How to Embroider Knit Beanies

February 01, 2010
By Steven Batts, Contributing Writer

There are several funny things about knit caps, one of which is the correct way to refer to them. In the south, most of us call them toboggans. However, my brother-in-law informed me that a toboggan is actually a long, narrow sled. Some people prefer to call them stocking caps, but that makes me think of the long, pointy things that guys would wear to bed at night. Most vendors call them knit beanies. I really don’t like that term either — it makes me think of those propeller caps that kids wore in the 1950s — but I guess we’ll have to go with it.

Many embroiderers avoid knit beanies altogether because they don't know the best way to work with them. The loose knit and nappy surface makes them nervous — which is unfortunate because they are simple to embroider and, especially during this time of year, they sell like hotcakes.

Beanies can ignite sales for any embroiderer whose shop is located in cooler climates. They are good “throw-in” items that can be used to generate additional sales after the first order. Just sew a customer’s logo on a beanie and include it as an ancillary product. The investment is small, but the payoff can be big.

When embroidering beanies, you must handle them properly. The loose knit leaves a textured surface, so you may want to use a piece of water-soluble topping. Also, because they are knit, beanies require heavy stabilization. Normally on goods this stretchy, you can use a cutaway stabilizer. Because of the nature of beanies, however, you must use two pieces of heavy tearaway stabilizer, which should provide as much — or more — stabilization as one piece of cutaway.

Framing and Design Considerations
Most of the care in dealing with beanies is in framing them. The popular trend today is “hoopless” embroidery: Rather than putting items in a conventional hoop, they are just stuck to the frame using an adhesive backing. Because of how beanies are constructed this method will not work well.

Beanies are made of two layers. If you try to stick them down using adhesive, only the bottom layer will stick — leaving the top layer to move around and distort your design. Instead, beanies should be framed in a conventional hoop. 

Because of where the design is placed — typically at the edge of the beanie — the cap will not be framed completely in the hoop. I generally frame beanies about three-quarters of the way in the hoop. The stabilizer, of course, covers the entire hoop. Having it fully framed provides the necessary stability. Once the design begins sewing, the first few underlay stitches secure the cap to the stabilizer and it will not move.

Another thing to watch for when framing a beanie is how much it is stretched during framing. If it is overstretched, your embroidery will look as if it sank into the cap. If the beanie is too loose, the design will be distorted as it sews. I try not to worry about the stretch too much while I am framing. I don’t pull it too tight to make it stretch, nor do I deliberately try to prohibit it from stretching while it is being framed. The normal amount of stretch that occurs during framing should be adequate for the design to sew correctly. It usually matches the amount of stretch the beanie will go through when it is put on someone’s head.

Another funny thing about beanies is design placement, which is usually near the edge. What makes this tricky is that there are two general types of knit beanies: cuffed and not cuffed. Cuffed beanies are longer — typically 12 inches or so — and folded over at the bottom, while short beanies (8-9 inches) are not. The shorter (uncuffed) beanies are sewn upside down as the cap is loaded with the bottom of the beanie toward the back of the machine.

The cuffed beanies are sewn right side up. When framed, they should be turned inside out because the folded edge that shows (when it is being worn) is actually on the inside of the cap. That end of the beanie should be framed so that it is loaded with the top edge toward the back of the machine. Though it sounds confusing because the cap is inside out, remember that the edge on this type of beanie is actually the top of your design.

Knit beanies can be easy to work with. If the toughest part about embroidering knit beanies is remembering which way you should turn the design, then they shouldn’t be much of a problem at all — and they have the potential to boost your shop's sales when you add them to your product line.

Steven Batts, a consultant with 17 years experience in the embroidery industry, owns Righteous Threads, Greensboro, N.C., which offers digitizing, embroidery and machine maintenance services. Steven regularly leads seminars at ISS shows and is an industry speaker and consultant. For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Steven at righteousthreads@gmail.com.

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There are several funny things about knit caps, one of which is the correct way to refer to them. In the south, most of us call them toboggans. However, my brother-in-law informed me that a toboggan is actually a long, narrow sled. Some people prefer to call them stocking caps, but that makes me think of the long, pointy things that guys would wear to bed at night. Most vendors call them knit beanies. I really don’t like that term either — it makes me think of those propeller caps that kids wore in the 1950s — but I guess we’ll have to go with it.
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