Thank You Hats
Every now and then someone enters our lives to help us through a tough spot, to somehow give what we need when we need it. These hats are for those people! They express gratitude in the way that only something made with our own hands can. They say “Thank you. No, really… thank you.”
The need for such a hat is upon me. I broke my foot last year, and since then, my physical therapist has become, not only the person I spend more time with than any other non-family member, but also my coach and cheerleader. And now that our time together is nearly up, words just don’t seem enough to tell her how grateful I am. I hope a hand knit hat will take her through the winter knowing how appreciated she really is!
The Simple Rib Hat is sized for most women and some men and really only takes a few hours to whip up. Just one skein of Blue Sky’s beautiful Worsted Hand Dyes makes an incredibly soft and cozy hat!
And the Big Rib Hat, which is sized for most men and some women, is made out of Swans Island’s spectacular Worsted. One hundred percent organic merino wool, this yarn is special for its gorgeous all natural dyes and unbelievable softness.
Maybe for you it’s a teacher who cared enough to recognize something special in your child; or a neighbor who watched your dog when you suddenly had to leave town for a week; or a nurse who brought laughter and hope to your parent through a difficult hospital stay. Whoever it is, a quick knit goes a long way!
Let us know who you want to thank; we’d love to know!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoThankYouHats. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
For the Simple Rib Thank You Hat…
- 1 skein of Blue Sky’s Worsted Hand Dyes, 50% Superfine Alpaca, and 50% Merino Wool. Each skein is 100 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 100 yards required.This color (shown on the left ) is Charcoal.
- A US 8 (5 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- A set of US 8 double pointed needles
For the Big Rib Thank You Hat…
- 1 skein of Swan’s Island Worsted, 100% Organic Merino Wool. This color (shown on the right) is Charcoal. (NOTE: Some colors of Swans Island, including Charcoal, are dyed with natural indigo. It is inherent to these dyes that they will rub off a bit onto your hands and maybe wooden needles. Although indigo dyes are perfectly safe and easily wash off your hands, you may want to soak your skein in a cold white vinegar bath before you wind it into a ball.)
- A US 6 (4 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- A set of US 6 double pointed needles
Gauge
Simple Rib Thank You Hat: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Big Rib Thank You Hat: 22 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
Simple Rib Thank You Hat: 18⅔ inches in circumference (to fit most women and some men)
Big Rib Thank You Hat: 20⅓ inches in circumference (to fit most men and some women)
Patterns
Simple Rib Hat
Begin
With the Blue Sky Worsted and the US 8, 16-inch circular needle, cast on 84 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K5, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 six more times.
Now knit every round until piece measures 6 inches from the cast on edge.
Shape the Crown
Round 1: *Slip Slip Knit (ssk), k1, Knit Two Together (k2tog), k16, repeat from * to end of round. 76 stitches
Round 2: Knit to last stitch, slip last stitch to the right needle, remove stitch marker, replace stitch to left needle, place marker on right needle.
Round 3: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k14, repeat from * to end of round. 68 stitches
Round 4: Repeat Round 2.
Round 5: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k12, repeat from * to end of round. 60 stitches
Round 6: Repeat Round 2.
Round 7: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k10, repeat from * to end of round. 52 stitches
Round 8: Repeat Round 2.
Round 9: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k8, repeat from * to end of round. 44 stitches
Round 10: Repeat Round 2.
Changing to double pointed needles…
Round 11: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k6, repeat from * to end of round. 36 stitches
Round 12: Repeat Round 2.
Round 13: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k4, repeat from * to end of round. 28 stitches
Round 14: Repeat Round 2.
Round 15: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k2, repeat from * to end of round. 20 stitches
Round 16: Repeat Round 2.
Round 17: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. 12 stitches
Finish
Cut a two foot tail and thread it through the remaining stitches. And to finish with a little tassel, follow our steps for Making a Tassel right here!
Weave in the ends and thank someone!
