Boyfriend Hat
In Levis, flannel button downs, canvas sneakers, and grandpa cardigans, a friend of mine and I used to laugh that rather than dressing for the boys we wished we were dating, we dressed like the boys we wished we were dating. And the funniest part was that despite our different taste in men, somehow our fantasies of their wardrobes were identical. Some things are for the everyman and, as it turns out, for the everywoman too.
I designed the Boyfriend Hat with the versatility of any timeless article of clothing. Man or woman, wear it slouchy or cuffed. Pull it down taut or let it hover above the ears. Cuff it twice for a Wes Anderson style watchman cap.
Knit up with two different colored strands of Purl Soho’s Line Weight merino, the effect is gently marled and toasty warm. In a tight 1 x 1 rib, this hat is also exceptionally elastic and durable, hugging the head and feeling decadently soft, even through winter’s wear and tear.
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!
The Boyfriend Hat is the hat you wish he had so you could steal it from him. Or is it the hat you have that he wants to steal from you? I don’t know… Just make two. -Laura
Update: New Colors
October 2014
To celebrate Line Weight’s newest colors we made a fall 2014 set of Boyfriend Hats, this time in the rich and spicy colors of the season! For the full story, additional pictures and all the yarn details, just click here!
Update: New Style + Sizes
September 2020
We’re revisiting the classic details of our beloved Boyfriend Hat with expanded sizing and a new color motif. Our Best Friend Hat is the perfect accessory for you and your friend circle! View the updated pattern and color combinations by clicking here!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoBoyfreindHat, and #PurlSohoLineWeight. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this fingering weight yarn is 494 yards/ 100 grams.
- Color A: 1 skein; approximately 235 (265, 305, 355) yards required. We used the color Heirloom White.
- Color B: 1 skein; approximately 235 (265, 305, 355) yards required. We used the color Toasted Charcoal for the Adult Small and Oyster Gray for the Adult Medium.
- A US 3 (3.25 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- A set of US 3 double pointed needles
- Stitch markerss, including one unique
NOTE: If you are making a solid color hat (using two strands of a single color) rather than a marled hat (using a strand of two different colors), you’ll need 1 (2, 2, 2) total skeins of Purl Soho’s Line Weight.
Gauge
39 stitches and 34 rows = 4 inches in 1 x 1 rib, unstretched, holding together a strand of Color A and a strand of Color B
Sizes
Adult Small (Adult Medium, Adult Large, Adult Extra Large)
- Finished Circumference: 14¾ (16½, 18, 19¾) inches, un-stretched, comfortably stretching to approximately 19¾ (21½, 23, 24¾) inches
- Finished Height: 9½ (9¾, 10, 10¼) inches
Pattern
Begin
With one strand of Color A and one strand of Color B, cast 144 (160, 176, 192) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.
Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 8 inches from cast-on edge.
Shape Crown
NOTE: Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.
Set-Up Round: [Work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] 3 times, work in established pattern to end of round.
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, knit 2 together (k2tog), work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, slip slip knit (ssk), repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Round 2: *[K1, p1] 4 times, k1, purl 2 together (p2tog), work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog through back loop, (tbl) repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 five (6, 7, 8) more times. [48 stitches]
Next Round: *Ssk, [k1, p1] 2 times, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [40 stitches]
Next Round: *Ssk, p1, k1, p1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [32 stitches]
Next Round: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [24 stitches]
Finish
Cut yarns and thread them onto a tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches. Pull tight and bring tails to inside of hat to weave in.
Weave in remaining tails and block as desired.
LEARN ABOUT LINE WEIGHT + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Line Weight is a lovely choice for this project because it is sumptuously soft with a subtle luster. A lithe single ply of 100% merino wool, this fingering-weight yarn knits up into a smooth fabric that blooms beautifully when you hand wash it. Enjoy 494 yards of beautiful knitting with every 100-gram skein and choose from over 20 riveting colors!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Line Weight patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool yarn
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!
What cast on did you choose for these samples, giving them such a nice edge?
Thanks for the great pattern. One question.. where instructions say to knit till piece measures 8 inches from cast on edge. Is this the same for all sizes? or is that just for the smallest size?
I would love to make this hat for an infant, toddler, and 4 yr old. Would you please tell me how to adjust the pattern? I just love it!! I have made so many things from your wonderful patterns 🙂
Hi Miriam.
Thanks for your interest in this pattern.
Unfortunately right now we do not have this pattern written for those sizes. The difference between the sizes needs to be 16 stitches, so this pattern may not work for every size you’re looking for. My best guess though would be to cast on 112 for the infant and maybe 128 stitches for the toddler. And you may think this is nuts, but the smallest size in the pattern may be okay for a generous-sized 4 year old. If you have a petite 4 year old, go with a cast on of 128 for that hat too.
A cast on of 112 (128) stitches would finish to approximately 11 1/2 and 13 inches in circumference, unstretched, stretching to about 13 1/2 and 15 inches.
For working the body of the hat…
Remember that you’ll have a lot fewer decrease rows, so be sure to take that into account when you’re working the body of the hat.
For shaping the top of the hat…
To place the stitch markers simply divide the cast on by 4.
Hope this helps!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
I have just finished a tiny version of this hat. I cast on 112 stitches to begin and began the shaping once the body was about 13cm long. In the Set-Up round, I added place markers every 28 stitches. After completing Round 1 and Round 2 of the shaping rounds once each, I repeated these two rounds 3 more times. That left me with 48 stitches. I was then able to do the final three rows as per the pattern. The hat looks wonderful! I hope this helps.
These are lovely, simple hats. 'Would definitely work great for both genders!
I've found that Stephen West's Botanic Hat is also very popular with the dudes, if you want something with a bit more intricacy (color work, pattern, etc): http://westknits.com/index.php/pattern/hats/botanic-hat/
Hello, I am new to your blog, but looking forward to reading more. I cannot knit, but I crochet, so I am in awe of your hats, they look great and nice and cosy for this time of year. xx
A great ribbed hat! I love the simplicity and clean look of this hat and the two colors are great.
I love this simple, adorable, classic looking hat!!! My only thought is does the pattern use all 2 skeins? Or can you get 2 hats out of the 2 skeins?
Thank you
Colleen
Hi Kris,
I used a cable cast on. We have a photo tutorial for a cable cast on. It shows a mid-row cable cast one, but the concept is the same. https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knitting-tutorials-cast-ons/2008/7/7/cable-cast-on.html
Thanks.
Laura
Hi Santaananana,
Yes, all sizes knit until the piece measures 8 inches tall.
Because of the difference in the number of cast on stitches, the larger the size, the more decrease rounds, and therefore more height. But everyone does start the Shaping section of the pattern after working for 8 inches.
Glad you like the pattern. Let us know if you have any more questions.
Laura
this hat is a must!
just contemplating how other color combos would look?
Hi,
Beautiful pattern! I'm wondering if one could substitute a worsted-weight yarn instead of holding to fingering-weight yarns together?
Thanks!
Ivy
I have been dreaming of a simple, beautiful hat like this. Thank you for the wonderful pattern!
Hello…how many yards of yarn are needed for this hat?
Thanks! Mary
Hi,
I'm wondering how many hats you get from the two skeins.
Thanks! Looks like fun!!
Who wouldn't love this simple, unisex, hat! Can you suggest some other color combos? I'm thinking of using the two shades of gray, but open to guidance. Thanks
Hi Paula + Mary M + Colleen + et al…
The largest size hat uses approximately 460 yards of Purl Soho's Line Weight, this means that, with Purl Soho's Line Weight, you can get
– 1 single-color hat from 1 skein (pulling two strands of the same color)
OR
– 2 multi-color hats from 2 skeins (pulling one strand of each color yarn)
I will add this note to the pattern as well!
Thanks for asking and writing in.
Laura
Hello Readers!
I just wanted to follow up on this…
If you’re making a single color hat (pulling two strands of the same color from a single skein) and if you’re making the largest size, please be advised that you may need a second skein. A few people have run short of yarn with just one skein for the largest size.
Thanks.
Laura
Hi Ivy,
Thanks for writing in.
As for substituting a yarn, if you want to use a single strand of yarn, I think a DK weight yarn would be most similar in gauge. I would test any and all yarns you are considering using by swatching first of course. Worsted weight yarn seems a bit too thick or dense for the desired fabric.
Let us know how it goes!
Laura
Hi Katyj47,
Oh goodness, what a question! There are so many good combinations.
I love your idea of doing two grays together. For a more heathered look, I think that Oyster Gray + Storm Gray would be beautiful or Storm + Toasted Charcoal. Or, if you wanted higher contrast you could pull Oyster + Toasted Charcoal.
I of course also love the classic Heirloom White + Timeless Navy, but that's a whole different direction…
Laura
hi
Love your projects! this is just a suggestion. I have been making a lot of hats, and I find it very helpful to see a picture of the hat on someones head. Then I can really see the fit and style.
thank you!
Love this hat. I have one skein of anzula squishy in my stash (385 yards) and would make the smallest size for myself. Could I get there in one skein holding two strands? It seems like it…thank you!
Hi Sarah,
Are you pulling one strand of Squishy or two strands of the Squishy. Squishy is actually quite a bit thicker than the Line Weight. If you knit it at the gauge suggested here, it may be too dense of a fabric for a comfortable and flexible hat. I would definitely make a swatch first. I have made hats from Squishy, it's wonderful. For one of my favorite hats I pulled one strand of Squishy and one strand of Jade Sapphire's 2Ply Cashmere. It was actually the prototype for these. Anyway…
That being said, if you are pulling two strands, my best guess is that you are going to be cutting it close, but I think you'll be fine. I thin your row gauge will be different from mine. Once you start working it up, if it seems to be taking more yarn than you expected, you can always knit it a 1/2 inch less before beginning the decreases, just to be on the safe side.
Thanks for writing in.
Let us know how it goes!
Laura
Lovely ! Can't wait to start knitting!
http://www.villagypsy.fr
Hello ladies: I just finished my hat and perhaps my decreasing was off, but on the last three rounds I did the ssk … k2tog decreases and then my sts after that were P1, K1, P1 in order to stay in pattern. Maybe I missed something, but I read my knitting like a good girl and knit P1, K1, P1 and it turned out fine. I'm curious to see if it happens again on my next version.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nomafighter/the-boyfriend-hat
Hi Melissa,
I love the colors you used! Thanks for sharing the link to your hat. I have looked over the pattern a few times and I strongly believe it is correct. I am wondering if perhaps you began your decrease too soon or too late?
When decreasing before those last three rounds, you are decreasing along the edges of four sections of 9 stitches; never decreasing within the section of 9 stitches, only decreasing between the sections. In the last three rounds, the decreases are within those sections of 9 stitches. You ssk those first k1 and p1, and you k2tog the last p1, k1 and between the decreases, on the first round, you should have k1, p1, k1, p1, k1. On the second round, between the decreases, you should have between them, p1, k1, p1. On that last round you should have just a k1.
Please let us know how your second one goes! I'm thrilled you're making another.
Thanks again for writing in.
Laura
Hi, This hat is really cute! Is there a way to do one more decrease round that would not throw the pattern off. I hope to end up with twelve stitches to lessen the hole at the top of the hat.
Thanks so much !
OMG – you are aware that us knitting folk are endearing not just for our craft skills but also our superstitions? So the "boyfriend" hat is putting it right out there – never knit anything for a boyfriend, only for a husband….
Hi Alice,
If you wanted to do another round of decreases, after the last round of decreasing which leaves you with 24 stitches, then…
Next Round: *Sskp, k1, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round. [16 stitches]
To sskp [slip slip knit pass]: slip two stitches together as if to knit, knit one, pass two slipped stitches over knit stitch and off needle; two stitch decrease
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Linda!
