Whit’s Knits: 70’s Ski Hat
When I was a kid every guy I knew wore a hat like this. Triangular, striped and itchy. We’ve all softened a little in the last thirty years, so this updated version features an impossible-to-complain-about cashmere lining, which is easy once you learn how to do a provisional cast-on.
This Christmas I’m giving one to all of the men in my family. I can’t wait to look around at them wearing their 70’s Ski Hats, reminding me of how much I loved those times. -Whitney
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSoho70sSkiHat We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 skeins of Cascade 220. I used red #2427, orange #9463, yellow #7826 and green #8914. This is enough yarn to make many hats!
- 1 skein of Jade Sapphire 2 ply cashmere (color The Blood Orange #30JB)
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- US 6 (4 mm) or smaller circular needles, any length
- A set of US 7 double pointed needles
- 2 stitch markers
- A few yards of a smooth waste yarn (nothing fuzzy)
- A crochet hook a couple of sizes too big for the waste yarn
Shop our wonderful collection of aran + worsted-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!
Gauge
20 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, with one strand of Cascade 220 and larger needles
22 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, with Jade Sapphire 2-Ply held double and larger needles
Size
20 inch circumference, to fit average man’s head
Pattern
Provisional Cast-On
Start with the waste yarn, and crochet a chain 120 stitches long. Using 2 strands of 2 ply cashmere and the #7 needle, pick up 110 stitches. (Please refer to the Provisional Cast-on tutorial if you are unfamiliar with this cast-on.)
Place a marker on the right needle and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist stitches around needle.
Knit 23 rounds with the two strands of cashmere.
Change to main color (MC).
Round 1: *K9, K2tog, repeat from * to end of rnd. (100st)
Round 2: Purl
Knit 10 more rounds
K5 rounds with color A
K4 rounds with color B
K3 rounds with color C
Weave in all the ends.
Place the provisional cast-on onto the smaller circular needle (see the Provisional Cast-on Tutorial).
Fold the cashmere hem up inside the hat so that the two circular needle are parallel to each other.
Change to MC.
Next round: *K 1 stitch from the front needle and 1 stitch from the back needle together 9 times, K 1 stitch from the front needle and 2 stitches from the back needle together 1 time, repeat from * to end of round (100 stitches).
With MC knit until hat measures 6-inches from hem edge.
Next round: K1, SSK, K45, K2tog, place marker, K1, SSK, K45, K2tog.
Next round: K1, SSK, K to 2 stitches before next marker, K2tog, slip marker, K1, SSK, K to 2 stitches before end-of-the-round marker, K2tog.
Repeat this last round until there are 20 stitches left, switching to double pointed needles when necessary.
Slip stitches so that the first 10 stitches are on 1 needle and the second 10 stitches are on another needle.
Cut an 18-inch tail.
Bring the needles inside the opening at the top of the hat (yes, this is a kind of weird manouever), and turn the hat inside out.
Hold the two needles parallel and knit a three needle bind off. (You do this by knitting one stitch from the front needle together with one stitch from the back needle 2 times. Then pass the first stitch over the second, just like a normal bind off…)
Finally, I do something that I admit is a little control freakish. I don’t like the idea of someone wearing this hat with the jogged stripe side in the front, so I tie a little piece of yarn on the hem that says “This is the back of the hat!”
All that’s left is to weave in the ends, block the hat, and make a few more!
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Thanks so much for this pattern! I love it and will make many, I”m sure. Great colors!
Love the hat! Thank you. I still have my 70’s ski sweater, light blue, that matches – could never give it up…
I’m with you about jog-annoyance. Check our Meg Swanson’s jogless color joins. Save your little strings for next hat!
ski hat is adorable, in the lifesaver colours:: a cashmere lining no less. fabu! thanks for the pattern
I remember those too! I was on the ski team, and we all wore them. That was 1984…
Thanks for the wonderful hat pattern. I made one for a co-worker and plan to make many, many more!
I am totally making this for my husband, father, and brothers! Gotta start right now though!
This is the Moriarty hat that was designed and made in Stowe, VT and was very popular. You could order your own design. I have been looking for this pattern for a long time.
Marvelous blast-from-the-past pattern. Thank you so much for the detail and care, and for sharing so generously!
Best,
Fran
Hi!
The men in my family have larger heads (average 24in). How can I make this hat just a smidge larger?
Thanks!