Big Rib Hat
Begin with the Cuff
With the Swan’s Island Worsted and the US #6, 16-inch circular needle, cast on 112 stitches.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: *P5, k2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 4 inches from cast on edge.
Next Round: Knit.
Next Round: *K5, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat last round until piece measures 8 inches from cast on edge.
Knit every round for 3 more inches.
Shape the Crown
Round 1: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k23, repeat from * to end of round. 104 stitches
Round 2: Knit to last stitch, slip last stitch to the right needle, remove stitch marker, replace stitch to left needle, place marker on right needle.
Round 3: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k21, repeat from * to end of round. 96 stitches
Round 4: Repeat Round 2.
Round 5: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k19, repeat from * to end of round. 88 stitches
Round 6: Repeat Round 2.
Round 7: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k17, repeat from * to end of round. 80 stitches
Round 8: Repeat Round 2.
Round 9: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k15, repeat from * to end of round. 72 stitches
Round 10: Repeat Round 2.
Round 11: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k13, repeat from * to end of round. 64 stitches
Round 12: Repeat Round 2.
Round 13: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k11, repeat from * to end of round. 56 stitches
Round 14: Repeat Round 2.
Round 15: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k9, repeat from * to end of round. 48 stitches
Round 16: Repeat Round 2.
Changing to double pointed needles…
Round 17: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k7, repeat from * to end of round. 40 stitches
Round 18: Repeat Round 2.
Round 19: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k5, repeat from * to end of round. 32 stitches
Round 20: Repeat Round 2.
Round 21: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k3, repeat from * to end of round. 24 stitches
Round 22: Repeat Round 2.
Round 23: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k1, repeat from * to end of round. 16 stitches
Finish
Cut an 8-inch tail and thread it through the remaining stitches. Bring the tail to the inside of the hat and weave it in. Weave in the cast on tail to the k5, p2 side of the cuff (remember that it will be folded up and the “right side” will be the “wrong side”!).
Hi Whitney,
I have a question that seems really dumb but I can't find an answer to it… I want to knit a hat for myself, and my head is about 23 inches around. All of the hat patterns I see call for a 16 inch circular needle, which seems like it will be too small to fit my head. But maybe I'm wrong. What size needles should I be using for my poor cold head?!
Thanks!
Hi Jessica,
I love that you asked that question because so many people new to circular needles have the same one but are afraid to ask! It's a perfectly logical question with a difficult to explain answer…
My best answer is that you can fit many more stitches on 16 inches than you can fabric. For example, you can fit over a hundred worsted weight stitches on a 16-inch needle, which when they're knit would create a hat, say, 25 inches in circumference.
So, in the world of circular needles, you almost always use a needle length quite a bit shorter than the circumference of the thing you're knitting (unless you're using the magic loop method, which is a whole other story!).
Thanks so much for your question and good luck with your hat!
Whitney
I knit this hat as a gift and i forgot to soak the yarn in vinegar first. If i do it now will the hat shrink? After the vinegar do i rinse it with something to take away the vinegar smell?
Hello-
I am knitting the Big Rib hat with Ella rae. It's been in the single digits in the mid west so the 4 inch cuff in super wooly yarn is very appealing! My question is about soaking and blocking. Because I'm using Ella rae, I want to soften the fibers a little. When I lay the hat flat to dry, should I fold the cuff up and shape the hat or leave it down to dry?
Hi Beck,
No, your hat won't shrink if you soak it in a warm vinegar bath. And you can remove the vinegar smell by doing a second soak in a very gentle soap (like Soak: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/10-knitting-crochet-notions-tools?filters%5B%5D=862).
Great question! Please let us know if you have others and good luck!
Whitney
I am confused about the decreases for the Big Rib hat. When I completed the first decrease row I had 8 stitches remaining on the needles. I tore the row out thinking I had miscounted. Do I just follow the pattern for those 8 stitches? I am working with 112 stitches. Thanks…I love knitting this hat.
