A vintage pattern from the Red Cross. Pattern for Navy watch cap knit in WWII by the Red Cross Production Corps.

Archived PDF link

Pattern calls for 4/8 sweater yarn and has no needle size or gauge. Above are approximations based on pattern description.

The Center for Knit and Crochet, Inc, says:

…the Woman’s Bureau decided to specify three standard “Red Cross Needle” sizes, and printed their diameters in inches. Because knitting needles were not yet standardized…