I've heard of withholding sweater knitting until after your nuptials, but not knitting for your boyfriend at all?!?! I hope this is an Australian thing, if not I might be in trouble…
Laura
I love the classic look of these hats. I bet my husband would love to have one. I linked to this post on my weekly craft roundup on CraftsCrazy.
@katyj47 and @laura — wouldn't Sea Salt be divine mixed with . . . . well, anything? Hard to tell from the website (need to come into the City for my Purl Soho fix, soon), but it looks wonderful. I've got Heirloom White and Toasted Charcoal on the needles now. God love the folks who can whip off a hat on Size 3's in a day or two. I'm not one of them. I would buy a few more colors, though, just because I LOVE the way it feels.
I what wondering if I could get some tips as to how to pick out an appropriate substitute yarn for this pattern. I love love love this hat and am dying to make it, but I don't have access to your yarn. Thanks so much for posting this great pattern!
Hi Amy,
I'm happy to help you with substituting a yarn. The most important thing to look at is the gauge. It would be ideal if you could find a yarn that you can get 9 3/4 stitches to the inch in a 1 x 1 rib. And again, ideally, on a US3 or similar needle.
If you'd like to pull two strands I suggest a thin fingering or a lace weight yarn (like I used here). If you are pulling just one strand, I suggest looking at thick Sport Weight or a DK weight yarn.
I would stick with a sheep's wool rather than cashmere or alpaca. The natural elasticity in wool pairs wonderfully with the ribbing in the hat, providing extra stretch and hug.
Please write back if you have any questions at all!
Laura
Hi again Laura,
Ok. I'm finishing off my second hat and have come upon the same issue with the decreases. And I re-read our convo and I think my explanation was misunderstood. So, here's another try. After completing the sequence of the two repeated rows of decreases, when you are decreasing on either side of the 9 sts, you are left with 12 sts on each of your four dpns. It looks like this: (K, P, K, P, K, P, K, P, K) P, K, P. I'm using the parenthesis to show the 9 sts that are not worked on the initial decrease rows, and the remaining 3 sts are P, K, P because that last Row 2 of decreases is a p2tog and p2tbl decrease. Ok. So when you move on and work the final three rows of decreases, decreasing now inside those 9 previously non-worked sts, the last 3 sts, that now become the "non-worked" sts, are P, K, P. On your pattern they are listed as K, P, K. Sigh. I hope this makes sense. Either way, my final decrease rows worked out this way and, just as before, the hat came out awesome!
Melissa!!!
Thank you so much for writing back in! You are totally absolutely completely correct. Those three stitches should be purl, knit, purl. I have edited the pattern and put a note on our Errata page too.
Thank you again for taking the time to share this with us/me! We really appreciate it. Plus, I love hearing you've worked the pattern multiple times.
Thanks Again,
Laura
I love your designs!!
wondering if you might have a suggestion for making this into a beanie instead of a slouchy hat. making it for a friend who prefers it that way and given how SLOW I am, I really don't want to mess it up!
thinking maybe to knit to 6 inches from edge and then just follow directions to decrease and finish?
thanks for your input!!
MJ
Hi MJ,
Great question. 6-inches sounds like a good amount to work before beginning the decreases. The average adult head measures approximately 8.25 inches from the crown to the bottom of the earlobe. The average large adult head measures approximately 9.25 inches. You can use this and your row gauge and the number of rows of decreasing to figure out exactly how much ribbing to work…
Man's Medium
20 rows of decreasing / 8.5 rows to the inch (my row gauge) = 2.35 inches
8.25 (adult head height) – 2.35 inches (for decreasing) = approx 6 inches
Man's Large
22 rows of decreasing / 8.25 rows to the inch = 2.66 inches
9.25 (large adult head height) – 2.66 inches (for decreasing) = approx. 6.5 inches
I hope this helps!
Laura
Just finished the Purl Soho pullover and was thinking it'd be nice to knit this hat to match. Would you give me some guidance on how the Worsted Twist yarn compares to the Line Weight? Also, what size needle would you suggest?
Thanks,
Cher
I just finished this in Storm and Toasted Charcoal and it turned out great! I love the pattern! Do you think the Cascade 220 Superwash Sport would work if I wanted to use one strand? I want to make some more of these hats and maybe try one strand, but I need a yarn that is more teenager friendly. Otherwise, do you carry anything else that is washable that could substitute for the two strands of recommended yarn?
Hi Cher.
Wow! You've been busy!
The Worsted Twist is quite a bit thicker than two strands of the Line Weight. I usually knit it on a US7 or US8. Unfortunately, right now, we do not currently have this pattern written in the gauge of Worsted Twist. The pattern would need some heavy modifications to work with Worsted Twist.
Line Weight and Worsted Twist do come in the same colors thought. Have you thought of just using two stands of the same color of Line Weight to match the sweater?
Sorry to not be of more help. I like your idea and will definitely put your request on our team's to-do list.
Thanks for writing in!
Laura
Hi Barbara.
The Cascade 220 Sport sounds like a perfect substitution for 2 strands of Line Weight. You'll have to let us know how it goes!
Laura
I ended up making this hat with worsted weight yarn and even thought I had to heavily adjust the numbers of stitches, etc, it really turned out great…even when using two strands. I’ve already gotten loads of compliments on it!
Hello! This is my first hat. My first time following a pattern and my first time decreasing. I’m not sure what the setting up the round is supposed to look like. Do you have any tutorials for this ? I’m getting nervous!
Thanks!!
Hi Amelia-
The stitches on the set up round should look exactly the same as the previous rounds except that there will be stitch markers at regular intervals. These stitch markers will indicate you where to decrease as you shape the top of the hat. To place a stitch marker simply slip it onto the right hand needle.
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions and good luck with the hat!
Molly
Molly! That helped. Except….. So i’m using a wool substitute pulling one strand. My first go it didn’t look big enough and I thought I was being smart but unfortunately after undoing two rows of decreasing and counting multiple times. I know I have 155 stitches. Do you have any suggestions for how to proceed with the decrease? The pattern seems like you need to have multiples of 4? HELP!
Hi Amelia.
Laura here. I’d love to help you figure this out. I’m not totally sure what you’re asking though.
Each size hat goes up by 16 stitches.
If you casted on 155 stitches… you won’t be able to use the decrease instructions provided here. The math involved with the decreases is all based on the cast on number.
You could start over and cast on 152 stitches… that would be like making the middle size and having already worked one round of decreases.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hi Amelia-
When you are substituting yarns it’s important that you make sure you are getting the correct gauge called for in the pattern which in this case is: 9 3/4 stitches and 8 1/2 rows = 1 inch in 1 x 1 rib, unstretched. You do this by knitting a gauge swatch before you cast of for the project. If you aren’t getting the correct amount of stitches per inch you can move up or down a needle size or try a different yarn. It sounds like you skipped this step but, I mention it just to make things easier in the future.
Unfortunately we won’t be able to rewrite the decreasing section with a different amount of stitches, however you could try placing 4 equidistant markers and decreasing in the same manner as described at each marker and see how that works.
Hope this helps!
Molly
Would you happen to have a similar hat pattern using worsted weight yarn with one thread instead of two and using larger needles?
Hi Linda-
We don’t have anything that is super similar but we do have lots of great hat patterns, most of which use bigger yarns and needles than this! You can check them all out here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/category/knit/projects-knit/accessories-projects-knit/hats-projects-knit/
Thanks so much for your question!
Molly
Just in case before I start knitting this…I know for a 1×1 rib knitted straight you would have an equal number of stitches and repeat kpkp… for every row. But would this not change for knitting in the round?
Hi Hanna.
Yup, you are correct. With an even number of stitches, a 1 x 1 rib is the same for working flat and working in the round… (k1, p1) to the end.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
could the Mulberry Merino be used to make this hat? What weight is the merino in the pattern compared to the Mulberry merino?
Hi M Palmer.
If you wanted to make this hat in with a single stand of yarn, rather than marled (pulling two different color yarns at once), then YES… the Mulberry Merino would work beautifully!
I used two strands of a thin fingering weight yarn to make these. But as I mentioned, the sport weight Mulberry Merino would be a great substitute.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hi,
I’m new to knitting and this is my second real project after the Super Simple Blanket. Could someone please explain the set-up round portion of the pattern? The more simple the explanation the better lol.
Thank you!
Hi Keisha.
I’d love to help you with this.
First off… do you get how the sizing works? There are 4 sizes in this pattern. Follow the instructions that correspond with the size hat you are making.
Here are the sizes: Women’s Small (Women’s Medium/Men’s Small, Women’s Large/Men’s Medium, Men’s Large). Notice how they are laid out graphically. If you’re making the smallest size, pay attention to the number given outside of the parentheses. If you’re making the next size up, pay attention to the number given just inside of the parentheses. And so on.
So the set up round reads:
Set-Up Round: [Work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
What you’re going to do is work 36 stitches in the established 1 x 1 rib pattern, meaning knit when there is a column of knit stitches and purl where there is a column of purl stitches, you do that for 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches. Then, you’re going to place a marker. A marker is just a little circle of plastic or metal that you can slip onto your needle to help you keep track of where you are. Below is a link to our stitch markers. Then… you repeat everything in the brackets two more times, so you’ll work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches then place another marker and then once more work 36 (40, 33, 48) more stitches and place another marker. Then you work in the established rib pattern to the end of the round.
As a side note… it’s helpful if the markers you place in this round are a different color or type of marker that you place when you first join for working in the round.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/10-knitting-crochet-notions-tools?filters%5B%5D=879
Hi I am working on my second hat of this patter and am afraid to mess up as I think I did with my first.
When I do the round 1 below, I end up having to P1 after the K1, K2tog in order to keep the pattern from becoming a seed stitch.
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Should I just be doing 1 K1, K2tog in each set of 40 stitches?
Help?!
Hey Lauren.
You’re correct, to avoid turning the ribbing into seed stitch, you have to continue in the established pattern, knitting the columns of knit stitches and purling the columns of purl stitches. So, yes, while shaping the crown, you will sometimes have to k1 right before and right after k2tog.
Hope this helps.
Holler if you have any questions.
Laura
Thanks Laura! One more question, should i be doing 1 k1, k2tog per marker on the Round 1. Or should i be doing K1,P1 4x then k1, k2tog as many times as it is allowed per marker?
Hi Lauren.
Not sure I totally understand your question.
You *[k1, p1] four times then k1 then decrease then work in pattern then decrease and then start from the * and do it all over again and again until the end of the round at which point you will have decreased 8 times.
Does that help?
Write us back if you have any questions!
Laura
I love this hat and am on my third…but goofed up and cast on 154 stitches instead of 144! Just discovered this when doing the set-up round for the shaping of the top of the hat. I wonder if you can PLEASE come to my rescue???
Hi Shawn.
Oh dear. It’s a bit difficult since 154 isn’t divisible by 8 or even 4.
If you can sneak a double decrease in somewhere, then you’ll be down to 152 stitches, which fortunately is divisible by 8. At this point, you can do the Set-up Round by knitting 19 between placing markers. Then work Rounds 1 and 2 and then repeat Rounds 1 and 2 six more times (at which point you’ll have 40 stitches). Then work the next two rounds and you’ll be at 24.
This should work, but let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Success! Many thanks. I am on to hat number 4 now. I am using 50/50 merino and alpaca and the result is gorgeous. Family and friends are all getting their requests in. Thanks for the great pattern and the help 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if I could knit this hat flat? I really don’t enjoy knitting on double pointed needles.
Thanks. Jen 🙂
Hi Jen-
This pattern would have to be rewritten to be knit flat so we don’t recommend it. But if you need help with using double pointed needles you might want to check out our tutorial here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/07/25/double-pointed-needles/
Thank you!
Molly
On the ssk tutorial, it says to slip the first stitch knit wise and the second purl wise, but she was doing this on only knitted stitches. Should we still slip knit and then slip purl even though we are working a ribbed pattern? Also, on the p2togtbl tutorial, it says to slip both knitwise first and then slip them back on. Are we slipping them back on from right needle to left needle purl wise then? Again she was doing it on only knitted stitches so does it still hold true for the ribbed pattern? Thank you. I am learning!