Hi Mary,
Since the cuff naturally folds at the place where the ribbing changes to stockinette, it would be fine (and faster) to block the hat completely flat, but if you'd like to "train" the cuff into place even more, you could also choose to block the hat with the cuff folded. It will just take longer to dry!
Thanks for asking and I hope your hat keeps you toasty through this cold spell!
Whitney
Hi Lois,
I'm not sure I'm understanding the situation… Are you saying that in Round 1 of the Crown section you went from 112 stitches to 8 stitches? Round 1 should decrease your stitch count by 8, bringing you down to a total of 104 stitches. Are you sure you knit 23 stitches between each set of decreases?
If you're still having problems, please let us know more about what's going on so we can help you fix it better!
Whitney
Can you clarify the simple rib hat pattern? In a comment above, you mention casting on 98 stitches to make it a little larger and then you say to k2tog twice in the first round of stockinette. But in the pattern, there is no mention of knit row, purl row…only knit rounds for six inches. Can you please clarify if the rows are supposed to be stockinette or just knit in the round for six inches? I am stuck until I hear back from you! Thank you!
Hi Ashley,
Both! When you knit in the round, you create stockinette stitch by knitting every stitch of every round. Since you never turn the piece to work with wrong side facing you, you never have to purl!
I hope this gets you on the right path. Please let us know if you have any more questions and good luck!
Whitney
Just finished this March 6, 2014. I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Prussian Blue. I used size 6 needes@ 5 spi. Exactly two skeins were used. It is extremely stretchy so it should fit most. It was quick and looks beautiful. Thank you for the pattern.
Hi! I love the simplicity of this pattern, making it a nice project to carry with me to work on during lunch breaks, etc. I’ve knit 2 of the big rib hats using the Swan’s Island worsted and was pleased with the results. I have a lovely hank of Smooshy dream with Cashmere sock weight (4 oz = 400 yrds / 7.5 to 9 sts per 1 inch on US 0 – US 2.
I’m wondering if I were to pull this yarn double if it would be close enough to worsted weight, and if the one hank would be sufficient to complete one hat?
Many thanks for any guidance you can provide. I love your pattern and appreciate it being offered here on Purlbee! xo
Hi Barb-
I’m not familiar with that yarn so I’d suggest you knit a gauge swatch to see if you can match the gauge of this pattern. If you are getting the correct gauge one skein would be enough for the Simple Rib Thank you Hat but you might need two skeins for the Big Rib Thank You Hat.
Thanks for your question!
Molly
I’m confused about the instructions on the big rib hat. It says repeat last round until I have 8 inches but if I repeat the last round, I get purls on the outside of the hat which shouldn’t happen because the picture is clearly knit. Am I not following instructions correctly? Also, I’m confused on “Knit every round for 3 more inches.” It would not give me the hat in the picture. Could you please clarify?
Hi Alma,
The part of the pattern that you’re repeating for eight inches (*K5, p2, repeat from * to end of round) is still the ribbing section, which does alternate two purl stitches with 5 knit stitches.
And when you knit every round for three inches, you get only knit stitches on the outside of the hat because you’re knitting in the round. This means that after you cast on, you make sure your stitches are not twisted around the needle, and you knit into the first stitch you cast on, thus joining the last stitch to the first one and creating a tube. You continue to knit around and around without turning your work and voila! Stockinette stitch is achieved by only knitting!
I hope this gets you on the right path. Please let us know if you have any more questions and thank you for this one!
Whitney
Hello,
I am trying to make the smaller hat using the magic loop method. Question: the instructions about moving the marker during the decreases, does it still apply in magic loop? Thanks
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, I believe it does. (The very slight hesitancy is because I have never actually used the magic loop method, but I do understand the concept!).
Thanks for asking and good luck with your hat!
Whitney
Hi! I love your pattern and appreciate your kind and detailed replies to all questions! Here is mine:
I am knitting the Simple Ribbed hat for my 20 yr old son. So I have casted on 88 stitches to make it a bit larger as you suggested. But what I was hoping would you be able to continue the directions for the crown decreases just a little further?