Hi Vanessa,
You could knit at a slightly looser gauge. For example, the outer hat yarn at 4 3/4 stitches to the inch would make a 21-inch hat; or at 4 1/2 stitches to the inch it would make a 22 1/4-inch hat.
Keep in mind that hats do stretch and you almost always want to make a hat at least two inches smaller than the actual circumference of the head that will wear it!
Thanks so much for asking and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Whitney
I love your site and have learned so much as a new knitter. I am starting the above hat which I love. I have had no problem with the provisional cast on and joining. I am just at the beginning with the first 23 rounds. I am doing the hat in just two colors of MC black and then a red stripe on either side of a black MC stripe. I am a little confused when after 23 rounds you switch to MC. I have started the hat with the MC of black. I do not know why I am confused. Thank you for any help.
Hi Deborah,
I hate to say this, but it sounds like you might be knitting a hat that will turn out too big.
In the pattern, the cuff is knit in a different yarn and a different gauge, which is why there is a decrease row which takes you from 120 to 100 stitches. If you're get 5 stitches to the inch with your Main Color and you're using that yarn to also knit the cuff, then you should cast on 100 stitches, not 120. Then you'll ignore the instruction to change to the MC and also Round 1 where it says to *K9, K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. Instead, just go on to Round 2 where you purl.
I hope this sets you on the right path. Please let us know if you have any other questions and thank you so much for this one!
Whitney
Love working this hat! I think I will never knit a wool hat without a cashmere lining again!
One question, I'm nearly done and the brim is rolling outward quite a bit. Will blocking solve this? Please tell me I don't have to rip it out and start over with less rows on the lining 🙁
Hi Brenda,
Well, I would definitely try blocking it! Hopefully that will work, and if not, I would guess that the problem is not with how many rounds of lining you knit but with your gauge. Another thought I have is that the flare may resolve itself once the hat is snug on a head!
Please let us know if you have any other questions; thanks for this one; and good luck!
Whitney
Hi – the hat you show where green is the MC, what color # is that?
Hi Lisa,
The green color is #8914. Here is a link to all of our Cascade 220 colors: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/649-Cascade-Yarns-Cascade-220 . All of the colors used in these hats are listed in the materials section, by the way.
Thanks for asking and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Whitney
Hi Whitney – ah ok gotcha, it looked a bit darker than the green that was used in the red hat. Thanks for clarifying!
Best,
Lisa
Wonderful pattern. I knit a gold lining and a solid red outer as it’s going to be a work hat for my husband with the logo patch sewn on. Thanks for a well written pattern.
Wouldn’t this be fun with Worsted Twist or Alpaca Pure, both of which I have some leftover yarn?!!
There is a nifty trick for avoiding the dreaded “jogged stripe”. I learned it in a book called Knitting Know-How (Dorothy Ratigan and Judith Durant):
Switching from color A to color B:
Switch to B, as usual; but when you have come to the last stitch of the round, lift the stitch under the next stitch (which is the first stitch of the second round of B) and slip it onto the left needle. Knit the 2 stitches together — the lifted stitch and the next legitimate stitch. Note: the lifted stitch is color A, so you’re knitting a lifted A and a legit B together.
That’s all there is — “joggedness” pretty much disappears!
They also have a way of weaving in color B ten stitches BEFORE it begins — by using the weaving technique that you use if you’re stranding one color behind the current color for more than 5 stitches. Do the same thing at the end of the new color and you avoid the necessity of weaving in at the end. This is, for me, a life-changing technique, as I have been known to leave the end-weaving for years!
MOST fabulous cast on method EVER! Thanks so much for sharing this tip! You’ve added to my repertoire & decreased my stress #hattip #fibrearts
I have made this hat for all of the men in my family and they love it; now it is my turn! How would you size down to fit the average woman’s head?
Hello Tumblina!
We’re so happy you like this pattern! Since the decreases of the pattern are worked at the start in a multiple of 10 stitches I would simply subtract 10 stitches from the cast on edge for a hat that fits about an 18″ size head. Since the gauge is 5 stitches per inch, and we’ll be taking 10 stitches out, it will be just right for a standard woman’s head.
Hope this helps! Happy knitting! -Alyson
love this but i want to know what is that Technique you use to knit the front stitch and back stitch together? i am trying to knit a lining inside a ski band and they told me to graft it together. but can’t find a video on how to hold the needles like yours are here. this looks closest to what i have been trying to find.just not sure how to do it correctly
Hi Rebecca,
I believe you are looking for the 3-needle bind off tutorial. Please see link below!