Hi Kay.
Laura here. Wrote the pattern and also “starred” in those knitting tutorial videos as well!
For the ssk… I was consistent with my method from stockinette to ribbing. I slip the first knitwise and the second purlwise. There are several ways to do an ssk though and if you find something more suitable for a 1 x 1 rib, I say go for it!
As for the k2tog. Yes, you slip them back over to the left needle purlwise. I do it the same on stockinette or ribbing, but that’s just me.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions!
Laura
One more question, when it says to k1 p1 four times and then decrease, does this mean k1 p1 k1 p1 then decrease, or is [k1 p1] considered ONE, for example: k1 p1, k1 p1, k1 p1, k1 p1, then decrease?
Hi Kay.
Great question…
So Round 1 starts off with: [K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog…
What this means is you will do everything within the brackets 4 times, so… k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1… working 8 stitches total.
Oh and don’t forget there is another k1 before the k2tog. In your comment is sounded as if perhaps you may have overlooked that.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I found that it helped to place a marker just at the end of the 9 stitches so I would not forget to decrease each repeat of the pattern . Once you get going doing the knit one purl one is it easy to forget to do the decrease especially if you are a quick knitter and don’t have to look at your knitting at the time.
Putting the marker after the 9th stitch made all the difference for me. Great suggestion
Just wondering, I want to make this hat using the Clementine Orange color. What would make a good second yarn to blend with Clementine Orange for this hat? Thanks!
Hi Sydney.
I love pairing the hats with white. You can see a variety of them knit up here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/11/28/purl-soho-goods/
No orange, but a lot of other bright colors all paired with white.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I too would love to know what cast on method is used for this awesome hat. Is it a ‘tubular’ cast on?
Thanks so much…
I found Purl Bee yesterday on Pinterest and I’m already in loooooove…
Hi Holly!
I’m so thrilled to hear you found us and are enjoying the site!
For the original hats (the two gray ones) I used a long tail cast on: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/02/02/lauras-loop-the-boyfriend-hat/
For the new versions (the green and red and yellow) we used a tubular cast on: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/24/the-boyfriend-hat-in-line-weights-newest-colors/
I definitely recommend the tubular cast on. I love it and use it whenever possible. Gina made a great tutorial that you can find here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/21/long-tail-tubular-cast-on-tutorial/
Hope this helps!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
hi there!
I love this pattern! Any idea how long it takes to whip up?
Hi Chithra.
Oh goodness, this is always a tough one to answer. It really depends on how quickly you know and if you mind purling or not. Since the entire thing is ribbed, it take far longer than an entirely stockinette or knit hat would take. Sorry I can’t give you a quantity of time. It just ranges so much.
Maybe some of our other readers / commenters / knitters could weigh in on this?!?!?!
Laura
I’ve been making a couple of these hats and find that in a half distracted state I can knit about an inch of the body (working the womens medium/large) in the same time it takes to watch a film. The shaping goes quite quickly as you really start to notice having fewer stitches, but I found I needed to take things a bit slower than usual to make sure that I was always getting both strands of wool in each stitch.
Hi! Absolutely love the look of this pattern but as I don’t usually knit I was just wondering how you create the marled effect?? Thanks!
Hi Em-
The marled effect in this hat is created simply by knitting two yarns together at the same time, as if they were one strand. The more different in color the two yarns are the more pronounced the effect.
Thanks so much for writing in!
Best-
Molly
Hey there! I’ve never knitted with 2 yarns at once before and they’re getting super twisted even just as I’m casting on. Is this okay? Or is there a good way to keep them untwisted? Thanks so much!
Hi Samantha.
That’s a great question!
Sometimes the two strands will get coiled a bit, but not excessively. If you want to untwist them, you can hold the strands so that your work is dangling below, in the air, the work should naturally begin to unwind itself. Sometimes, if you keep the skeins in separate pouches or bags within your project bag, it will help prevent unnecessary twisting and coiling.
Thanks for writing in and let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hi there,
I am curious as to how much of the skein you have left after a complete knitted hat (of course this depends on the size of the hat knitted). Do you think it is possible to knit two large mens hats with 2 skeins total (one in each color)?
Best,
A
Hi Allison.
I don’t think you’re going to make it with just 2 skeins. I would say you’d be fine if you were making 1 Men’s Large + 1 of the smallest size, but you’ll probably go over with only 2 skeins if you’re making 2 Men’s Larges. I know the Women’s Medium/Men’s Small required approximately 420 total yards.
If you know the recipients aren’t going to cuff the hats, you could work the body a bit less maybe?
Hope this helps.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hi there!
Does the first stitch of every round have to be a K? I’ve done one round and found that to keep it from being seed stitch I need to start on a P. Did I miss a stitch or is this okay?
Hi Samantha.
I think you may have gotten off pattern at some point. You should being each round (excluding the last three rounds) by knitting a stitch. If this is creating a seed stitch type pattern, then something strange must have happened along the way! Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting back on track.
Laura
I cast this on yesterday and am only a couple rows in, but a note for other people doing the men’s large – it is a TIGHT squeeze on 16″ circular needles! I’m having to work at the very tips of my needles and worried that I’m going to drop some every time I shift stitches around. I’ll probably switch over and do the whole thing on double pointed needles.
Same here! I worked about 5 rows and transferred my stitches onto longer circular needles to check the circumference, and it was GIGANTIC. The circumference seemed to be twice what it needed to be. I don’t think I knit particularly loosely to be causing such a problem, but I don’t know how to fix this. I really want to make this hat for my boyfriend but I can’t seem to get it right.
Hi Ashley.
I’m so sorry about this.
Did you make a swatch and block it before casting on? What size needles are you on? Did you substitute the yarns at all? Are you pulling two strands of Line Weight or just one? The hat is knit quite densely to really hug the head. One by one ribbing stretches out so much, it shouldn’t be so big. I would love to help you get you on track with this pattern. It’s one of my favorites.I’d love for it to work for you!
Please let me know how I can help.
Thanks.
Laura
How much yarn do you actually use to make one hat? I am buying Sublime Merino wool yarn and need to know how many skeins I need for one hat. Thanks!
Hi Megan.
I used approximately 420 yards of Line Weight for the Women’s Medium/Men’s Small. Unfortunately I do not have the yardage requirements for the other sizes at this moment. The 420 yards for the Women’s Medium/Men’s Small means 210 yards of each color of fingering weight yarn.
If you are going to use Sublime’s Extrafine Merino Lace (http://sublimeyarns.com/yarns/yarn-sample-7-3/) and pull two strand or Extrafine Merino DK (http://sublimeyarns.com/yarns/yarn-sample-2/) and pull just a single strand?
If you’re pulling two strands of the Lace, you’ll need 2 total skeins: one skein of each color or 2 skeins even if you’re doing it with two strands of the same color.
If you’re pulling a single strand of the DK, you’ll need 2 skeins, giving you 254 total yards.
I hope this helps.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hi Laura,
I was wanting to make two matching hats, do you think that 2 skeins total would be enough for the women’s medium and a men’s medium hat?
Thanks,
Sarah
Hi Sarah.
I think 2 skeins for a Women’s Medium and a Men’s Medium is going to be a close one. I think it may be ok, but tight. It depends on your gauge. Some people have been getting the same gauge as me, but using more yarn than I did and some have been using less.
I used approximately 420 yards of Line Weight (210 yards of each color) for the Women’s Medium/Men’s Small. If you use the same amount of yarn as I did for the Women’s Medium, then you’ll be ok making both. But if you use 10 percent more than I did, which can happen, you’ll need more yarn to be able to complete the second hat.
I hope this helps. I’m sorry it’s not more cut and dry. I would hate for you to over buy, but I’d really hate for you to run out of yarn!
Laura
Laura,
Thank you, your answer confirmed what I had been thinking. Thanks for the input!
Sarah
Hi,
Nice pattern. Could you tell us how to make it with straight needles?
Thanks,
Eva
Hi Eva-
We don’t have plans to write a version of this pattern that uses straight needles since, unfortunately, it’s not a quick or simple conversion. But we do have a great double pointed needle tutorial that might help you along if you want to knit this in the round: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/07/25/double-pointed-needles/
And we’re always happy to help out if you have a question about the pattern as you go.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
I just made this hat and love it. I made it with wool yarn and am not getting the tight fit that I thought I would. If I want a stretchy hat that fits snug to the head do I need to change to a different pattern or yarn? Thanks for your help.
Hi Jane-
It sounds like either your gauge was a little off or you should knit a smaller size.
If you measure your gauge and you are getting less than 9 3/4 stitches per inch in the rib pattern your hat will end up a bit big. If this is the case, next time try smaller needles or smaller yarn to get the correct gauge. Also, make sure to do a gauge swatch before you get started on the hat.
If you are getting the correct gauge and it still isn’t fitting right then I would recommend knitting the next size smaller.
Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I am making this great hat now and have just begun the decrease rounds and i’m having trouble doing the P2tog tbl. I’ve tried it a few ways and I still don’t like it. can I just do K2tog all the rounds? Will it look right if I do ? Help!
Thanks
Sheri
Hi Sheri.
Thanks for writing in.
If you substitute all of the decreases with K2tog, the top of the hat is going to have a very different look.
Rather than p2tog tbl, maybe try just p2tog? Or if you don’t like doing any of the decreases purlwise, then you could do all the decreases knitwise, using both k2tog and ssk.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Laura
I just made this hat and broke every rule but that’s okay because great patterns can do anything. Instead of 8″, I knit the rib pattern to 5 1/2″ and then decreased so it’s snugger fitting. I also used a DK yarn and 4mm needles. I know, everything’s wrong but it still came out perfectly. I love Purl Bee, yes I do!
Hi!
I just finished making this hat in men’s large and it turned out much much larger than expected. How do I fix it? It is about 22 in. in circumference unstretched and I need it about 20 in. Thanks.
Hi Megan.
First off… congrats on finishing the hat!
Secondly, the size… I’m not quite sure what to say. You could run some elastic thread through the bottom edge of the hat to see if that pulls it in any. Although you’ll probably see the elastic when the hat’s being worn. You could try and felt it down to size, but of course this will drastically change the characteristics of the hat.
Hats are tough because you really want them to have a snug fit so they don’t fall off. Is starting over out of the question?
Thanks for writing in and please let us know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hello! Question for you: I am at first decrease round and am stuck. I am withib the first bracket and just did the first ssk. Now I am supposed to start the k1,p1 over again but my first stitch after the ssk is a purled stitch. Is that right? I don’t want to get too far ahead and have to undo much. Help! Please! Thanks! =)
Hi Lindsay.
Happy to help! I’m glad you wrote in.
For Round 1… you K1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, then you k1 (don’t forget this k1, forgetting it will get you off pattern), then you k2tog, then you continue in the established pattern (knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches) until you have 2 unworked stitches before the next marker, then you ssk… (I think this is where you are)… at this point you start back at the very beginning, at that asterisk (so yes, that first stitch should be a k1) and do it all over again….[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk… and at this point, once again, you start back at the beginning again, at the asterisk. Do those same steps again and then repeat it for a last (forth) time.
I hope this helps!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hi there, I have started to make this hat, although I only have some standard dk yarn, will this make a difference to the size of the hat?
I have never worked with magic loop needles before, so am wondering if it is normal for the hat to seem big at first, and whether it will tighten up as I continue knitting? Or should I abort mission andante exactly the same wool as suggested?
Thank you…
Bee
Hi Bee.
You can definitely substitute the two strands of Line Weight for a single strand of a DK weight yarn.
Have you measured your gauge since you started the project? Are you getting 39 stitches to 4 inches? It sounds like your gauge may not be quite right, if that hat looks big. Although it is hard to tell in the photos, this rib at that gauge makes a fairly dense fabric.