For example you say to * ssk, knit1, k2tog,k17 * to end of round. How many stitches should then be on needle total when round is finished?
I understand round 2- but then in round 3, do I knit 16 or 15 or how many stitches at this point and subsequent odd rows?
I hope you can understand what I am asking . Sorry, I am an advanced beginner and still need everything spelled out !
Thank you again for your wonderful clarifications to us all!
Hi! Thank you for your great patterns and answering all questions so kindly. I am an advanced beginner so need a little more clarification for the Simple Ribbed Thank You Hat . I am adjusting pattern as you suggested for a larger head by casting on 88 stitches. Everything is clear to me until shaping crown. With the modifications, I am *ssk, k1,k2tog,k17. At the end of this round how many stitches should I have?
I understand Round 2, but then in Round 3 how many stitches do I Knit? 15, or how many less on each odd row to follow?
I see on original pattern decreases by 2. Will it be same for me?
Thank you so much for your help!!
Hi Julie,
Just like the original pattern, every one of your decrease rounds will eliminate 8 stitches. So after your first crown decrease, you should have 80 stitches, and after the second, 72 stitches, and so on.
And yes, you will knit 2 fewer stitches between the decreases for each odd row to follow. (You can actually follow the Big Rib Hat pattern from Round 7 on, if you feel like you need something written out! Just make adjustments for the final stitch counts.)
I hope this straightens things out for you. Thanks so much for your questions and please let us know if you have more!
Whitney
I may be missing something somewhere but is there a way to print off this pattern? I have even attempted to highlight and print but there are “tags” and websites that print over top of the pattern. Hmmmm?
Hi Nancy-
You aren’t missing anything. Unfortunately our new site is a bit hard to print from. We are working on it but in the meantime we recommend using a printfriendly.com to print our patterns.
Thank you so much for getting in touch!
Molly
can a thankyou hat be done on single needels if not do you have a hat that is similar that can be and easy thankyou Mary Jane
thankyou hat can it be done on 2 needels if not coyld you please give a pattern fairly easy that could be done in 2 needels .thankyou Mary Jane
Hi Mary Jane!
This hat can’t be knit on 2 needles. Take a look at our Hat + Hand Warmers for Beginners pattern here! The hat is knit flat on 2 needles.
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
I’m making the Simple Rib Hat and am a little confused when it comes to shaping the crown. If I start with 84 stitches, following the pattern ssk, k1, k2tog, k16, (a sequence of 20 stitches repeated 4 times) doesn’t that leave me with an extra 4 stitches at the end and have only decreased by 4? But pattern indicates I should have decreased by 8. What am I missing???
Hi Kelly!
The SSK and the k2tog both decrease away one stitch. That means that you have 2 stitches removed from each of the 4 sections around, for a total of 8 decreases. Make sure you’re doing both, and you shouldn’t end up with the extra 4 stitches at the end!
Happy Knitting!
Thomas
Any suggestions for how to size the Big Rib hat down for a child? I’m thinking the ribbing section and the rest of the body should both be shorter, but not sure by how much. And I’m also not sure how many stitches to cast on. I’ve already made two Big Rib hats in the regular size – they’re lovely. Thank you!
Hi Annie-
Unfortunately we aren’t able to re-write this pattern in a smaller size at the moment but you might want to check out our full gallery of hat patterns. We have lots of cute options for kids! https://www.purlsoho.com/create/tag/hats/
Particularly, our Classic Cuffed hat seems like it might be a good option: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/22/classic-cuffed-hat/
Thank you for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Best-
Molly
Hi, I don’t understand Row 2 in the crown decrease. Why do I need to move the end of row marker 1 stitch per even row? When I did this, it made the first section 1 stitch long, and the 4th section 1 stitch short.
I should add that I have markers at each 1/4 point of the round. I needed the hat to be between the 2 sizes you have published, so I had to do calculations. Having the 3 other markers helped to keep me on track. But moving the end of row 1 stitch confused it all.
