each antenna so it sits snug and secure. This also reinforces the hat. Then use the hook to pull the two tails through the stitching, cross them over, tie a tight knot and clip close.

For the eyes, hold each one against the hat and decide where it looks best, because placement is up to you. Stitch around each eye through one layer of the hat and through the whole stitch of the yellow rim, working all the way around. Finish with a small knot at the back, loop through again for a second knot, and repeat for the second eye using its tail. To secure the thread, pull a loop through a back loop and tighten it, then do it again in a different loop, and clip the yarn. Place the finished hat on top of the cocoon to complete the caterpillar.

Frequently asked questions

What materials do I need to make a loom knit caterpillar cocoon and hat?
You will need two circle looms (a newborn hat size for the hat and an adult hat size for the cocoon), a loom knitting hook, a plastic yarn needle, sharp scissors and a 3.75mm crochet hook. The cocoon uses worsted weight yarn held in three strands, in greens with yellow and brown accents. The hat uses two strands of worsted weight yarn in red and a variegated pink, red and white. The crochet eyes and antennae use green, yellow and brown (or very dark purple) worsted weight yarn.

Why hold more than one strand of yarn together on a circle loom?
A single strand on a circle loom comes out very gappy and loose, so doubling or tripling the yarn gives a denser fabric. The cocoon uses three strands of worsted weight yarn for a chunky, solid body. The hat uses only two, because it is a small piece and needs to stretch over a newborn's head.

How many rows should the newborn hat have?
The hat is worked for 15 rows on the smallest circle loom, which is more than enough for a brand-new newborn. If it isn't looking big enough for the baby you're making it for, add a row or two.

What do the tight rows do?
The tight rows are worked with two strands instead of three, and without wrapping new yarn around the pegs. They pull the fabric in, so the regular rows on either side bulge out like the segments of a caterpillar's body. The effect gets stronger after the cocoon is washed, as the tight rows draw in further and the puffy sections stand out more.

Why does the bottom edge of the cocoon roll, and can I make it straight?
The bottom edge is left unfinished, so it naturally rolls over. Because of that roll, the first block is 15 rows instead of 12, which makes it look about the same length as the other segments. If you want a finished, straight bottom edge instead, work 12 rows for the first block.

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