I do love using two strands of a thin fingering weight yarn for this project, it adds extra elasticity. But maybe you could give it one more try with the yarn you already have, if you like it and want to use it.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hey there! If my guage is 9 stitches per inch across on size 3 needles do I need to go up or down in size needles? I checked my gauge on size 2 dpn’s and I’m still getting 9 stitches per inch across. Any recommendations?
Hi Joy.
I cannot imagine it would be comfortable to knit this on a US1, so I am hesitant to tell you to drop down in needle size even more, but it does sound like you may need to.
How large a swatch are you working up? Sometimes you have to make a big swatch to get a true gauge, at least 4 inches x 4 inches. Are you getting 9 stitches to the inch after blocking your swatch or before? Are you typically a loose knitter? I’m sorry for all of the questions. Are you using Line Weight or another yarn. Line Weight is a very thin fingering weight yarn, so perhaps if you’ve substituted the yarn, it’s not quite a perfect match.
I know it’s hard to tell in photos, but the rib at the gauge given creates a fairly dense fabric. Hats tend to grow and bloom and loosen a bit over time and so I wanted to ensure it would be snug at first wear. But, if you can’t get gauge, and you’re happy with the fabric you’re creating, have you thought of making the next size smaller?
144 (160, 176, 192) stitches at 9 stitches to the inch would mean a circumference of… 16 (17 3/4, 19 1/2, 21 1/3) inches. These will stretch to fit a head approximately 3 inches larger.
Let me know if I can help trouble shoot with you more! I would love to get your on your way with this project!
Laura
Also I am using 2 strands of fingering weight yarn, being a beginner in knitting, I cannot bring myself to buy your beautiful yarn, only to mess up horribly and end up frogging the whole project, and designating high quality yarn to the yarn scrap pile. I want to make sure I can do the pattern correctly first.
Hi Joy.
Makes sense to me!!
Let me know if you have any questions along the way.
Laura
hello how to decreasse this hat ..cast one 80 sts? thanks
Hi Gina.
For an 80-stitches cast on…
You’d work Rounds 1 and 2 a total of 3 times.[32 stitches]
Then, Next Round: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [24 stitches]
Then, cut yarns and thread them onto a tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches. Pull tight and bring tails to inside of hat to weave in.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I haven’t started the hat yet, but do you think a superfine yarn that is mostly acrylic will produce the same results?
Hey Jillian.
Thanks for writing in.
If the yarn is really fine, you may have have to use 3 strands to achieve the same gauge. But I think, other than that, yes, you should be able to make the yarn work with this pattern!
Laura
Hi, I’m having trouble on the first decrease row. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong because after the k1p1 4x k1 k2tog I am left on a purl. Do I purl that and then continue with the decrease pattern? Or perhaps I am k2tog wrong. Thanks for the help! Love this hat so far 🙂
Hi Bee.
I’m glad you wrote in.
To answer your question… yes, you’re going to purl that next stitch. When it says to work in established pattern, that just means to continue the rib, knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches. You are correct to have landed on a purl stitch after that k2tog and so just purl that stitch and then continue ribbing until you’re 2 stitches before the next marker.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
I’m using a different weighted yarn and a different needle size so my number of stitches is not the same. I cast on 100 stitches but now am not sure how to shape the top of the hat with the shown pattern. Please help!
Hi Jacki.
Thanks for writing in.
The shaping of this hat is fairly specific to the cast on numbers.
A cast on of 100 stitches is a little complicated because 100 divided by 4 is an odd number.
If you can sneak in 2 double decreases and get your stitch count down to 96, then, at that point….
Set-Up Round: [work 24 stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
Then you’ll repeat Rounds 1 and 2 for a total of three times. [48 stitches]
Then you can follow the remainder of the pattern (the three rounds starting “Next Round”) to finish the hat!
Hope this helps!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
could you please tell me the colors of yarn that was used to create the darker marble boyfriends hat ….
and also, if I am going to purchase the deep purple what would be a pretty color to marble it with
thank you so much
Hi Laura.
The darker of the two samples knit up is made up of one strand of Heirloom White and one strand of Toasted Charcoal.
I love the look of the marled fabric when it’s one color + a white, so I would suggest using Heirloom White with the Gray Fig. BUT if you wanted something more tonal, maybe try combining the Gray Fig with Storm Gray or Toasted Charcoal!
Let us know how it goes!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hi, I have two skeins of Brooklyn Tweed loft. Do you think this would work well for this project. I really love this pattern.
Thanks!
Hi Amelia.
I think Brooklyn Tweed’s Loft would be great for this pattern. It’s a teeny bit thicker / loftier than the yarn I used, so just be sure to swatch first and get on the right needles and make sure you are getting the right gauge, etc.
Thanks for writing in.
Enjoy your Boyfriend Hat!
Laura
Hello Laura,
I’ve just counted my stitches after 4″ of R1xR1 and noticed I’m 4 stitches short for a ladies small!
I’m hoping you can help me out with a decrease method for this hat. I’m not concerned about the size , just an even decrease when I’m ready.
I’m loving this hat so far in BlueSky Alpaca.
Thanks, Janet
Hi Janet.
I’m glad you’re loving the hat!
So you have 140 stitches rather than 144… Let’s see… I think I’d decrease 4 stitches before the set-up round, so…
Your Set-Up Round: Work 9 stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, k2tog, work 25 stitches in established rib pattern, place marker, work 32 stitches in established pattern, ssk, place marker, work 9 stitches in established rib pattern, k2tog, work 25 stitches in established rib pattern, place marker, work in established pattern to last two stitches, ssk. [136 stitches decreased]
Now, since you’ve decreased in 4 of the 8 decrease points already, your decrease rounds will differ from those in the pattern. The pattern is written so that every other round you decrease knitwise and every other round you decrease purlwise. But because of this modification, you’ll have to decrease knitwise and purlwise in each round, as follows…
Round 1: * [K1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, [k1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, repeat from * one time. [8 stitches decreased]
Round 2: * [K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, [k1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * one time. [8 stitches decreased]
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 four more times. [56 stitches]
Repeat Round 1. [48 stitches]
At this point you should be able to pretty much follow the remainder of the pattern.
I hope this helps. I haven’t tested it out, so definitely let me know if you have questions or run into any problems.
Laura
This is awesome! Thanks so much! I will let you know how I make out!
Hello! I have a quick question about when you start the decreasing rows… When In says “Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]” Is the established pattern “[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog” or just K1, P1?
Hi Cassidy.
I’m glad you wrote in!
The established pattern is the 1 x 1 rib, where you’ll knit the knit columns and purl the purl columns.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
I am a beginner knitter and I was really excited to make this hat but I need help! I made it all the way to setting up the round and that went just fine, easier than expected. It says to place 3 markers but I am confused as to where I need to place them. I am casting on the 144 so do I place a marker every 36 stitches? When I get to round 2, do I move the markers? Thanks!!
Hi Katie.
For the set up round, you’ll see, it reads…
Set-Up Round: [Work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
So, yes! You’ll work 36 stitches, knitting the knit columns and purling the purl columns and then you’ll place a marker, then you’ll do that 2 more times and then you’ll work to the end of the round. But then… you can just leave your markers where they are until the end of the project, just before your fasten off the final 24 stitches. You’ll use them as guides, you notice the decrease rounds instruct you to work up to the markers, so be sure to leave them where they are.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hello, I am new to knitting and was wondering what exactly to do in the set-up round? I have no idea what the 1×1 rib pattern is….Thanks and sorry.
Hi Shana.
Thanks for writing in.
You work the hat in a k1, p1 pattern (also know as a 1 x 1 rib) for 8 inches, up to when it’s time to shape the crown of the hat. Then, as you saw, the pattern refers to the established 1 x 1 rib pattern… this just means you’ll want to continue to knit the knit columns and purl the purl columns between decreases.
I hope this helps.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hi! Love this patter so much and I really want to knit it! I’ve just completed my gauge swatch on my size 3 needles, with two strands of Line Weight (swoon) held together. Unblocked, the gauge came out about 30 X 25.5 (4 inches), or 7.5 X 6.25 stitches per 1 inch. The fabric itself isn’t tight as I’d like for this pattern. What do you think, should I get a different yarn or try it on size 2’s, or maybe block it and see how it comes out?
Thanks so much!
Hey Sydney.
I would definitely block the swatch you already made. And then I’d work up a new swatch on US2s and block that. I have a feeling you’ll like the density of the fabric on the US2s. Let us know how it goes or if you have any questions!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
When it comes to shaping the top of hat are rounds 1 & 2 repeated a total of 5 (6,7,8) more times each or should it equal that amount. I can’t seem to figure it out on my own. Thanks!
Hi Bridget.
Thanks for writing in.
For the shaping… you’ll work the Set-Up Round. Then you’ll work Round 1 and then Round 2 and then you’ll repeat both Round 1 and Round 2 five (six, seven, eight) more times. This leaves you with 48 stitches. At this point, not including the Set-Up round, you will have worked Round 1 and Round 2 six (7, 8, 9) times… adding up to 12 (14, 16, 18) total rounds.
Let me know if this isn’t clear or if you have any additional questions!
Laura
Thank you!! 🙂
I’m trying to work a chart I made into this hat, but I was just wondering, would it be possible to make this hat replacing the 1×1 rib pattern with just knit stitches? Like, would it change the size of the hat, and if so, how could I correct this? I’m rather new to knitting, but I wanted to make a hat with a stranded knitting chart I made; unfortunately, the chart is rather large, so the hat needs to be made on either size 2 or 3 needles. This was one of the only patterns I could find that perfectly fit what I needed, but I just wanted to know what I should do if I don’t put it in 1×1 rib pattern. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Rachel.
Thanks for your interest in the pattern.
If you worked this hat in stockinette rather than in the 1 x 1 rib, it would be a approximately a 1 1/3 or 1 1/2 times larger. I just finished a sweater with two strands of Line Weight in stockinette (I was on a larger needle, but) I was getting around 6 stitches to the inch, rather than the 9 3/4 stitches to the inch I got for these hats with the 1 x 1 rib.
Modifying this hat for a stranded stockinette pattern is going to be way more work than it’s worth. I would recommend figuring out what gauge you need for your stranded pattern and making a swatch and figuring out the repeat of the stranded pattern and then casting on a multiple of that repeat. The finished dimension of a lot of stockinette hats are approximately 2 inches smaller than the head size. So if you have a 21-inch head. Cast on a number that will create a 19-inch hat. And be sure that number is compatible with the shaping and stranding of your chart.
Good luck!
Laura
Thank you so much for this pattern. It’s my first full sized project and Iove it so much. It’s super stylish and super comfy to wear.
As a mirror knitter should I keep the decreases the same or reverse them to achieve the same look?
Hi Joy.
I have to admit that I am not all that familiar with mirror knitting. I’ve looked it up though and watched a video and I believe you should reverse the decreases. I’m assuming you read each row or round of pattern backwards? Is that correct? I believe if you knit in the oposite direction, then you’ll reach the point of ssk before you’ll reach k2tog. Even if you don’t read the entire round backwards and you start with [k1, p1] 4 times, you’ll still want to do an ssk to what would be the right of those stitches, if you’re looking at the fabric.
I do hope this helps!
Please let me know what you end up doing / how it turns out. I’m curious about this whole other part of the knitting world.
Laura
Hi there, I’m having problem in the decreases. When I finish the [k1, p1] set of 4. I do the k1 and then k2tog and the very next stitch is a p.
So do I k1 into that p?
Hi Kelly.
After you [K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, then you are going to work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker… this means that you should continue and knit the knit columns and purl the purl columns. So you’ll want to purl that purl stitch.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
How are you getting 48 stitches after the decrease rounds are done. I did the first two set up rounds and then repeated them 7 times, for a total of 9 rounds and my final stitch count was 104. I’m so confused. Help!