Thanks for your help,
Linda
Hi Linda!
You have to move the stitch marker to keep the “k1” in the decrease section lined up each time. If you use the 3 other markers that you mentioned, all four will need to be moved in the same direction that the pattern mentions.
Hope this helps! Thanks for your question!
Thomas
I made the big rib hat and it turned out very large. I gauged it and thought it would turn out spot on to the pattern. I even knitted it twice (very long and large the first time) and made it shorter, but kept the number of rounds to not throw off the pattern. I think the hat turned well, but is too big for my boyfriend (who is not a small guy). I may add a fleece lining so it fits or may have to start over again.
Hi Kristina!
I wonder if maybe you had the 4.5 stitches per inch gauge (for the simple thank you hat), and then followed the directions for the Big Thank You Hat which calls for a gauge of 5.5 stitches per inch? That would certainly make the hat much larger.
The fleece lining idea is a great solution!
Thomas
I’d love to make the simple thank you hat! My problem is I’m a very small woman and most hats always end up being too big on my head! Their either too long or too wide (circumference) or both! Any idea how to modify this to a slightly smaller size? Would you recommend going down a needle size? Thanks!!
Hello Sue!
Did you get a chance to measure your row gauge and stitch gauge? That very well could be the issue. Another thing to mention is that each time you pick up the wrapped stitches, you should knit or purl one past that wrapped stitch and then wrap and turn the following stitch. This means that only every other stitch is involved in any wrap and turn. Please feel free to call us or email at purlbee@purlsoho.com if you have further questions.
Alyson
Hi
I am knitting the simple rib hat. When it comes to the shaping, do I slip my stitches purlwise or knitwise? I never know. I’ve been admiring your projects for ages but this is my first – your photos are always superb. Many thanks.
Hi Linda,
Thank you for the comment! To do the ssk on our projects you will slip the first stitch knit-wise, the second stitch purl-wise then with your left needle go back into the stitches and knit them together. This will make a left slanting decrease.
I hope that clarifies and feel free to respond if you have anymore questions!
Happy Knitting!
Jake
Yes, thank you – I have now completed the first set of decreases to your instruction but have 2 sts in the round left unknit before my stich marker, but I do have the correct number of sts on my needles, 76. Is there something wrong or do I just knit these – the next row is an all knit round? (Simple Rib Hat).
Hi Linda,
Thank you for the comment! The pattern should work out so that after doing the final knit 16 you are at the stitch marker. Was your first Ssk, k1, k2tog right after the end of round marker? Also is it possible that one of the knit sections in between the decreases was not the full 16 stitches? I can’t think of any other reason that it wouldn’t work out properly with the correct number of stitches on the needle. You can probably just knit those last 2 stitches but it might make it so that the decreasing in the future rows will not line up perfectly with the first one.
I hope this helps and if you are still not sure what happened or how to proceed and would like to talk it through feel free to call the shop at 212-420-8796!
Good Luck!
Jake
Thank you so much Jake, for helping me with a bit of lateral thinking there! I undid it and did the round again and it worked out fine, so I must have made a mistake with my in-between stitches. It is amazing that you can be there to help out 🙂
Hi Linda,
So glad it worked out! We are always available to help with our projects!
Happy Knitting!
Jake
I think what Alma from Sept 2014 was asking is this: if we follow the ribbing pattern and turn the cuff up at the knit row, then the reverse side of the knit 5 purl 2 will show. I have just knitted that and realized that is going to happen, and will be ripping it out to begin again and just stay with a 2×4 rib.
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for sharing the great advice, very helpful!
Happy Knitting!
Jake
Hello, possibly a silly question..What ply yarn is the Swan Island Worsted wool used in the Big Rib Hat? I’d like to find a similar alternative yarn if I can. This pattern looks lovely, can’t wait to start. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Katy,
Not a silly question at all! The Swan’s Island Worsted is a worsted yarn, (on the light worsted side) which in Australia and the UK would be considered an 8-ply or 10-ply yarn, depending on how densely you’d like to knit your hat!
