How to Knit an Adult Hat on a Knitting Machine

You can finish a warm hat in a flash using a knitting machine.

Knitting machines can be used to make knitted items in a fraction of the time it takes to knit by hand. The one drawback is that knitting machines work in straight lines. Hand-knit pieces knit stitches together or cast on additional stitches to shape the piece as it is formed. Changing the shape of a garment being made on a knitting machine takes time. Instead of changing the shape and knitting a typically shaped conical hat, the machine-knit hat is a simple rectangle that is sewn and gathered.

Things You'll Need

• Knitting machine
• Yarn
• Tapestry needle

Instructions

1. Set the tension at 7 or 8 for an adult hat.

2. Cast 85 stitches on every other needle. Place the weights. Knit four rows. This part will later be gathered at the top.

3. Engage the unused needles. Knit 140 rows.

4. Transfer the stitches to every other needle and knit four rows. Cast off.

5. Thread the needle. Bring the two sides together and stitch them to make a tube. Gather the ends. Slide one end into the other. Make a single stitch to hold the two gathered ends together. Cuff the bottom edge.

Tips & Warnings

• To create a colored cuff for your hat, stitch 50 rows of one color. Switch to a second color for 40 rows then back to the first color for the remainder of the hat.

• Try holding the two gathered ends together with a pom pom.

References

• Knit Sings: Hat-a-thon, Beginnings, And A Simple Machine Knit Hat Pattern
• Clearwater Knits: Easy Stocking Cap