Hi Joy.
In Round 1 you decrease 8 stitches and in Round 2 you decrease 8 stitches and then once you’ve repeat Rounds 1 and 2 five (six, seven, eight) MORE times… you will have decreased a total of 96 (112, 128, 144) stitches… leaving you with 48 stitches.
I’m guessing your making the second smallest size with a cast on of 160 and that you’re decreasing 8 stitches a round, but you’ve only worked 7 total rounds, rather than 14 total rounds. Could this be the case?
Write us back!
I’d love to help get you on track!
Laura
Hello! How many yards of this yarn do you need to make one medium sized men’s hat? I see the Purl Soho line weight yarn is 494 yds. If i wanted to make a solid color hat, would one skien, pulled twice, be enough?
Hi Jill.
I believe you should have just enough with one skein of Line Weight. I used approximately 420 total yards of Line Weight for the Women’s Medium/Men’s Small. It might be close, but I think you can squeak it out.
Thanks.
Laura
Hi
I love this pattern it’s so cute.
I want to make matching ones for my brother in law and my nephew. How would I size it down best to fit a 8 month old? I have measures his head. It is almost 18 inches circumference.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Laura.
For an 18-inch head… I would cast on 128 stitches.
When you are ready to shape the yoke, work the set-up round as follows…
Set-Up Round: [Work 32 stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
Then when it says to Repeat Rounds 1 and 2… you’ll only do that four more times to get to 48 stitches.
Then work the remainder of the pattern as instructed.
Hope this helps!
Laura
Hi, was wondering if y’all would consider creating a video of the long tail tubular cast on, and of some of the techniques in making this cap? I am new to knitting and just love your site, but need a bit more help. Thank you for sharing with us.
Hi Melissa.
Just this week we were talking about how much we need to make the Long Tail Tubular Cast On tutorial into video! Please know that it (and a slew of others) are on our list of things to do. Please stay tuned!
As for the rest of the hat… is there anything I can try and help you with?
We have a k2tog video here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/knit-two-together-k2tog/
We have an ssk video here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk-2/
Thanks for writing in.
Let me know if I can help in any way.
Laura
Hi Laura. I’m working this hat right now and I’m at the point where I’m decreasing and need to switch to dpns. I am really new to knitting. Matter of fact, this is my first project. I’m not sure how many needles Im supposed to use or how many stitches to put on each needle? Can you help explain this to me? Sorry if I’m asking a rookie question. Thank you for your time! 🙂
Wow Cate!
This is a bold first project. I am very impressed! And happy to help with the dpns questions.
First off… have you seen our double pointed needle tutorial. It’s pretty helpful.https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/07/25/double-pointed-needles/
In regards to how many needles to put the stitches onto, I usually use 3 double pointed needles to hold the stitches and then a 4th to knit with. Sometimes the circumference of something is so large that you’ll want to use 4 needles to hold the stitches and then a 5th to work with. It’s really up you. Do whatever is most comfortable. For this project it may be helpful to use 4 needles to hold the stitches. Try to arrange it so that the stitch markers is roughly in the center of each double pointed needle.
Please let us know if you have any questions and again… CONGRATS on your first project!!!
Laura
I’m making this for a friend and am starting the decreases. I understand the “(k1,p1) four times, k1, k2tog” part, but then it says to continue the pattern… If I start again with a (k1,p1) I will be purling the knits and knitting the purls, thus creating “seed stitch.” So should I (p1, k1) four times after I complete the sequence above? Hope this question makes sense!
Kat
Hi Kat.
Yes! Your question definitely makes sense.
When you are to continue in established pattern, what I mean here is to keep knitting the knit columns and purling the purl columns. After some decrease rounds you’ll be working (k1,p1) and after other decrease rounds it’ll be (p1, k1), just be sure to continue working the fabric as you have been in terms of knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches so that you don’t make seed stitch.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Hi there 🙂
I seem to be stuck on round 1 on the shape of the hat. The pattern says to do k1p1k1p1k1p1k1p1k1k2tog.. But at the end of this, if I start this pattern again, it will become seed stich. As the next stich after the k2tog will need to be a purl to continue to 1×1 rib.. But the pattern is calling for a knit stich which will make the next 9 stitches look like the seed stitch. What am I doing wrong? Is this how it’s supposed to be??
Thank youu!
Dani
Hi Dani.
I’m glad you wrote in.
When the pattern instructs you to continue in established pattern, what it means is to keep knitting the knit columns and purling the purl columns. After some of the decrease rounds you’ll be working (k1,p1) and after other decrease rounds it’ll be (p1, k1), just be sure to continue working the fabric as you have been in terms of knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches so that you don’t make seed stitch.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Laura
Oh man, that decrease through the back loop was awkward! So hard. I was sweating and felt my fingers cramp up every time it came up! Did anyone else find this super hard. Maybe my tension is way too tight. . .
Hi,
I have previously found a pattern I used to knit a baby hat and it turned out great. It looks very similar to this pattern. That baby hat was supposed to have a rolled up edge and also as I knit the beginning it rolled all on its own. I am concerned that this hat might do the same.
-Kaliray
Hi Kaliray.
Thanks for writing in.
The ribbed fabric prevents any rolling to occur, so fret not!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hi,
I made a hat for a baby that was similar to this. That hat was supposed to have a rolled edge and as I was knitting it the edge would roll and would not unroll which made me glad that the hat was supposed to be that way. I am concerned that this hat will do the same. Will it? Also I looked at your tutorial for p2tog tbl but I do not quite understand it. Can you please make a video of it?
Hi Kaliray.
I appreciate your request. I will see what we can do to get it on our “to video list”. In the meantime though, is there something I can help you with? What about the tutorial did you not understand?
Thanks.
Laura
Hello, I too am having trouble with the Shaping, Round 1. Having cast on 160 stitches and knitted 8″ of fabric, I am now ready with four DPNs, each holding 40 stitches. When I start the round (work 9 in established pattern, k2tog) I use 33 stitches, leaving seven at the end of the first needle – where do I ssk?
Regards,
Kate
Hi Kate.
I’m glad you wrote in. I think maybe you might have misread a bit of the pattern. So the way I have the pattern written is using markers to indicate where to start/end the repeats. But I see you’ve divided your stitches onto 4 double pointed needles in lieu of placing markers?
On the decrease rounds, you’ll be decreasing twice per needle, 8 stitches per round. So in the pattern when it say to work in pattern until 2 stitches before a marker, for you this will mean to work up to 2 stitches before the end of your needle. So you’ll…
Work in pattern for 9 stitches, k2tog, work in pattern (knitting the knit columns and purling the purl columns) until two stitches before the end of your needle, and then ssk. Then you’ll repeat this on each of the following three needles.
Does that help!? Let me know if I’ve misunderstood the question! Thanks. -Laura
I love this pattern, and I found great yarn with a gauge od 21 sts x 28 rows = 4″ on US size 6 needles. How many stitches would I cast on for this pattern on US size 6 needles?
Hi Abby.
Thank you for the interest in the pattern.
I can’t vouch for exactly how the hat will end up if worked at a different gauge, but… with 21 stitches to 4 inches, I would probably cast on
80 (96, 112) for a hat resulting in a 15 1/4 (18 1/4, 21 3/8)-inch circumference unstretched. These should comfortably fit a baby/toddler (kid/small adult, large adult). The math doesn’t work out to exactly align with the sizes provided in my pattern here, but hopefully this will help you get started!
Thanks.
Laura
i just started to decrease and im having trouble! When i do the k2tog in the 1st round the next stitch after that is a purl. Should i just follow the instructions and knit the purl stitch and the purl the knit stitch or did i mess up the pattern somewhere? Plz help!
Hello Karen!
After you’re done with the decreases, you’ll need to “work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker”, which means you should continue to knit the knits and purl the purls according to the pattern you’ve already established. You’re correct in noticing that the pattern would be disrupted if you knit on top of the purl stitch!
Keep stitching and have fun finishing your hat! -Alyson
Hello Purlbee! Quick question: I assume I make my gauge using one strand of yarn instead of two even though the pattern is knit with two. I’m using size 3 needles and Malabrigo sock weight yarn. Thank you!
Hey Betsy.
Thanks for writing in.
Yes! One strand of a sock weight yarn should substitute nicely for the two strands of thin fingering weight yarn that I used here. Let us know if you have any questions!
Laura
Just clarification for the decreasing rounds:
It says to repeat rounds 1&2 five times (etc). Does this mean [round 1, round 2] 5 times or is this (I’m going to abbreviate r1 for round 1 etc) r1, r2, r1, r2, r1 –a total of 5 rounds?
Thanks!
Hi Chantell.
Thanks for writing in.The instructions to Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 five more times would mean, as you wrote it… [round 1, round 2] 5 times, adding up to a total of 10 more rounds.
Let us know if you have any questions!
Laura
Thanks for the quick response!
I have one more question:
After completing rounds 1&2 five times, I have a total of 64 stitches.
When I started the next step
(Next Round: *Ssk, [k1, p1] two times, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [40 stitches])
I had four extra stitches left on my double pointed needles.
My question is: should I just knit the stitches as the come OR should I knit an extra (round 1, round 2) in order to have 48 stitches total (12 on each double pointed needle).
Thanks!
Hi Chantell!
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 one more time! That’ll get you down to 48 and then the rest of the pattern will fall into place.
You started out with that Set-up Round and then work Round 1 and then work Round 2 and then you’re instructed to work Rounds 1 and 2 five MORE times. That “more” can get a bit tricky. I apologize if my last comment wasn’t clear… Repeating Rounds 1 and 2 five MORE times adds up to 10 rounds, after the initial 2 rounds, so 12 total rounds of decreasing (at that point in the pattern).
Holler if you have any questions, Chantell!
Laura
What is the gauge? I don’t understand how maybe stitches to cast on to find the gauge. What does 9 3/4 stitches mean?
Hello Remmy!
The gauge is the measurement of how many stitches you can get per inch in the pattern. You need to know how large your stitches are in order to know how large the final piece will turn out to be. A gauge swatch is a little sample of knitting that you create to measure the stitches you can make with the specific yarn and needles required for a certain project. Its always best to make a square that is at least 4″ x 4″ so you have ample fabric to measure.
9 3/4 stitches per inch in the 1 x 1 rib pattern is what you should yield for this pattern. That means that in two inches of knitting, you’ll get 19.5 stitches. This gauge is purposefully extra tight, so keep in mind that if you are a looser knitter, you will likely need to use a needle size smaller than US #3.
Take a look at our tutorial on gauge swatches here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2006/08/29/swatching-for-gauge/
Best of luck getting into knitting! -Alyson
Hello! I’m looking to make this hat as a matching gift for father and son, any advice on how to size down the pattern for a toddler? Thanks!
Hey Lauren.
Thanks for writing in. What a cute idea!
So to modify this pattern for a toddler… You may have noticed that there is a 16-stitch difference between each size in the pattern. If you take 16 from the smallest cast on number you’ll get 128. 128 divided by the stitches per inch give you approximately 13 inches. This rib, especially when worked with two strands of of Line Weight, has a ton of elasticity. An unstretched 13-inch circumference may just be perfect for a toddler (average head size of 18 inches).
After you cast on, work in the 1 x 1 rib until the hat measures approximately 7 1/2 inches. Then…
Set-Up Round: [Work 32 stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Round 2: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 four more times. [48 stitches]
Next Round: *Ssk, [k1, p1] two times, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [40 stitches]
Next Round: *Ssk, p1, k1, p1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [32 stitches]
Next Round: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [24 stitches]
Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hi Laura! You were so helpful with this question. I’m going to make this for my one year old, slightly smaller than a toddler, any suggestions for sizing?
Hi Jenny.
I think would make that same toddler size as I recommended for Lauren here in the comments section.