A great alternative yarn would be Anzula’s For Better or Worsted: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/7913-Anzula-For-Better-or-Worsted OR Purl Soho’s Alpaca Pure: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9307-Purl-Soho-Alpaca-Pure
Please let us know if you have any other questions and thank you for this one!
Whitney
Hi, I’ve just started to the simple rib hat , coasted on 84 stitches as required and followed instructions as upto first row shaping crown . I have done exactly as it said but still ended up with 76-79 stitches this has been done 3 times now. confused.
Hi Ruth,
Your first round of crown shaping should leave you with 76 stitches, so it sounds like one of the times you did it, you did it right! Perhaps, it’s just a question of very careful counting? Knitting a round that inserts stitch markers might help you keep track. To do that, you’d…
*K21, place a marker, repeat from * to end of round.
Then Round 1 would be…
Round 1: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, knit to next marker, slip marker, repeat from * to end of round. [76 stitches]
I hope this gets you on the right track! Please let us know if you need more help or have any other questions and thank you so much for this one!
Whitney
Hi
I love both the patterns and would like to knit the big ribbed hat however, we live in Australia and knitting in a 10ply (worsted) is too thick for our climate. I would like to knit in a 4 ply (for the chilly nights). Could you please give me instructions of how to convert the number of stitches for a 10 ply to 4 ply to fit a womans head.
thank you
Hi Donna,
I’m afraid we don’t have the human resources here to convert patterns into gauges or sizes other than the ones we offer (I wish we did!). Here, however, are some links to other (adult) hats we have made using thinner yarns:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/02/11/herringbone-hat/
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/03/27/lauras-loop-hat-to-match/
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/11/26/whits-knits-simple-pleasures-hat/
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/03/09/whits-knits-rochefort-chapeau/
I hope you find one you like! Thank you so much for your interest and question. Please let us know if you have any others!
Whitney
Could you please tell me what ssk means in the thank you hat pattern?
Hi Jan,
Thanks for writing in! Ssk means to slip, slip knit. This is a decrease method that creates a leaning decreased stitch that is quite lovely on the top of this hat. A full list of our pattern abbreviations can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knit/terms/ A tutorial for ssk can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk/
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi there!
I am planning to use another yarn for this hat, so I need to recalculate the gauge. I’m not managing to find the new gauge because in this instruction I don’t have the number of rows you knitted to have 1 inch. I don’t know if that’s normal (because is a circular needle kind of work), but anyway, it doesn’t hurt to ask here 🙂
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Angelina,
Thanks for writing in! The row gauge isn’t so crucial for this hat since you are knitting up to a certain length from the bottom edge and then doing the crown shaping. If you are having a hard time getting the gauge suggested, you could do a small swatch to calculate your stitches per inch and adjust the cast on amount from there. You might need to play with the rib configuration, but I’m sure it’ll work. Best of luck on this!
-Adam
I love the color shown for the big rib hat. When I click on the link it takes me to the yarn, but the yarn doesn’t look the same and it isn’t called “Swan Island worsted” . Am I missing something? The page says it is knit in charcoal, but it looks blue to me. I just want to make sure I purchase the correct yarn. Thank you!
Hi, Kate!
Thank you for writing in! You are right, the link does not take you to Swan’s Island Worsted. Thank you for pointing that out, we will be sure to fix that link! The yarn that you see when you click the link is Blue Sky’s Worsted Hand Dyes. This yarn is a great alternative to Swan’s Island Worsted which we no longer carry. If you have further questions, please let us know! Again, thank you!
Best,
Kumeko
At some point I must have been knitting from inside. The cuff is fine but I have to purl the 3 inches and the rest with the decreases. I’m a new knitter and won’t rip anything out on the hat anymore (I’ll be making a second hat with the same pattern, so I’ve learned about my mistakes). But I’m determined to finish the hat I have done in some fashion. Will the decreases work in purl (as they do in knit)?
