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”!).
I want to thank my grandma by making these hats for Christmas gifts to the men in my family. She taught me how to knit 40 years ago, even though she was left handed and I was right handed. Thank you for the opportunity to sing her praises. She is missed always!!
Just a quick question – For the simple rib hat the listed suppplies state a size 6 knitting needles – but the pattern states a size 8 knitting kneedles. Which size is the correct one? I love the look of this hat!
just checking on the needle size for the simple rib hat with the blue sky worsted.. for materials needed it says size 6 needles. In the instructions it says size 8?
Thank you for sharing your hat patterns. I love them and intend to knit some up to express my “Thanks.” 🙂
Thank you for the great new and useful patterns. My son and I both have glaucoma, but thanks largely to our incredibly wonderful, long-time opthalmologist, we're both doing fine. I've wanted to make him something for a long time as a token of appreciation, but most things seem too personal. I think one of these hats would be a really appropriate symbol of our gratitude. .
Hi Santaananana,
Good eye! We have corrected the pattern to read US #8 for the Blue Sky Worsted hat. Thank you so much for writing in!!!
Laura
Thank you for the patterns. These are the types of hats I have been looking to make.
Lots and lots in my future.
I am making the Big Rib Hat and had a question.. once I finish the ribbing for the cuff, is there anything I need to do before I start the crown? It seems to me that once I'm finished and go to flip up the cuff it will be backwards (purl side showing)… Maybe I'm just reading the pattern incorrectly!
Thanks! 🙂
HI Amanda,
No there's nothing fancy or special to do before starting the crown. With the right side of the hat facing you, the first four inches of your knitting should have the predominantly purl side showing and the next four should have the predominantly knit side showing (with a turning round in between). Is that what your hat looks like?
Whitney
New to knitting and have a question about the Big Rib hat. On the crown section round 2 states to knit to the last stitch. Does this mean knit the last stitch or knit the second to last stitch? For example, I've done the first round and have decreased by a 8 stitches. I have 104 stitches on the needles. For the second round do I knit 103 stitches and slip a stitch to the right and back to the left to transfer the marker or do I knit 104 stitches and start Round 3? Mathematically, it seems that I should knit 104 stitches after the first round, place the stitch marker and complete round 3 and decrease another 8 stitches to arrive at 96. Sorry if this is confusing.
Bill, I had the same thought as you but it makes sense when you get to it. You move the last stitch off the needle to the right, remove the stitch marker, put that last stitch back on the left needle, the stitch marker on the right, and then that last stitch becomes the first stitch in the next row's ssk. This happens at the end of every row 2 repeat to move that stitch marker over to mark the beginning of the row, and to include that last stitch in the next row's ssk. I hope this makes sense. This was my very first hat-knitting experience and it actually worked perfectly = great pattern (although I did modify it a little to make it more snug in the cap and it's great!)
For the simple rib hat, would it be possible to switch it to bulky yarn? I am new to knitting and I am not sure how to do the math to switch it. I have this lovely, lovely wool for a hat for my sister-in-law that this hat would great for. Thanks!
Hi Susan-
Since you are new to knitting it might be best for you to find a pattern that fits the gauge of your yarn rather than try to adjust this one. Here is a link to all of our free hat patterns:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/hats-knitting/
And here is a link to our patterns for sale:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/5-knitting-crochet-patterns?filters%5B%5D=976
If you need any more help finding an appropriate pattern please let us know the specific gauge of your yarn (aka the amount of stitches per inch that you are getting on the needles you'd like to use.)
Thank you for your question!
Molly
Hi Bill,
Leslie has it right! Thank you so much , Leslie, for the thorough explanation!
Just to clarify, you do not knit the last stitch of the round until after you have moved the stitch marker, then you do knit it together with the first stitch of the round in an ssk.
I hope this helps. If not, please let me know and we'll work it out!
Whitney
I have a 240 yd, skein of mountain colors hand paint I'd like to substitute for the 250 yds od Swan Island worsted; how essential to finishing the pattern are those extra ten yards?
Do you have any suggestions for how to modify the simple rib hat pattern to fit a man with a head size of 23 1/4″?
Thanks!
Laura
Hi Catherine,
As long as you get the correct gauge (5 1/2 stitches to the inch), you should be just fine!
Thanks for asking!
Whitney
I used the swan island worsted for the big rib hat. I need a second skein to finish the hat, and I have followed the pattern . I don't mind buying another skein I am just wondering if anyone else neede another skein or have I done something wrong?
Hi Laura,
For a 21 3/4 -inch hat, you would cast on 98 stitches. After the ribbing you'll have to sneak two k2tog's into the first round of stockinette. With 96 stitches, your first round of crown decreases will be:
*Ssk, k1, k2tog, k19, repeat from * to end of round. 88 stitches
And your next decrease round would be:
*Ssk, k1, k2tog, k17, repeat from * to end of round. 80 stitches
And so on!
Please let me know if you run into any problems and good luck!
Whitney
Hi Patricia,
I'm so sorry you ran out of yarn! I had 30 yards left at the end of my hat. At what point in the hat did you run out? Were you knitting at 5 1/2 stitches to the inch?
