Winter Hats and Holiday Crafts

I don’t know about everyone else, but as soon as the weather turns chilly and snow starts to fall, I look at my pile of unfinished projects and panic a little inside. While I rarely promise to craft large items for my loved ones, I do try to finish a few hats and scarves each year so I can donate them. Living in Wisconsin, it can get pretty cold at night, and as my mother has drilled into my head, you should always wear a hat.

My favorite knitted hat pattern is very simple, and you can size it up or down as needed depending on the person you’re making it for. When making something with DK or worsted weights, I usually use 6mm needles (US 10), although I do knit quite tightly. For super bulky yarns, I generally use a 9mm (US 13). However, you can make it as loose-knit or tight as you want. It’s your project, after all!

One thing I do recommend is having a lifeline the first time you do this pattern. In case you’re not sure what a lifeline is, it’s a strand of yarn or other material that you thread through a row in case you need to unravel something further in the pattern. I have found that dental floss actually works super well. Feeding it through the hole in my circular knitting needles means I can work a row and have the lifeline follow along. Otherwise, using a needle or pulling it through on each stitch works just fine.

What you’ll need:

• Knitting needles (either circular or double-pointed)

• Stitch markers (4)

• A tapestry or yarn needle

Long Instructions:

Cast on as many stitches as needed, in whatever style you prefer. I like to create a slip knot for the first stitch and crochet the rest, but there are a variety of ways to make your cast ons stretchier or more rigid. Experiment to see what works best for you. For my head, I generally go with 124 for worsted/DK weight or 48 for super bulky. It should stretch comfortably around your head. If you’d like to fold your hat up, make sure you add a little extra looseness. Make sure you cast on a multiple of 4.

To join the ends, I cast on one extra stitch and slip it over the first cast on. This can hide where it joins a little better, but isn’t required. Now, make sure your stitches aren’t wrapped around your needles and place your stitch marker. Now we’ll start the ribbing. To do this, knit 2, purl 2 and repeat until the end of your row. You should end on your last purl so that you can begin knitting at your row start. If you haven’t, you may have dropped a stitch.

Continue ribbing until you reach your desired length. For a “typical” hat where I fold the bottom, I generally create about 5 inches of ribbing, but you can make it as long or short as you’d like. Just make sure you knit over the knitted areas and purl over the purled areas.

At the end of your last ribbing row, you may choose to reverse your purls to prevent your stitches from twisting. Personally, I don’t, but it’s an option if you really want it to lay flat. For the next row, simply knit in the round until the length is appropriate for your head.

To measure that length, I generally want the hat to reach where my skull would naturally start to curve. Fold your brim to the length you want it and either set it against your head or measure that distance. If you’re not sure if it’s long enough, I would add an extra couple of rows just in case.

To begin your decreases, divide your total stitches by 4 and place markers after every one. See, I told you it was important to make your count divisible. Every other row, knit two together at each stitch marker. So, you’ll knit one row normally, then knit until the marker, move the marker, k2tog, etc. Do this until you reach the last inch or two of your hat. The exact placement will depend on how you want to shape your hat, so don’t worry about getting it perfect.

For the last part, you want to do your decreasing row every row until your last 4-12 stitches. This last part will decide if you want a slightly acorn-shaped hat or something more round, so utilize that lifeline if you need to.

Pull your yarn through the last few stitches and pull tight to close your hat. Weave in your ends, and you’re done!

Short Instructions:

CO (cast on) stitches, in a multiple of 4.

Optional: slip stitch, k2tog to join row

Ribbing: k2, p2 to end of row, place marker

Body: k to end of row

Decreases:

Row 1: k to end of row

Row 2: [k to marker, slm, k2tog] to end of row

Repeat rows until hat becomes desired length

Finishing:

[k to marker, slm, k2tog] to end of row

Repeat to last 4-12 stitches, depending on yarn weight

Weave end through all stitches and pull tight. Weave in ends.