This Garter Ear Flap Hat was an engineering feat to get me back on my feet. You see, I didn’t exactly have that quintessential fresh-start feeling that so often comes with the New Year. Instead, I spent January 1st in bed with the flu and its attendant fever, aches, chills, and delirium. Just as the worst was passing, Mother Nature blasted us with a Polar Vortex that I did not have the strength nor will to face.
Cabin fever set in! Groggy from illness and stir-crazed from quarantine, I was determined to prove my health (and sanity), and so, making this hat became a triumphant product of my bruised spirit. I created this hat that simultaneously hangs on and hugs my head, which provides protection and insulation from a season that had been beating me down.
Still enamored with the ease of working short rows in garter stitch (as with my Knit Elbow Patches), I constructed this hat in one seamless piece using Purl Soho’s soft and lush Alpaca Pure. The more I knit with this incredibly comforting yarn, the better I felt. And the topper made it official. Slightly pointed with a tiny tassel, the finish delivered cheer and whimsy. I was back to my healthy self!
With my head toasty warm and back in full heath, that fresh-start feeling did arrive… just a little late this year. A belated Happy New Year to all! May it be a healthy one. -Laura
Materials
- 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Alpaca Pure, 100% alpaca. I used the colors Heirloom White (Artemisia, Storm Gray) for the Baby (Kid, Adult Medium) hat.
- A US #8, 12-inch (for Baby size) or 16-inch circular needle
- A US #7, 12-inch (for Baby size) or 16-inch circular needle
- A set of US #7 double pointed needles
- 4 removable stitch markers
- 1 stitch markers of a different color to indicate end-of-round
Gauge
4 1/4 stitches and 8 rows = 1 inch in garter stitch with smaller needle
Sizes
Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference: 14 (16, 17 3/4, 19 3/4, 21 3/4, 23 1/2) inches
- Finished Height: 7 1/4 (8, 9, 10, 11 1/2, 12 3/4) inches, from bottom of ear flap to top of hat, not including tassel
Notes
The Right and Left Ear Flaps are shaped using short rows. For our complete Short Rows Tutorial, please click here. NOTE: Because the short rows are worked in garter stitch in this pattern, you do not have to pick up the wraps; simply ignore the wraps when you come to them and work the wrapped stitch normally.
wrp-t [wrap and turn]: keeping the yarn in back, slip the next stitch purlwise from the left needle to the right needle. Bring the yarn forward as if to purl. Return the stitch from the right needle back to the left needle. Turn the work.
s2kp [slip slip knit pass]: Slip two stitches together knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over knit stitch and off needle. (2 stitches decreased)
Pattern
Begin
With larger needle, cast on 60 (68, 76, 84, 92, 100) stitches.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit 2 rounds.
Change to smaller needles.
Next round: Knit 3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 6) stitches, place marker (pm), knit 16 (18, 20, 23, 25, 27) stitches for Left Ear Flap, pm, knit 22 (24, 28, 30, 32, 34) stitches for Front, pm, knit 16 (18, 20, 23, 25, 27) stitches for Right Ear Flap, pm, knit to end.
Shape Left Ear Flap
NOTE: For this portion of the pattern, you will be working in Short Rows, back and forth, turning the work part way through each round, rather than continuing to the end of the needle. For a tutorial, click here.
NOTE: If a dash (” – “) appears in place of a number for your size, omit this line of instruction.
Next Row (right side): Knit to 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) stitches before second marker, wrp-t.
Next Row: Knit to 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, -, -, -, 11) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, -, -, 10, 10) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, -, 9, 9, 9) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, 8, 8, 8, 8) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (7, 7, 7, 7, 7) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows (all sizes): Knit to 6 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 5 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 4 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 3 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 1 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Shape Right Ear Flap
NOTE: For this portion of the pattern, you will once again be working in Short Rows.
NOTE: If a ” – ” appears in place of a number for your size, omit this line of instruction.
Next Row (right side): Knit to 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) stitches before fourth marker, wrp-t.
Next Row: Knit to 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, -, -, -, 11) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, -, -, 10, 10) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, -, 9, 9, 9) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (-, 8, 8, 8, 8) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to – (7, 7, 7, 7, 7) stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows (all sizes): Knit to 6 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 5 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 4 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 3 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Two Rows: Knit to 1 stitches before next marker, wrp-t.
Next Row: Knit to end of round.
Work Body of Hat
Round 1: Purl (removing 4 stitch markers).
Round 2: Knit.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 4 (4 1/4, 4 3/4, 5 1/4, 6 1/4, 7) inches from the rolled edge at the center of an Ear Flap, or until approximately 3 1/4 (3 3/4, 4 1/4, 4 3/4, 5 1/4, 5 3/4) inches shy of desired finished height.
Shape Crown of Hat
NOTE: Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.
Set-Up Round: P7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12), k1, mark previous stitch, [p14 (16, 18, 20, 22, 24), k1, mark previous stitch] three times, purl to end of round.