As I wrote to her, you may notice there is a 16-stitch difference between the cast on numbers in this pattern. If you took off 16 stitches from the 128-stitch cast on I suggest for a toddler size, you’ll have 112 stitches. 112 divided by 9.75 stitches/inch equals about 11.5 inches in circumference, unstretched. This would be really pretty snug for the average one year old. It would be more suited for a newborn.
So if you don’t mind looking at what I wrote to Lauren, I think you can follow those instructions too. The only alteration you may want to make is to only work 7 inches from the cast-on edge rather than the 7 1/2 inches that I suggested for the Toddler size.
Jenny, please let us know if you have any questions at all!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I was wondering if you could explain “Round 2” on “Shape top of hat”. I am having some trouble interpreting the knitting language. I have only made scarves before! This seems pretty hard.
Hi Lex.
I’d be happy to!
So in…
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, then you work in the established pattern knitting the knit columns and purling the purl columns until you’re to 2 stitches before the next marker, then ssk, and repeat everything from * to the end of the round. [8 stitches decreased]
Then, in…
Round 2: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, and once again work in the established pattern knitting the knit columns and purling the purl columns until you are to 2 stitches before next the marker, p2tog tbl, and then repeat everything from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
If you’re curious about any of the abbreviations you may want to check out our Abbreviations and Terms page…
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/knit/terms/
If you’re curious about any of the decrease methods, check out our tutorials!
k2tog: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/knit-two-together-k2tog/
ssk: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk/
p2tog tbl: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/03/16/purl-2-together-through-back-loop-p2tog-tbl/
We don’t have a p2tog tutorial, but it’s very similar to the p2tog tbl, but you work through the front loops.
I do hope this information helps!
Please do not hesitate to write back with any question.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hello I was wondering if it was possible to make a video. I really love how this beanie looks and I want to be able to make it but I am having trouble understanding the knitting language. A video or even links to were I can learn the casts would be so great. Thank you!!
Hi Angelica.
Thanks for writing in. I’m thrilled you like the hat!!
I’m afraid, at this time, we do not have a video for this pattern. You can either use a long tail cast on or a long tail tubular cast on. The latter is a bit more complex, but does provide some extra stretch and give. The prior does the trick though and if you’re interested in a video, you may want to try searching YouTube for “long tail cast on”. There are several there!
If you’re curious about the knitting language… you may find out Terms + Abbreviations page helpful.
I hope this information helps get you on your way.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Laura
Thank you for the link to the tubular cast on! I did make a hat with that cast on previously and loved the finished edge. But then couldn’t remember how I did it. Other than I cast on straights and moved stitches to circulars. Love Purl Soho and all the helpful tips and support! Thank you! Needles up ☺
I’m knitting this pattern but with 108 stitches. I’m ready to start shaping the top of the hat but I only have 4 double pointed needles, so I’ll only be able to split it into three. How can I finish the hat?
Hi Remmy.
Thanks for writing in.
Fortunately the pattern is not written according to needles. You do not have to use 5 double pointed needles. I only used 4. The instructions for shaping the hat are not written per needle, but rather based on where the markers are. You’ll be just fine with 4 needles. I do hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions!!
Laura
Remmy again –
Just adding to my last question.
If I put 36 stitches per needle and follow the pattern will it look ok?
Hi Remmy.
You can definitely put 36 stitches per needle. Keep in mind though that there are 4 points of decrease and so sometime along the way, you may have to shift stitches from one double pointed needle to the next in order to work the pattern (ie have two stitches next to one another to decrease). This may not be totally clear until you experience it. Please don’t hesitate to write back in with any questions! Hope you enjoy the hat pattern.
Laura
Hi ! This is exactly the hat I want to make (everything on your site is beautiful!), but I want to use a super bulky yarn instead. Do you have any advice for scaling the pattern to a new yarn size (and also for a 20″ head)?
Thanks so much!
Hi Mary.
We have a few free bulky yarn ribbed hat patterns… did you see this one: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/12/17/snow-day-hat/
If you’d like to modify this pattern though, I’d love to help! You may have noticed that there is a 16 stitch difference between each of my cast on numbers. I would suggest taking that smallest cast on number and subtracting 16 until you have the right number of stitches for your gauge and circumference.
If you’ve worked up a swatch and have a gauge (number of stitches per inch), write me back and I’ll help you figure out the math of it all!
Thanks for writing in Mary.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Laura
Hi Laura, what type of yarn should I use for making hats, and what’s the stretchiest. I can’t find merino wool at my local craft stores I’am trying to make the boyfriend hat from expression fiber arts. Thanks in advance
Hi Wilma.
I see that Alyson already responded to your other question, but I wanted to mention that pulling two strands together adds to the stretchy-ness of this already stretchy stitch pattern, 1 x 1 ribbing. I would recommend finding a natural animal fiber (like wool) which has an inherent elasticity, two strands of that together should give you quite a stretchy hat!
Laura
Hi Laura, I,m trying to make the boyfriend hat from expression fiber arts and I want to make it XXL so if you wouldn’t mind looking it up and doing the math for me please that would help a lot Thanks in advance.
Hello Wilma!
The largest size of the hat does stretch very significantly! Its too large even for our tallest male employee! Since the pattern is inherently very stretchy, I don’t think you’ll need to add any stitches. If you would like to still make it larger, just make sure to add stitches in a multiple of 16 so that the decreasing at the crown won’t get thrown off. Are you able to get the correct gauge (9 3/4 stitches per inch)? As long as you are getting the same gauge, these sizing tips will apply!
Happy knitting! -Alyson
Hi there!
I want to make this hat, but I’ve got a really lovely worsted weight wool in the perfect grey that I’d like to use… I’ve knit a swatch and I’ve got 6 1/2 stitches per inch on US 7 (4.5mm) needles.
Could someone help me do the math on adjusting the pattern for this?
Thanks!!
Hi Danielle.
We’d love to help you out!
We’ve sized this pattern for Women’s Small (Women’s Medium/Men’s Small, Women’s Large/Men’s Medium, Men’s Large) so that the finished circumference measurements come to…
14 3/4 (16 1/2, 18, 19 3/4) inches, un-stretched.
So let’s take your gauge (6.5 stitches per inch) and the finished circumference measurements and calculate approximate cast on numbers…
6.5 * 14 3/4 (16 1/2, 18, 19 3/4) = 95.8 (107.25, 117, 128.375) stitches.
Then we have to take into account the actual pattern. You’ll notice there is a 16-stitch difference between each of my cast on numbers in the pattern. So let’s take that smallest cast on number, 144, and subtract 16 until we find the numbers closest to our approximations above…
96, 112, 128
Ok so now let’s take those numbers and divide them by your gauge and we’ll have your new finished dimensions measurements. Once we have those, you can decide which hat is best for you!
96 (112, 128) / 6.5 = 14.7 (17.23, 19.6) inches
So pick whichever finished dimension you’d like and cast the associated number!
Let us know if you have any questions.
Laura
I made 3 hats to this pattern Fall/Winter 2014. Two were gifts, one was for myself. This is a great pattern. It is lightweight, and seems to adjust to temeratures (?). I’m not joking, it’s not too hot in cool weather, but very warm when it is cold outside. It was the very first pattern I have ever knit with such small needles, fine yarns, and two of them, to boot! The yarns are just elegant, wonderful to work with. (Great when watching “Downton” and sipping tea!) My cast-on was a little too loose at first. I learned. I had some problems handling two delicate yarns but found that stainless steel bowls of disparate sizes – nested – worked very well. I eschewed high contrast yarns…I will not be afraid to be bolder in 2015..
L.E.! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this pattern! And I couldn’t agree more, it is indeed great for watching Downton! -Laura
Hi there,
Could you please help me with the decreases? I must be missing something!
When I attempt to do the following:
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
I count only 4 stitches decreased per round. I’ve knitted the smallest hat, CO144 and I’ve got the rounds set up as 36 stitches per round. Any help you could give on this front would be so appreciated!
Kind Regards,
Kelly
Hi Kelly.
Thanks for writing in.
In Round 1… Both the “k2tog” and the “ssk” are a single decrease. Since you do everything from the * to “repeat” four times total… that comes out to 8 decreases. 2 decreases per repeat with a total of 4 repeats = 8 stitches decreased per round.
I do hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions!!
Laura
Hi,
I was having problems with the decreases as well. So if I’m working with a 100 stitches, I would divided them into four and place a marker, and then start decreasing?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Helena.
I’m glad you wrote in. If you take a look at the cast on numbers, you’ll see there is a 16-stitch difference between each. Unfortunately 100 stitches does not work with the shaping in this hat pattern. I would recommend casting on either 96 stitches or 112 stitches. And then yes… for that set up row, you’ll want to evenly place those markers and you get that by dividing your cast on by 4!
I do hope these tips help! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hi. I was wondering if there is a scarf/cowl pattern that would match this hat?
Hello Gabrielle!
We don’t have a pattern that specifically coordinates, but I think the texture of our Mistake Rib Scarf would work perfectly with the Boyfriend Hat! Take a look here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/11/17/mistake-rib-scarf-in-mulberry-merino/ Happy knitting! -Alyson
I line weight the same as worsted or smaller. I like this pattern but I think my yarn is bigger than line weight more like worsted. I am using Amano Warmi – 100 gr – 164 yd, 5mm needles. How many stitches would I need to cast on for a woman small or medium? Thank you.
Hi Suzanne.
Thanks for writing in. Line Weight is the name of one of our yarns. It’s a light fingering weight yarn. If you’re curious about it, there is more information here: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl-soho-goods/purl-soho-yarn/line-weight.html
Doubling Line Weight accomplishes the same gauge as about a sport weight or light dk weight yarn. A worsted weight yarn is thicker than what we recommend for this pattern, but if you’re comfortable modifying the pattern, I’m sure a it would work up beautifully at the larger gauge.
If you’d like to modify this pattern though, I’d love to help! You may have noticed that there is a 16 stitch difference between each of my cast on numbers. I would suggest taking that smallest cast on number and subtracting 16 until you have the right number of stitches for your gauge and circumference.
Thanks for writing in and please let us know if you have any questions!
Laura
Thank you for replying. I am going to go back to Wabi Sabi, my local yarn shop and switch the yarn to a sport weight or light dk as you mentioned that this would be equal to the double line weight. Thank you for your help.
Hello, by mistake I casted on 140 instead of 144. How could I decrease now? It’s not coming together, I’ll appreciate your help. Thanks!
Hello Maricelys.
I’d love to help you get on track! Essentially you just need to decrease 4 stitches and then make some slight modifications as you go.
Work this row before starting the crown shaping section…
*[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern (knitting the knit columns and purling the purl column) for 57 stitches, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [4 stitches decreased]
Then you can work the Set-Up Round.
Then, when you continue… keep in mind that you’ve already decreased at 4 of the 8 decrease points. In the pattern Round 1 instructs you to k2tog and ssk and Round 2 instructs you to p2tog, ptog tbl at the decrease points, but for you, since you’ve already decreased at those 4 points, you’ll need to read your knitting and alternate your decreasing method accordingly. After the set-up round, in the following round you’ll need to decreases purlwise where you’ve already decreased once and then knitwise where you haven’t decreased yet. In the following round after that, you’ll need to decrease knitwise above where you previously decreased purlwise and decrease purlwise above where you previously decreased knitwise.
I hope this helps!
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Thanks.
Laura
can you knit this hat in stockinette stitch
Hi Charlotte.
Thanks for writing in! I’m afraid this hat is only offered as written, in a 1 x 1 rib. But… Have you seen our knitting gallery of hat patterns? We have loads of other free hat patterns there!
Thanks again for writing in and please let us know if you have any further questions!
Laura
I was wondering, would 2 skeins that are only 50g be enough yarn?
Hello!
Thanks for asking! Both of the smaller sizes used less than 100 grams total of yarn, so for those sizes you would be totally fine! The larger sizes used a bit more. Best of luck! -Alyson
Thanks so much!
