Purely Whimsical

Last weekend, as I was knitting at the yarn shop with some friends, I threw down what I was knitting (a fairisle hat) and bought yarn to make a simple hat. After I got a few rows in, and started to explain what I was doing, my friends said I should write a pattern.

Well, ok. It’s extremely simple, and it tends to vary on my mood. But I’ll try to give my general guidelines.

Trinette’s Quick and Simple Hat

For a worsted weight hat, you’ll want somewhere around 200-300 yards of wool, or 100g.

It’s been a while since I’ve made a sport weight hat, but I believe you want about the same weight of wool - the yardage will be higher but will work out about the same. I think the same is true for heavier yarns, but reversed. The yardage is less, but since you’re using much larger needles, it should work out about the same.

I work from the top down. Anyone who has tried to make a hat this way knows just how frustrating it can be to try to manage your double pointed needles right here. I once read someone describe it like she was wrestling a porcupine. Pretty apt. That’s one of the reasons why I use i-cord as a starter - it gives me a more stable base to knit from. Also, I can just pick a needle based on what is suggested on the ballband and start knitting. I don’t have to worry if I’ve cast on enough.

Cast on anywhere from 2+ (but usually 3) stitches with a backwards loop [link to knittinghelp.com’s cast on videos] cast on, then continuing on in i-cord[link to knittinghelp.com’s tips videos] for about 3 inches.

Once the tail is long enough increase a stitch, (a good method is what knittinghelp.com calls a M1R increase.)
1st row in the round - Knit - 4 stitches

I usually only use three working needles for this first row - two needles with two stitches each, and one needle to knit with.
You may want to place a marker in between the first and second stitches so you know which needle is your first needle.

2nd row: [K1, M1R] 4 times - 8 stitches

Either here or after the 4th row, add in your third and fourth needles. If you choose to do it here, each needle will again have two stitches per needle.

3rd row and following odd rows: Knit
4th row: [K1, M1R] 8 times - 16 stitches
6th row: [K4, M1R] 4 times - 20 stitches

At this point, if you can use 6 double pointed needles instead of 5, things will become much easier. After much trial and error, I found that I prefer a hat that has an even set of 5 increases or decreases every other row at the crown. Doing increases/decreases (depending on direction) every other row is one of the simplest methods of creating a good looking crown. Four increases/decreases is far too triangular and tent-like, and six increases/decreases creates a flattened top much like a tam. Five it is.

The reason why I say that having six needles is nice at this stage is that if you can arrange your needles so that you have an increase/decrease right at the beginning or end of every needle it’s a much more natural reminder than any stitch marker could ever be.

If you don’t have six double pointed needles, use stitch markers to keep track of your increase points. Or not.

8th row: [K4, M1R] 5 times - 25 stitches
10th row: [K5, M1R] 5 times - 30 stitches
12th row: [K6, M1R] 5 times - 35 stitches
14th row: [K7, M1R] 5 times - 40 stitches
16th row: [K8, M1R] 5 times - 45 stitches
18th row: [K9, M1R] 5 times - 50 stitches
20th row: [K10, M1R] 5 times - 55 stitches

….. and so on, until your crown is the right size …..

Once the crown is approximately the right size (measure against your head), increase your stitches so they are divisible by 4, in preparation for a 2x2 rib. Or keep them the same and do a 3x2 rib.
(2x2 rib - 2 purl, 2 knit; 3x2 rib - 3 purl, 2 knit OR 3 knit, 2 purl).

Knit 4 inches stockinette.

Knit 3 inches ribbing.

Bind off loosely.

I have bound off in many different ways for this pattern. Do whatever works for you - just make sure it’s loose!

Some of the bind-off’s I’ve done: Knitted/Purled (with larger needles), Suspended Knit, Sewn, Picot (various methods for the picots), Crochet, Crochet Picot, and i-cord.

The only ones I was unhappy with were the knitted/purled bind offs - when they were loose enough, they looked sloppy. Various methods to fix it were unsuccessful at best.

Finish by adding a tassel or a pompom or charm or whatever to the cord you started with. I’ve even just knotted the top cord.

And there it is. My basic guidelines for a simple, quick, top down hat.

I wish I’d photographed more of these hats; usually they end up as gifts around birthdays and holidays. I did photograph two from last year’s holidays. On these, I knitted the ribbing extra long as the recipients would be wearing (? teenagers, you can never tell) them in the midwest.