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A Beanie BB-8 was inspired by the droid BB-8 from the Star Wars movie A Force Awakens.

Gauge is important. This hat is generously sized, and should fit adults and older children, though it would be possible to use finer yarns and a tighter gauge to size it down for younger fans. Because the hat runs big - err on the side of a tighter gauge, rather than looser. You should expect to make a gauge swatch to determine needle sizes, and you should check your gauge during knitting to ensure that it hasn’t changed.

You’ll need about 200 yards of white, 75 yards of orange, and 60 yards of gray (preferably metallic!) yarn. I used Plymouth Encore worsted yarns, in the following colorways: white/#208, gold citrine/#156, and medium gray/#194, but any worsted weight yarns can be substituted. You’ll need more yarn if making the jumbo pom-pom.

I recommend using a Clover Pom-pom maker in the “large” 85 mm size, though I give instructions for the “large” 65 and “jumbo” 115 mm makers as well. You can use a cardboard doughnut, but you’ll need to improvise on the sizing and when following my directions. The instructions will not work for pom-poms made by wrapping your hand, or around vertical pegs.

NOTE: There is a partial colorwork motif on the brim of the hat. It cannot be handled via stranding alone as it only occurs in only one spot on the brim. It can however be handled via duplicate stitch, intarsia, or stranded intarsia. The three motifs around the main part of the hat however, CAN be handled via stranded or the colorwork technique of your choice.