How to Knit a Hat With Two Knitting Needles
Hand-knitted gifts tell the recipient that you care enough to take the time to make something unique just for them. Knitted hats are the appropriate gift for all ages and both sexes. Hats come in many styles and patterns from stocking hat to hats with ear flaps, but they all begin with the same simple pattern. If you know how to knit, purl, sew a seam, decrease, and read simple knitting directions you can craft a hat.
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Things You'll Need
- Size 8 straight knitting needles
- 4 oz worsted-weight yarn
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
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1
Cast on. For a woman's size small to medium, cast on 100 stitches.
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2
Knit the brim. Knit first row. If you prefer a rolled brim, knit the entire hat in stockinette stitich by knitting one row and purling one row, knitting one row, purling one row and so on. All the odd rows will be knit rows. The even rows will be purl rows. If you want a ribbed brim, knit ribbing by repeating knit (K) 2, purl (P) 2 for 2 to 3 inches, then switch to a stockinette stitch for the rest of the hat. Knit until the hat measures 8 inches. If the brim is rolled, do not unroll it to measure the hat. End with a purl row.
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3
Decrease rows for top of hat in the following manner. Row 1: K 6, K 2 tog (together), all the way around. You will end with 70 stitches on the needle. Next round and all even rounds, Knit. Row 3: K 5, K 2 tog all the way around. Row 5: K4 K 2 tog all the way around. Continue in this manner, decreasing in the odd number rows until you have 10 stitches.
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4
Cut yarn leaving a 12-inch tail. Using a tapestry needle, draw the yarn through the last ten stitches. Pull tight.
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5
Sew side seam. Cut yarn and weave in any loose ends.
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Tips & Warnings
To make your hat smaller or larger, increase or decrease the number of stitches but be sure to cast on an even number for ribbing and top decreases.
Knitting a hat on circular needles eliminates the side seam.
Knitting striped hats is an effective way to use up your yarn from other projects. Be creative and knit some stripes narrow, others wide and so forth.
The Hat Box Foundation distributes hand made hats, both knitted and crocheted, to hospitals across the country for cancer patients.
There are many online sites that offer free knitting patterns.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit knitting image by Inger Anne Hulbækdal from Fotolia.com