Dear Laura.
I’m translating this pattern from english to norwegian and I’m having trouble understanding what K1 P1 for times means?(Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round.) Does that mean I shall knit two tmes four – eight together before k2tog?
Also “Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 five (six, seven, eight) more times. [48 stitches] ” – I work with 144 stitches. How many times do I repeat Rounds 1 and 2?
I’ll appreciate your help. Thanks! 🙂
Hi Tina.
I am glad you wrote to us.
[K1, p1] four times… means k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1.
After you work those 8 stitches then you k1, then you k2tog.
If you have 144 stitches, then you’ll work Round 1 and then work Round 2 and then repeat Rounds 1 and 2 FIVE times.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Thanks.
Laura
Hi There,
I was wondering if there is a vid tutorial to shaping the hat?
I was just taught to knit a few days ago and am trying this pattern – so far so good – but I have no idea how to even use double point let alone when to switch to them.
Hi Alexandra.
I’m afraid at this time we do not have a video tutorial for the shaping of the hat.
I do think you might find out double pointed needle tutorial helpful though…
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/07/25/double-pointed-needles/
And as for how to do the decreases, we have tutorials on those too…
k2tog: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/knit-two-together-k2tog/
ssk: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/slip-slip-knit-ssk/
p2tog tbl: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/03/16/purl-2-together-through-back-loop-p2tog-tbl/
I think you’ll be able to conquer the shaping of this hat after checking out all of these tutorials. Thanks for writing in Alexandra. Please do not hesitate to write us back with any additional questions.
Laura
Hi there,
Are you supposed to knit with two balls of yarn if they are the same color? Do you have a video that could help me do that?
Thank you!
Hello Paula!
This pattern does require you to knit with two strands of Purl Soho’s Line Weight. You could also chose to knit with one strand of Sport or DK weight yarn as well. If you are knitting with two strands of the same yarn, if you wind it in a center pull ball, you’ll be able to work from both ends of the skein (the end that comes from the center and the outside of the ball).
Please let me know if this wasn’t clear! Best of luck and thanks for writing it! -Alyson
Hi, I really like the colour of the lighter beanie in the examples, and I noticed in the notes you had previous mentioned using different combinations of toasted charcoal, grey fig and heirloom white. But to make the light coloured beanie what colours did you use..? Was it heirloom white and sea salt..? If you could let me know what you used I would really appreciate it.
Thank you so much,
Kind Regads,
Ailie
Hello Ailie!
We used Heirloom White and Oyster Gray for the lighter colored hat. Enjoy! -Alyson
Hi,
I want to knit this hat for my son in the man’s medium size. Because he lives in Los Angeles, I planned on using just one strand of the yarn. Otherwise, I think it would be too warm. Would I have to cast on twice the number of stitches to get the correct size? Thanks
Hello Jody!
You would have to cast on double the amount of stitches but also use even smaller needles. This hat is surprisingly breathe-able for being 100% merino! I am from Los Angeles actually and I think this hat would be awesome for the chillier mornings and evenings, even on the West Coast! To save you some extra math homework, I would recommend knitting the pattern as is! The strands of wool are both so thin that the fabric isn’t overly dense.
Hope this helps and happy knitting! -Alyson
Hi there!
So am I understanding correctly that when you cast on, you’re casting on with both strands of yarn, together? So you’ll have 144 (160, 176, 192) (depending on size) when you cast on, and each of those cast-on stitches consist of two yarns? So each stitch you knit you’re knitting both colors together at the same time (as if they were a single strand?) Thanks!
Hi Amberley.
YES! That is correct. You’ve got it!
Enjoy your Boyfriend Hat.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hi, I love this pattern thank you so much for putting it together! I was just wondering, for the Women’s Medium/Men’s Small, and the Women’s Large/Men’s Medium, do those also require 1 skein of each yarn color (2 skeins total) for a marled hat? Or since they are larger do they require 2 skeins of each color (4 skeins total)?
Hello Patricia!
Each skein of Purl Soho’s Line Weight has about 500 yards, so one of each color is plenty for any size of this pattern. We’re so glad you like this design! Happy knitting! -Alyson
At the end of the pattern it says “block as desired”
I would like to block this hat so that it does not stretch out, do you have any suggestions for the best way to keep the rib from expanding?
I used 1 strand of merino and 1 strand of Alpaca which I know is a bit stretchy when wetted, if anything I’d like to shrink this hat a tiny bit. Should I avoid blocking altogether or is there a way to block it and maintain the size or slightly reduce the circumference?
Thanks in advance for the advice,
Jocelyn
Hello Jocelyn,
Honestly I would refrain from blocking in this case since you are correct about your fibers being especially prone to stretching when wet. There is no way to prevent ribbing from stretching since that’s inherent in its design, but one trick I’ve used a bunch of times is to add a small strand of elastic thread around the edge of the cuff so that it anchors the ribbing while still being stretchy. Give it a try! -Alyson
Hi there,
I would like to make this hat in the super soft merino, would you be able to tell me a pattern for that?
Lisa
Hi Lisa-
We don’t have a version of this pattern available in Super Soft Merino but we do have a lot of other great hat patterns that use that yarn! Here is a link to our hat gallery, I would recommend the “Snowy Day Hat”.
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/tag/hats/
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Hi there, I’m a newbie knitter and am having some difficulty with the guage. If I need to adjust the pattern, should I decrease the number of stitches in multiples of 4 or 16?
Thank you,
Sheryl
Hi Sheryl.
You’ll want to adjust the cast on by adding or subtracting 16 stitches to what I’ve suggested in the pattern. Regarding your gauge… have you tried changing needle sizes?
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
What type of cast on did you use for this beanie ?
Hello, Teresa!
Thank you for writing in! For the original hats (the two gray ones) we used a long tail cast on: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/02/02/lauras-loop-the-boyfriend-hat/
For the new versions (the green and red and yellow) we used a tubular cast on: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/24/the-boyfriend-hat-in-line-weights-newest-colors/
I definitely recommend the tubular cast on. It’s a wonderful cast on because it gives you a clean, professinal edge. We’ve got a great tutorial that you can find here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/21/long-tail-tubular-cast-on-tutorial/ Hope this helps!
Best,
Kumeko
Hi, I missed one color strand of a stitch, but not the other. Is it important to go back and pick up the missed color, or can I just continue knitting without any problems?
Oh Jen…
I’m reluctant to admit this, but think I probably did the same thing a time or two. At this fine of a gauge, I doubt anyone will notice but you. Feel free to rip back and fix it if you’d like, but you could also just carry on!
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
I’m a beginning knitter (I’ve made only the most basic hats in the past) and I think this hat is beautiful. I’m having a very hard time getting started and so I’m going to ask some very BASIC questions and then beg for forgiveness:
1) I purchased the Purl yarn that was suggested, do I make each color into a ball before I start? Everything keeps getting tangled!
2) When I cast on and stark the k1p1 pattern, I’m having a really hard time keeping yarn from twisting around on the round needles – in fact, after k1p1, I can’t even tell which was is up or down!
3) speaking of casting on, does the first slip-knot count as number 1? After k1p1 throughout the first round, the second round is so confusing because of the double-thread. I have a hard time even knowing where the next stitch is.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Heidi!
I’m very glad you’ve written in!
1) YES! Wind each skein into a ball of yarn. This will help with the tangles.
2) Rather than casting on and then immediately joining in the round, you may want to work a single foundation row first. Then when you join to work in the round, you’ll have a better idea of which way is up and which is down what’s a knit and what’s a purl.
Foundation Row: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of row.
3) The first slip knot does count as your first stitch. Yes.
Please do not hesitate to write us back with any questions at all! That’s what we are here for.
Thanks for writing in Heidi.
Laura
Hi! Do you have any pictures of this on? Am looking to knit something slightly slouchy – is this hat pretty tight?
thanks
Hi Nell.
Sadly we don’t have any shots of this hat on a model. We’ll have to remedy that! You can find a few on Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-boyfriend-hat-2). This hat can be knit/worn slouchy or more like a beanie. Are you planning on wearing it cuffed or uncuffed? If you’re going to wear if uncuffed then you can follow the instructions and you’ll have enough height for some slouch. If you’re planning on wearing it cuffed and want it to be slouchy, then I recommend knitting evenly for an inch or two more than the pattern suggests before shaping the crown.
I do hope these tips help! Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks for writing in.
Laura
Hi! I’m not sure my last comment posted but I’ve been working tirelessly on this hat and am now ready to shape the top, but I used a thicker yarn and can’t figure out the math at all. I had to scale it down to 90 stitches and my gauge is 5 stitches x 6 rows = 1″ in 1×1 rib, unstretched. Help would be greatly appreciated, thank you so much!
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for writing in. If you take a look at the cast on numbers, you’ll see there is a 16-stitch difference between each. Unfortunately 90 stitches does not work with the shaping in this hat pattern. I would recommend casting on 96 stitches so that the decreasing at the crown won’t get thrown off.
I do hope that this advice is helpful! Please let us know if you have any questions
Thanks for writing in. -Cassy
Would this pattern still work if I used only one strand of yarn? If two would definitely be better, do you need to do anything special while knitting or is it the same process, just using two loops of yarn at a time instead of one?
Hi, Liz!
Thank you so much for writing in! You would need to adjust the pattern if you wanted to knit this with one strand of Line Weight. If you use two you don’t need to make any adjustments. You don’t need to do anything special when knitting with two strands, you’ll just hold the two together and knit as usual. I do recommend knitting a sample swatch just to make sure that you get the correct gauge for this hat!
Thanks again for your question and happy knitting!
Best,
Kumeko
Hi!
I’m really excited to knit this hat for myself. I was wondering , do you slip a stitch when you turn the work and start a new row?
Love,
Lisa.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for writing in and my apologies for the delayed response. This hat is knit in the round so there will be no turning of your work. You will cast on and then join the work in the round, knitting and purling as noted in the pattern. Additionally as there are no edges, save for the bottom, there will be no need to slip stitches to create a neat edge.
I hope that this information helps!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I need a little help with adapting the pattern. I’m trying to knit the women’s medium/ men’s small size with a worsted weight yarn. On US size 3 needles I’m getting 8 stitches per inch. Would that mean I should cast on 128 stitches to get an approximate 16 inches circumference unstretched? I’m using the Berocco Vintage yarn (52% acrylic, 40% wool, 8% nylon) for somebody who gets too itchy from pure wool. Thank you so much!
Hi Laine,
Thank you for writing in and our apologies for the terribly delayed response. Based on the gauge you are getting, 128 stitches seems correct. Should you get a different gauge, just note that the number of stitches will need to be a multiple of 16 in order to maintain the shaping in the crown decrease.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi, I was wondering how many hats I could make using the 2 skeins of the Purl Soho’s line weight if I follow this pattern exactly?
Hi Zeenia,
Thank you for your message and our apologies for the greatly delayed response! For the two smallest sizes, you should be able to get two hats from the two skeins of Line Weight.
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I have some HiKoo Simpliworsted that I’d like to make a hat from. The weight of the yarn is heavier that what you’ve used, and I love the simplicity of this pattern. One of my friends has made two and they become beloved hats.
Can the pattern be adapted for my yarn? If so, what would you suggest? I’m not experienced enough to know quite what to do. Thanks!
Hi, Linda!
Thank you for your question! Adjusting this pattern to suit a worsted weight yarn would require a lot of ajustments. I recommend checking out some of our hat patterns that use worsted weight:
Classic Cuffed Hat: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/22/classic-cuffed-hat/
Thank You Hats: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/09/09/whits-knits-thank-you-hats/
The Sweetie Pie Hat: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2011/12/11/colorful-crafting-with-jen-the-sweetie-pie-hat/
Winter Hats for Everybody: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2010/11/21/whits-knits-winter-hats-for-everybody/
If you have further questions, please let us know!