I guess your only option besides buying another skein would have been to go back to before the crown decreases and knit the hat a little shorter. What a pickle!
Sorry again and good luck!
Whitney
Just finished the big rib hat for my husband, he caught me reading the pattern and decided he wanted one… went as far as picking up the yarn himself!
I had to skip the additional 3 inches you suggested because he likes them snugglier, but the pattern still worked out fabulously. Thank you!!!
Whitney
I absolutely love the look of the simple rib hat!!! I have a few oddball questions. I would like to make it for one of the men in my family. My concern is that it's sized to fit “most women and some men”. Because I've never measured his head I'm not sure of the exact cir. needed for him. I have a feeling I need it to fit a 23 inch head. Do you think the finished size of 18 2/3 in will work with some stretch?
Also I really love malabrigo yarn and would like to use it for this project. I'm using it on # 9 circulars. Do you think that will hinder the gague too much? Do you still think this will all work? Thanks so much for your help!
Jessica
Hi there,
Such cute hats! Could you please explain to me the transfer of knitting in the round with circular needles to knitting with the double pointed? Just how to move the stitches from the circular to the double pointed. Thank you so much! I can't wait to start!
Olivia
Hi Jessica,
The average man's hat is usually about 20 inches around. So for this pattern, you could cast on 88, knit the cuff as a k6, p2 rib, then start the crown with Round 7 (*Ssk, k1, k2tog, k17, repeat from * to end of round). OR you could cast on 91, knit the cuff as written (k5, p2), then increase one stitch before you start the crown, and start the crown with *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k18, repeat from * to end of round (and the next decrease round will be *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k16, repeat from * to end of round).
This is all assuming that you're keeping the gauge at 4 1/2 stitches to the inch, which should totally be fine with Malabrigo. Just be sure to do a gauge swatch!
Thanks so much for your questions and good luck!
Whitney
Hi Olivia,
Great question! When you're ready to switch to double pointed needles, just start the round using one double pointed needle to work the first third of that round's stitches. Then grab a second double pointed needle and work the next third of the stitches. And finally, use a third dpn to finish the round. You'll end up with your stitches evenly distributed on three needles and the circular needle will be free!
I hope this helps and thanks for asking!
Whitney
Yes! It helped! I'm finished. I also used malabrigo and size 9 needles and all worked out perfect! Such a simple yet beautiful pattern! Thanks again!!
My friend has asked me to knit a hat for her husband who has a notoriously large head. I love the look of the big rib hat but his head circumference is probably 23″. Any suggestions on how many stitches to cast on and how to work the decreases?
Thanks!
Hi Anne B,
Actually the Big Rib Hat is probably close to fitting a 23-inch head because of the ribbing and general flexibility of merino. So, instead of adding a whole extra repeat (7 stitches) to the pattern (which causes some havoc to the crown decreases), I'd recommend knitting your hat at 5 1/4 stitch to the inch, rather than 5 1/2. Just that little adjustment would give you a 21 1/3-inch hat, perfect for a 23-inch head!
Thank you for your question and good luck!
Whitney
Hello,
I would like to make the “Big Rib Hat” but I have some size 2 yarn that I'd rather use and I wasn't sure how to convert the pattern for that? I assumed I'd use size 2 or 3 needles, but didn't know how many to cast on and so forth. This is my first attempt at modifying a pattern. Thank you! I love this site, so many beautiful projects – my needles can't keep up!
Megan
Hi Megan,
The first thing you'll need to determine is your gauge. If you need help with that step, here's our tutorial that covers that topic: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/not-too-tight-tutorial/ .
Once you know how many stitches-per-inch you're getting, you'll multiply that number by the hat circumference (which, if you're sticking with this pattern, is 20 1/3 inches). Then you'll cast on the nearest number that is also a multiple of 7. So, for example, if your gauge ends up being 7 stitches to the inch x 20.33 = 142, you'd cast on 140.
When you get to the crown you may have to increase or decrease a few stitches in order to have a stitch count that is divisible by 4.
You'll also need to change the number of stitches you knit between each set of decreases. So if your stitch count at the crown is 140, divided by 4 (there are 4 sets of decreases) = 35 – 5 (the number of stitches each set of decreases uses) = 30. So your first crown round would be *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k30, repeat from * to end of round.
Kind of a lot to take in, I know! Please let me know if you need any help once you've determined your gauge!
Thanks for your question!
Whitney
Thanks so much, Whitney. I'll take a stab at this once I finish the garter stitch Gaiter you all just posted 🙂 I really appreciate your help! I'll do a gauge swatch, even though I don't want to haha. If I have anymore trouble after that, I'll post again. Happy Holidays!
Megan
Thank you for these patterns. I love the minimalist design! Found some raspberry colored Misti Baby Alpaca 4 ply in my stash that I've been wanting to knit up into something, and the Big Rib Hat pattern won my attention tonight! I've cast on and am looking forward to having a nice, soft, warm pink hat to wear this weekend!