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/11/11/3-needle-bind-off-video/
Best,
Adam
Hi! It doesn’t seem like this wool exists anymore on the site. Do you have a sub? Hope everyone in the purl community is safe and healthy!
Hi Alex,
Thank you so much for reaching out and for your thoughtfulness! We no longer carry Cascade 220, but this hat would be fantastic in Linen Quill Worsted, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, or Worsted Twist!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi – Just wanted to say thank you for all of your beautiful patterns and products. Your patterns have been keeping me sane during this quarantine. Everyone I love is getting a quarantine hat! My favorite to make is the Boyfriend beanie, but have been wanting to try this one and was not disappointed and have already gotten a request for one when I shared photos of my finished product!! It looked rather daunting but your instructions made it possible. thanks so much and stay safe and well everyone!
Ok. Silly question; I don’t understand the first sentence: Start with the waste yarn, and crochet a chain 120 stitches long. Using 2 strands of 2 ply cashmere and the #7 needle, pick up 110 stitches.
So you are really only casting on 110 stitches? Not 120?
Thank you.
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you’ll be creating a longer crochet chain so that you have some wiggle room at the end of the chain. You’ll crochet 120 with the waste yarn and pick up and knit 110 stitches, leaving you with ten extra chains. This makes it easier when it comes time to pull out the waste yarn, plus you don’t run the risk of your chain unraveling and losing some of those provisional stitches!
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Knitting,
Kelsey
Thank you Kelsey. I was also a little confused about only picking up 110 stitches, as the video tutorial showed joining in the round a the end of the provisional cast on stitches. I’ve been knitting for 40 years, but this is my first provisional cast on – love that there’s always more to learn!
I just finished this project with Woolstok worsted. What method is best for blocking?
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for reaching out. I would recommend wet blocking and laying the hat flat to dry! Hope this helps.
All the best,
Lili
Can this pattern be done on either a circular needle or as one piece and seamed up one side and across the top (this is how the
original Moriarty Stowe Hat was made — on a machine)? Any suggestions? I also want to make it in a solid color.
I have downloaded the pattern. Delighted to find it after years of looking for it.
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m glad that you’ve finally found the pattern you were looking for! I think you could definitely knit this hat flat instead of in the round. It will certainly require a whole lot of seaming though–you’ll need to seam up the side of both the inside and the outside layers of the hat, and then seam all four layers of fabric together across the top. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Bought a few vintage hats off of eBay but now I can make my own! I picked up knitting while I was on a long field assignment. Unusual for a guy to knit but I made myself some very nice aran sweaters. I stopped now for 20 years and wanted to pick it up again starting with a ski hat. Incredibly difficult to find a pattern then I found yours. Perfect! I am going to make mine taller like Ingemar Stenmark’s and in Swedish colors. MC will be white with blue and yellow striping. Thanks again for making this available.
Does the lining go all the way to the tip of the hat (full lining) or only a couple of inches at the brim? If not the full inside of the hat, is there a way to make it so?
Hello,
Thanks for reaching out! The lining is only located on the first few inches of the hat, creating a cozy brim. But you could certainly extend this throughout the body of the hat! Just keep knitting both sides until each measures 6 inches (the height of the body), and then complete the knit hem by knitting the two sides together. Then, just follow the instructions for the decreases at the crown of the hat as written!
All the best,
Lili
Need your phone number so I can contact you. I can’t print this pattern(whit’s knit , a winter hat ). Or directions for provisional cast to start.
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out, although I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble printing this pattern! Here’s how you can do that: If you’re on your computer, you’ll find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find the “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Click on this button, and a window will pop up where you can delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print. When you hover over any image or a text block, it will be highlighted in yellow and a “trash” icon will appear. Just click on this icon to delete anything that’s not necessary to the pattern! For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. Then, just click on the “Print” button in the upper left-hand corner of the pop-up window!
I also wanted to pass along our Provisional Cast-On tutorial, so that you can have the directions for that technique! You can find it right here.
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Lili
I made this hat years ago for my son, but our dog had a go at it and I need to make a replacement. Both the Cascade and Jade Sapphire are no longer carried, so any suggestions of your current yarns you think would be great substitutes would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for writing in! I would recommend Knitting Yarn for this pattern! I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gavriella