How to Alter Hat Knitting Patterns
For the sake of brevity and simplicity, knitting patterns for hats are generally written for adult, child or baby sizes. Unless the cap is to be knit with an extremely elastic yarn that creates a finished product that makes exact sizing unnecessary, knitters must be careful to follow gauge and instruction to ensure that the hat fits snugly yet comfortably. Hat patterns, however, can be easily altered to create a perfect fit for any size. Some simple math and accurate head measurements will be required to alter the pattern.
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Instructions
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1
Read the pattern to determine what the finished dimensions are. You will adjust these based on the size of the hat you need to create.
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2
Measure the circumference of the hat wearer's head, including around the ears if they should be covered by the hat. Also measure from brow to crown to determine what the hat's height will be.
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3
Study the gauge of the pattern. Gauge is how loose or tight the knitted fabric will be and is made variable by the type of yarn and size of the needles. If you wish to use different yarn than what is specified in the pattern, you must knit a swatch using the new yarn to find the gauge.
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Make a swatch by knitting a rectangular strip of fabric that is large enough not to curl or ravel much at the ends. Marilyn Roberts at Knitty suggests a minimum of 24 stitches cast on and 36 rows completed for worsted weight yarns. Use the measuring tape to determine how many stitches are in an inch vertically and horizontally. That will tell you how different your gauge is from the original pattern and allow you to adapt it.
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5
Use the head measurements to determine how many inches need to be added to the pattern. Your gauge measurement will translate those inches into rows and stitches.
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6
Add inches to the height by adding rows in evenly throughout and be sure they are knit in the same pattern or as close to it as possible. If the hat has a fold-up ribbed bottom, be sure to increase the length there as well so that there is enough fabric to roll up the bottom. You can use simple division to divide the overall number of rows by how many you need to add to determine approximately how often to add a row so that it's even.
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7
Decrease height by removing rows. The best rows to remove are the ones that do not have increases and decreases that affect shaping and ones that do not compromise cabling or other design features (for example, you would not want to omit a row where a cable's twist starts). As in Step 6, divide the total number of finished rows by how many you need to remove to estimate where you will subtract a row.
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8
Add inches to diameter in simple patterns by adding on a proportional amount of stitches to each row starting with the bottom edge. For example, if the original pattern asked you to cast on 30, and you've decided to cast on 60, make sure your ratio is the same throughout to pay respect to gauge. For more elaborate patterns, you may need to widen the hat based on pattern repetitions and not necessarily precise inches.
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9
Decrease diameter by casting on fewer stitches per your desired finished hat size and carrying the ratio throughout as explained in Step 8.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to knit a swatch and check your gauge before starting any knitting project, especially one where you're altering dimensions. Doing so will allow you to account for stretchiness as knit hats normally have some give.
Avoid adding too many extra rows at the top of the hat or it will be pointier than the design intended.