Hi Penny,
Thanks for writing in! Everyone makes this mistake at some point! The decreases will work on the purl side but you’ll want to p2tog for a k2tog and ssp (slip slip purl) for a ssk. We do not currently have a tutorial for the ssp decrease but you can certainly find some good YouTube tutorials online. Best of luck!
-Adam
Figured out how to knit from the outside up to crown & decreases. I don’t know how I couldn’t previously – too tired. Sorry for bothering you with a query.
I can hardly wait to finish the big hat as I’m going to do same hat in another colour – both for Christmas for my sons (grown men). I have to do hats for their girlfriends and my husband but I’m not sure yet what patterns to choose. Maybe after Christmas I’ll make the little hat for myself.
Hi there!!
I’m knitting this Big Ribbed Hat for my father – who’s got quite a large noggin!
Should I increase by an increment of 7 stitches since the ribbed pattern is worked over 7 stitches?
If this is the case – for decreasing – would I just follow the same pattern shown?
I’ll probably knit 2 more for myself and my husband : ) according to the normal pattern as we’ve got smaller noggins!
Thanks!!
Teags
Hi Teagan,
Thank you for writing us! Yes, you’ll increase the pattern by seven stitches to gain one more rib repeat. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!
-Adam
Ok – so one last question : )
When I’m decreasing…. Do I still follow the k23, k21 etc after the ssk, k1, k2tog?
Hi Teagan,
Thank you for writing back! You’ll actually have seven decrease sections since your cast on is 119. Since 119/7 = 17, you will do the following:
*SSK, K1, K2tog, K12.
It might be helpful to place a marker ever 17 stitches the round before you decide to do your decrease round.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
Hi Purl Soho-Team, I see you recommed the blue skys worsted hand dyes for this. But as I see this yarn would have to been knit in Size 9 needles while the pattern is written for a size 6 needle… Can you help? Thanks a lot, Viviane
Hi Viviane,
Thanks for writing in! In this pattern we recommend 2 different yarn and needle combination for the two different hats. For the Simple Rib Thank You Hat, we are recommending the Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyes on US 8s. For the Big Rib Thank You Hat, we are recommending the Swan’s Island Worsted on US 6s. For hats, we like to go down a needle size in the range for the yarn to be sure to get a nice dense fabric!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thank you for the answer! But I did meant something else: I saw in another question (from Kate) that you recommended the blue sky alpaca worsted hand dyes instead of the Swans Island yarn. So my question is: can I knit the Big Rib Thank You Hat in the blue sky yarn and with what needle size…? Thanks a lot,
Viviane
Hi Viviane,
Thanks for the question. I suggest using the cast on from the Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Hand Dyes pattern but following the pattern for the Swans Island yarn. When you are ready to decrease you will return to the Blue Sky pattern in order to evenly divide your decrease sections. Hope this makes sense. Let me know how it goes!
-Adam
Hi there, I’m having trouble understanding the reply to this question— is there a new pattern for the new yarn? Or can we use the currently recommended yarn with the original pattern here? I knit this hat a couple of years ago, but also haven’t knit in over a year and want to make it again. So I’m hoping I can still do it following the original directions.
Hello Linda,
Thank you for reaching out! This was answering a question regarding combining the two gauges for the two hat patterns listed above. I’m so happy to hear you have had success with this hat pattern. You can still follow the pattern just as written. The only thing to note it that we no longer carry the Swan’s Island yarn, but you can substitute any Light Worsted/DK yarn. I think it would be lovely in our Cashmere Merino Bloom or Brooklyn Tweed’s Arbor.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi there,
Thanks for the pattern but I am struggling with big rib hat pattern. I am at round “K5, p2, repeat”. I think I am supposed to repeat this round of “k5, p2, repeat” until the piece measures 8 inches from cast-on edge as per your instructions.
