Waffle Stitch Baby Hat

This is a decent project for someone who might like to move into sock knitting. It has a lot of the same elements -- dpns, kitchner stitch, but it isn't quite as complicated. Consider it a warm-up. To keep it simple for the beginning knitter, I will state the obvious a few times. Bear with me, please.

Materials

Set of 4 size 8 dpns
Worstered weight yarn, soft for baby
Yarn needle

Instructions

Cast on 56 stitches and divide them evenly onto 3 needles You're going to start knitting on the first stitch you cast on, so join the three needles to form a triangle and be very careful not to let them get twisted.

Ribbing

Waffle Stitch body of the hat

Rnds 17 - 20 work K4 P4 around.
Rnds 21 - 24 work P4 K4 around.
Rnds 25 - 28 work K4 P4 around.
Rnds 29 - 32 work P4 K4 around.
Rnds 33 - 36 work K4 P4 around.
Rnds 37 - 40 work P4 K4 around.

Decreases

Rnd 41 Work K2, K2Tog, P2, P2Tog around.
Rnd 42 Work K1, K2Tog, P1, P2Tog around.
Rnd 43 Work K2Tog, P2ZTog around.

Kitchner Stitch

Cut the yarn leaving a decent length. Divide the stitches evenly onto 2 needles such that the last stitch you worked is on the end of one. Thread that tail onto the yarn needle and *insert it purl-wise into the first stitch of the front needle. Pop that stitch off the needle. Now run it knit-wise through the next stitch on the front needle, but leave that stitch on the needle. Run it knit-wise on the first stitch on the back needle and pop that stitch off, then run it purl-wise through the next stitch on the back needle. Repeat from * until you are out of stitches.

Weave in the ends and you're done.