I'm interested in knitting the Big Rib hat for my first ever hat project (eek!) The 20 1/3″ circumference seems a bit big for my small head. To decrease the circumference by 2 inches (to 18 1/3), do I just decrease the number of stitches cast on by 14? How would that affect the decreasing of the crown? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Jihane,
Sounds like you're more than ready to embark on a hat project because you're right, you would cast on 14 stitches fewer!
The crown gets a little more complicated. Right before you start it, you'll have to decrease two stitches (I'd recommend an ssk at the beginning of the round and another one on the 49th and 50th stitches [don't forget to count the first stitch of the round as two stitches!]). Then with 96 stitches, your first crown round would be *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k19, repeat from * to end of round.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Whitney
Hi, I am wondering what the actual yardage is for the Big Rib hat – did you use the full skein? I have one skein of Manos Maxima that I want to use and am wondering if I will have enough yarn (219 yards). I always hate coming up just a tad short…
Hi Jackie,
I want to make sure you know, first of all, that the Maxima is quite a bit thicker than the Swans Island Worsted I used for the Big Rib Hat. To get the right gauge you'd have to knit the Maxima pretty tight. But if you're going for a dense and very warm hat, then you might be happy with the results!
Anyway, it's a close call whether you have enough yarn or not. I used a lot of the 250-yard skein of Swans Island, so to be on the safe side, you might want to knit the cuff to only 3 inches.
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
I'm in the middle of knitting the Big Rib Hat and am using the Swans Island Worsted. The yarn is staining my hands and the needles an intense shade of black. What do I need to do with the hat once I finish it so that it will not continue staining the intended recipient's hands and hair?
Thank you!
Hi Tory-
The guidelines for dealing with this issue are on the yarn's page here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6280-Swans-Island-Worsted
We recommend that soak the skein in warm white vinegar before knitting with it. But since you've already knit with it we'd recommend that you do the vinegar soak after you're done.
Thank you for your question!
Molly
Thank you Molly!
I couldn't resist having the yarn wrapped into a ball at the store so missed the opportunity to give it the vinegar treatment before knitting. I'm nearly finished and it looks awesome, can't wait to soak and block it.
Ok do for big rib hat are you knitting 4 inches of rib and one row of knitting then knit 4 more inches of rib for it to be folded? Then knitting the crown?
Then if that's true would it compromise the look too much if I knitted 4 inches of rib then maybe a purl round for seperation then the crown? Just to save some yarn. I bought madelienetosh's vanilla bean worsted and it's so pretty, and I don't get to buy pretty yarn as much.
Thank you for your time
Colleen
Hi Colleen,
Yes, you have the concept right! If you're short on yarn, then working four inches of ribbing without a fold is a good solution. You wouldn't need the purl round in that case, since it's just there to make the fold neater.
Another option would be to work two inches of ribbing, purl a round, and work two more inches of ribbing for a folded up, shorter cuff.
Either way, your hat's going to be awesome. I love Madeline Tosh's Worsted!
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
Will 1 skein of the Blue Sky Worsted do it for the Simple Rib Hat? I'm not seeing the number of skeins listed above – and notice the skein is only 100 yards – still seems like 1 should be enough. But thought I'd ask to be safe! Thanks!
Hi Sara,
Eek, you're right! I added the number of skeins to the pattern, and yes, it's one!
Thank you so much for asking!
Whitney
Awesome, thank you!
Hey there! I'm knitting the big rib hat for a close friend of mine, and I was wondering if the finished product is slouchy, as the picture appears? If so, how would I alter the pattern to make it more fitted? I wasn't sure if I should decrease the rib length or the overall length from the cast on edge before decreasing for the crown. Thank you so much.
Hi there! I love the Big Rib hat and inadvertantly bought the Blue Sky Worsted, is there any way to use this yarn instead?? I don't mind buying more skeins or anything, I have fallen in love with the yarn! If this is possible, what size needles should I use? And do I have to change the pattern or just knit tighter?
Thank you so much, looking forward to making these!!
Cheers,
Eliza
Hi, I was Just wondering if i could get away with just 220 yards (you know what yarn i am talking about :D)
Hi Lauren,
Yes, there is a bit of extra room at the top of the hat. To make it fit more snuggly, you could decrease either the rib or the length of the hat before the crown; or you could even decrease a bit of both to maintain the proportions!
Thanks for asking and please let us know if you have any other questions!
Whitney
Hi Eliza,
You would have to change the pattern to make the Big Rib Hat with the Blue Sky Worsted. It's quite a bit thicker than the Swan's Island Worsted and would be unpleasantly tight and dense at 5 1/2 inches to the inch. (Read through these comments for some good tips on changing the pattern, if you decide to go that route.)
Thank you for your question and please let us know if you have more!
Whitney
Hi Anonymous,
Yes, I do! I used exactly 220 yards to make my hat. Although a reader reported needing a second skein of Swan's Island Worsted to finish her hat, you should be fine if you stick closely to the gauge of 5 1/2 stitches to the inch!
Thanks for asking and good luck!
Whitney