Round 1: [Knit to one stitch before next marked stitch, s2kp (see Pattern Notes above), move stitch marker to the s2kp] four times, knit to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Round 2: [Purl to marked stitch, k1] four times, purl to end of round.
Round 3: Knit.
Round 4: Repeat Round 2.
Repeat Rounds 1-4 five (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) more times. [12 (12, 12, 12, 12, 12) stitches]
Next Round: Repeat Round 1. [4 (4, 4, 4, 4, 4) stitches]
Next Round: Knit.
Finish
Cut yarn leaving a 24-inch tail, thread onto tapestry needle and pull through remaining stitches. Make a Tiny Attached Tassel by following the instructions found here.
Weave in your ends and block as desired.
PRINT
Hello, I’m just wondering whether it’s possible to knit this all on double pointed needles rather than circular needles? I’m in Australia and I’m having trouble finding 12inch circular needles. I’ve never used circular needles before, so I’m not sure whether they are necessary to this pattern.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Oh and if the answer is that circular needles are needed, would 40cm (approx 16inch) be ok for the baby size hat? This seems to be the smallest length available here!
Thank you
Hi Nat,
Thanks for writing in. You can use a 16″ circular needle for this pattern, but if you are having trouble joining your stitches in the round, you can always use double points. They work just as well! Whatever works for you or whatever you have available in the right size will do just fine!
All the best,
Adam
Hi Nat,
I’m in Australia too. Google ‘magic loop technique’ – basically you just use really long circular needles for everything so you don’t have to buy all different lengths for every project.
It’s really easy once you get the idea of it.
I’ve made loads of the garter ear flap hats using it and socks etc – anything where I used to use double point needles,
Good luck!
Hi, a question, I would like to ask is, if there already is a german translation of this pattern?
We are a group of german knitters who make wooly hats for people in buddhist charities in Nepal. You can contact me and I can give you the link to the organization, we are supporting.
Hi Dominik,
Thank you for writing in! Love what you do! Unfortunately we don’t have a German translation for this pattern — Sorry!
-Adam
I could do the translation, if you allow me, and would also like it, if it can be included at the ravelry page for the pattern, so people whose english is not well enough to work with the english pattern can have the translation as orientation.
We have a few people in our group, who would have less struggles with the translation.
Hi Dominik,
Thanks for writing in. You are more than welcome to translate the pattern for your own use but we cannot use your translation on our website or our Ravelry page. For the time being our patterns are in English only but that is not to say we won’t translate our patterns in the future. I’ll be sure to note your request! Thanks again!
-Adam
Thanks Adam, then I will translate it for our group and am looking forward to many warm heads in Nepal through our group effort.
I love this hat, but I’m stuck on the left ear flap. I’ve watched the short rows tutorial, which seems straightforward, and read all previous comments, but I’m still not sure how to proceed. Two questions: 1. After the first short row, I wrapped and turned as directed in the tutorial, but when I turn, the yarn is now in front, as if to purl. The pattern, however, tells me to knit. Do I just move the yarn to the back and knit, picking up the wrap by knitting it and the first stitch together? 2. To get to this point, I started at the beginning of the row and knitted the first short row to 11 stitches before the second marker. Now that I’ve wrapped and turned, the pattern is telling me to knit to 11 stitches before the next marker. But, moving back in the direction from which I came, there are only 9 stitches to the 1st marker and another 5 to the marker where I joined the round. What am I doing wrong?
Many thanks for any help–
Holly
Hi Holly,
Thanks for writing in! I am happy to try to help you with your questions.
1. After you wrap and turn the first short row, you will move the yarn to the back and knit as directed in the pattern. Our tutorial is based on stockinette and not garter as if used in the pattern and thus there is a difference in the tutorial from the needs of this pattern.
2. Based on the number of stitches that you are mentioning, it sounds as though you are doing the adult medium size. For the size that you are working, there should be 25 stitches between the first and second stitch markers. Based on that size, for the first short row, you knit to 11 stitches before the second stitch marker (this will be 14 stitches into the 25 stitch ear flap). You will wrap and turn the next stitch. Now when the work has been turned, there should be 14 stitches before the stitch marker. IF you only have 9 stitches, there may be too few stitches for the ear flap.
I hope that this helps clear things up! Please let us know if you have any additional questions!
Cassy
Could I use 5 ply and change my needles?
Thankyou.
Hello Lynette,
Thanks for writing in! If you want to use 5 ply yarn and go down in needle size The whole hat will come out smaller. Depending on which size you want to knit you could just knit a size up to correct this. Otherwise you will have to adjust the pattern.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hello. I would really like to knit this hat, but I had to ravel three times. I do not understand first line of instructions for ear flap. Do I need to knit all stiches until the seven before second marker? Or do I have to place all stitches on right needle and knit just seven stitches before second marker? I amm confused but in love with hat.
Hello Hana,
Thank you for reaching out. I’m sorry to hear you are having this frustrating experience! For the first row you are knitting all the stitches until you get to 7 stitches before the second marker at which time you will wrap and turn. I hope this clears things up for you!
Warmly,
Marilla