BUT the next line is where the confusion begins — “Knit every round for 3 more inches”
What does that mean? Every round? Meaning I repeat the earlier rounds for 3 inches? Or after 8inches, am I supposed to do repeat the round “K5, p2, repeat” for 3 more inches? Or do I do 3 inches of “Knit (K) only” round?
Please clarify so that I can continue following this awesome pattern. Am planning to make two of these hats for gifts.
Thank you in advance!
Hello Niharika,
Thank you for reaching out! You are correct, when the pattern says “Knit every round for 3 more inches” it means that you are doing 3″ of straight knitting.
I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying this pattern and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thanks so much for clarifying my doubts. This is great. Am so excited to finish these hats 🙂
Thanks again!
I am so confused by the Big Rim pattern. The first round is P5, K2, then you switch to the K5, P2. The bottom of the brim doesn’t look like the picture. What am I missing??
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for reaching out! If you look closely at the very edge of the brim in the pictures, you can see one row of purl bumps at the end of each column of knits. This is created by the P5, K2 row; however, if you prefer, you can simply start in with K5, P2 and omit this row.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I’d like to make the Simple Rib hat but cannot seem to find this particular Blue Sky yarn. Can you recommend another yarn and the needle size recommended to get 4.5 stitches per inch? Thank you!
Hi Marly,
Thanks for reaching out! We no longer carry the yarns we originally used for this pattern, but we do carry quite a few other worsted weight yarns that would work well! I would suggest substituting either Worsted Twist, Madelinetosh Tosh Merino, or Manos del Uruguay Maxima.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi, I am wondering if I could use Understory for this pattern? I love this yarn and have some extra. I realize it’s a bit lighter-weight yarn so what size needles would you use with this yarn? And how would you suggest modifying the pattern for a smaller gauge?
Many thanks!
Hi Marly,
Great question! Understory is just a tiny bit lighter weight than the original yarns used for this hat, so I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch first – it is close enough that it is possible you will be able to get the correct gauge! For either hat, if necessary, you can add multiples of 7 stitches to the cast on to adjust the size.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you for your reply. I think I prefer size 6 needles with the Understory. That gets me to a gauge of 5 spi. I’m wondering about using a multiple of 7 stitches though. What happens when I get to the decrease section, which seems to require a multiple of 4? Should I cast on 91 for the ribbing and then increase to 96 for the body so that I’m set up with a multiple of 4 for the decreases? Casting on 91 makes the circumference slightly smaller than the pattern (18.2 vs 18.6 inches) but is the ribbing stretchy enough that this wouldn’t matter? Thank you.
Hi Marly,
Yes, adjusting the stitch count by increasing after the ribbing will work perfectly to set up for the decreases later on! Ribbing is quite stretchy, even when it is such a wide rib, so I wouldn’t be concerned about such a slight size difference.
Best,
Julianna
I’ve made the big rib hat twice and want to make it again. Do you think there will be enough yarn with ANZULA For Better or Worsted, it’s only 200 yards. Thanks!
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for writing in! I do know that the Swans Island Worsted skein that we used for that hat is 250 yards, unfortunately since this is an older pattern I am not sure of the exact amount of total yardage that we used for this hat. I would recommend getting two skeins of For Better or Worsted but leaving 1 unwound so that in the event that you don’t use it you can return it for store credit within 6 months!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi. Last night I finished the Big Rib Thank You Hat. I like how the hat turned out. As I worked through the crown decrease rounds, I thought the pattern needed an extra note for clarity. The decrease sequence is repeated 4 times. This note would really be useful for people working through the pattern, especially beginner knitters.
Round 1 could read as follows: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k23, repeat from* (repeat 4 times) to end of round.
This note could be added to all the decrease rounds (odd numbered rounds; Rounds 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 23). Please consider adding this clarification to the pattern.
I look forward to making more of the Purl Soho hats and other beautiful projects. Be well and happy creating.
Hi Cullen,
Thanks for reaching out and for sharing your suggestion! I will be sure to pass this along to the rest of the team.
Happy knitting!
Gianna