Happy knitting,
Kumeko
Hi! I love this pattern and have some bulky weight yarn (Alafoss Lopi) that I want to use for it. Is there any way y’all could point me in the direction of some resources on how to adapt patterns for larger sized yarn? Or if you wanna just let me know how to do it, I’d take that too 🙂 Thanks a ton, I’m so appreciative of the help!
Best,
Bailey
Hello Bailey,
We love that you love this pattern! The weight that you want to use is significantly different than the weight of yarn in the pattern. I suggest that you loosely follow the cast on for our Super Soft Merino Hats for Everyone and edit the pattern thusly based one your 1×1 rib gauge in the round in your yarn of choice. By loosely, I mean that you will eventually need to divide your stitches in three parts for the decreases, so make sure you cast on an amount that you can divide by three. You will measure the same length from the cast on edge before decreasing, but will have to adjust the division of stitches for the decreases, as this yarn requires much less stitches on the needle.
Please see our Super Soft Merino Hats for Everyone pattern below:
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/11/23/whits-knits-super-soft-merino-hats-for-everyone/
I think this would be a great jumping off point for you to start your pattern and make it your own!
Best,
Adam
Can you tell me if I’m on the right track for the round 1 decrease? I read thru the comments and made a paper grid to help with the interpretation but also wanted some feedback before I begin.
Using the #176 cast on I have 4 markers. One color to indicate beginning of row and three others of another color spaced by 44.
Begin with k1p1 x4,k1,k2tog followed by established rib pattern (next stitch is a p) to last 2 stitches before next marker which is a ssk. Do this 4x for a decrease of 8 stitches.
Thank you so much and hope I’m making sense as I’m a newbie knitter.
Val
Hi Val,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you are spot on and your hat should come out just as we knit it! So glad that you tackled this lovely hat and welcome to the knitting world!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Having trouble with decreases. Do the numbers in the [] parentheses mean the total number of stitches on the needle or the number of stitches that were decreased?
Hi Francine,
Thanks for writing us! The number in between the [] means the total number of stitches on the needle UNLESS it says decreased. I hope this helps you!
Best,
Adam
I am stumped at round one when starting to decrease the hat. If I k1, p1 four times, then k1, k2together I am then starting again with a purl stitch. I don’t think that is correct. Please help me.
Thanks!
HI Camille,
Thanks for your question! The pattern is correct as written. When you k1 and k2together, you are knitting over 3 stitches that would be k1, p1, k1. This would leave you on a p1 on the other side. The k2together will look more like a ridge than a k1 in the final project. I hope that this clears things up!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hello,
I made this hat and I’m IN LOVE. Just wondering though, I finished this about 1 month ago, and after regular use, the shape is a bit stretched out. I used 100% wool. Do you think that this is a result from my knitting or from the yarn, or is this normal?
Thank you
Hello, Caitlyn!
Thank you for your question! It’s totally normal for your hat to stretch out a bit after regular wear, especially if you used all natural fibers. If you are going to make it again I recommend making the next size down, it will be a bit tight at first but then it will stretch to fit perfectly!
If you have further questions, please let us know!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
Hello! I’m having quite a bit of trouble with this hat. I’m a fairly advanced beginner knitter, so I’m finding it a little bit frustrating that I can’t figure out what is happening. Hoping you can help!
I started knitting the women’s large, and it was far too big. I ripped out and started knitting the women’s medium instead. I have knit 4 inches of the 1×1 rib, with #3 needles, line weight merino yarn, and 176 stitches. I just did a check to see what the circumference was, and I am at 23 inches at the base! According to the pattern, it is supposed to be 16 inches. I went to check my gauge (which I did before I started, as well) and I am about 7-8 stitches to an inch, when the pattern says I should be at about 9. Why is this happening?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!!
Hello Nicole,
Thank you for your question. I would be happy to try to help you. Are you measuring your swatch stretched or unstretched? Also, are you doubling the line weight? If you cast on 176 stitches then you are knitting the Women’s Large/Men’s Medium size. I would recommend you cast on for the Women’s Small size. I find that this size fits most people. Since the hat is knit in a rib stitch it is very stretchy. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Happy knitting,
Allison
Thanks Allison! I actually mistyped and I indeed have 160 stitches, not 176. I’m measuring my swatch unstretched, and it is still so big! I can rip out and re-start with the smallest size, but I am concerned that the same thing will happen and it will be far larger than the pattern says it is going to be. Should I be using smaller needles? Is there anything I’m doing wrong?
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for writing in! You might be a loose knitter and that is ok! I would go down a needle size or two to achieve gauge. If you achieve gauge then you will have the best chance at getting the hat size you want. Moreover, a tight rib will wear better than a loose one in my experience. Good luck on this hat! It’s well worth it!
Best,
Adam
This hat is so classic and nice! I have not seen anyone else in the U.S make such a nice fisherman-style beanie. I want to knit this with alpaca fiber. 🙂
This is a wonderful pattern. I made this with one strand light worsted, #3 needles, and 144 stitches for a finished hat at the measurements of the Men’s Medium size. I especially love how the pattern of decrease comes together at the top of the hat so nicely. If I made it again, I would consider making the hat just an inch or two longer as I would like to have a slightly thicker band. Thank you for the wonderful pattern. It’s going to be the perfect gift for my boyfriend.
I originally cast on 160 stitches for the men’s small size hat, however I forgot this and getting down to the shaping step, I placed markers at every 36 stitches and began decreasing accordingly before realizing my mistake – would I be able to finish the hat despite this if I just decrease evenly, or does this ruin things?
Hello Patricia,
If you cast on 160 and have, but have placed markers every 36 stitches you will end up with one large section that has more than 36 stitches. This will skew your decreases, so I suggest you rip back if you have started decreasing and place your markers in the correct position. This hat pattern is so great when it’s finished! Good luck to you!
Best,
Adam
Greetings from Sydney Australia.
I love the Heirloom White in the photos of the Boyfriend Hat. Which other colour is used with it (not the charcoal), it is hard to see if you have used just the white or is it Heirloom White and Oyster Grey?
Thank you
Effie
Hi Effie,
Thanks for the kind words! You are spot on! For the second hat, we used Heirloom White and Oyster Gray. It creates a really subtle but lovely effect that shows up a bit better in real life!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I made this hat for my husband and his stretched out a ton and he can’t really wear it anymore. I’ve made a couple for myself too and I’ve noticed the same thing starting to happen. Is there anyway to keep this from happening. So it there different yarn I could use that wouldn’t stretch out so much?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for writing in! Merino wool can grow a bit and this has happened to me too. I suggest you go down a needle size or do a size smaller than desired for your next boyfriend hat. Also, you could try using Anzula brand yarn in Squishy held double (fingering weight) or Cricket held single (DK weight). Anzula is a blend of superwash merino, cashmere and nylon. They nylon retains shape and keeps the knit from stretching out.
Best of luck,
Adam
HELP!!
I dont know WHAT is happening… but ive started to shape the crown of the womens medium size hat (160 cast on) and i divided my round into 40 stitches and started my decrease… however, im confused by the first round… when it says to *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round)
After i k2tog, at the end i go to (k1, p1 four times) again but its now (p1, k1) and when i get to the k1 before the k2tog its a purl stitch not a knit stitch and the decrease starts to look funny… like the 1×1 ribbing changes and doesn’t continue in its pattern.
IS this normal? i dont wnat to keep knitting just to have to rip it out.
Thank yoU!
Hi Brianna,
Thanks for the question! Do not fear! You are doing great! After your k2tog you should have a purl up next. “Work in established pattern” means that you are going to knit your knits and purl your purls as they come. I hope this helps you!
-Adam
I have made three of these hats and am working on a fourth. Everyone who sees them wants one and I am happy to oblige. It knits up fairly quickly and is giving me practice with double pointed needles. Double pointeds scare me, but I am slowly getting comfortable with them. Thanks for a great pattern.
About the gauge for this pattern…is that for using two yarns at once?
Thanks, Karen
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, the gauge is in a 1×1 rib using two strands of yarn.
Best,
Adam
Thanks Adam.
Did anyone else have issues with the hat stretching out a lot? I made this in medium for my boyfriend, who has a large head, and I used the Line Weight yarn, and at first, it fit fine, but after a few wears, it stretched out to an unwearable size. Any advice? I’m going to try reknitting it as the small for him, but I’m worried that will also stretch out. :/ Love the look, though!
Hi Arielle,
Thanks for writing in to us! I’m sorry the hat stretch out on you! This has happened to some customers in the store too, but I think if you knit a size down and knit on a smaller needle than before you’ll have less problems with stretching. I have knit one that stretched and I actually felted it and it’s pretty cool. Maybe that’s an option!
Best,
Adam
Adam, does that mean the felting worked with this yarn and pattern and that your hat no longer stretches?
Hi Sara,
Yes, it doesn’t stretch but it’s also stiff because I turned it into felt. You can give it a shot if you can’t wear the hat any longer. It can’t hurt!
-Adam
Thanks for your reply, Adam. I have not begun to knit this hat yet as I’m waiting for needles to arrive. However, I am now feeling reluctant as it sounds like this hat may stretch beyond wearability, and I do not want to felt it. Will blocking with the Soak wash work? Do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Sara,
I would eliminate a number of stitches in order to get the hat tight enough so it maintains its shape better. I’ve seen people cast on as little as 100-120 stitches for this hat. Let me know how it goes!
-Adam
I’m making the second one of these hats (after starting the first one 4 times!). I have been able to make the pattern work by adapting it to 100 stitches.
Hi, I just ripped the entire hat out because of the comments of it being to large. I also really struggled with the decreasing. Does anyone have any tips?
Hello Courtney,
Thank you for reaching out! The gauge for this hat pattern does tend to run on the tight side so you can either go down a needle size to get the correct gauge, or you could just reduce your cast on by 16 stitches. This will reduce your hats circumference by about 1 3/4″. Is there a particular part of the decrease section that was giving you grief? I hope I can help!
Warmly,
Marilla
What does knit in established pattern mean?
In round one for shaping the top of the hat…
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
And when it says 8 stitches decreased does that mean 4 k2tog in the round of 144 stitches or 8 k2tog?
Hello Amanda!
Knit in established pattern mean that you will knit your knit stitches and purl your purl stitches. After your k2tog you’ll end up with a purl next, so you’ll just purl this stitch and continue on until 2 stitches before the next marker. I hope this clears everything up! Good luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
could you make this with a four ply acrylic yarn using one strand? if so what size needle would you recommend using.
Hi Linda!
The gauge of your yarn and your tension will dictate what needles you should use. If you have a yarn you are interested in, try swatching with a few different needle sizes. The recommended gauge for the Boyfriend Hat is 9 3/4 stitches and 8 1/2 rows for 1 inch in unstretched 1 x 1 rib and was knit on a US 3.
Thanks for writing in!
Keith
what does this means please?
“Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.”
Hi Marie,
Thanks for writing us! You need to switch to double pointed needles at the top of the hat because the decreases will reduce the amount of stitches you have on the circular needle. Double points help you knit a small amount of stitches in the round, so they are helpful for the top of a hat. Hope this helps!
-Adam
Hi – I would like to add fair isle to this pattern and don’t really want to knit with the strands of wool – can you please suggest a different wool?
Hi Jo,
Thank you for writing in! I would suggest any DK or sport weight like Mulberry Merino if you’d like to use one strand. How you will fair isle the rib, that is up to you! I am curious to see how you do it! Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
What cast on was used?
Hello Rita,
Thank you for contacting us! The long tail cast on was used for this version.
Best,
Adam
Would you recommend a long tail cast on or a tubular long tail cast on? Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for writing in! We use the long tail cast on for most of our patterns, this one included, as we think that it lends a nice, neat and stretchy edge. I have knit several of these hats over the years and always use the long tail cast on and I think that it looks quite smart!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi there,
In your Long Tail Tubular Cast On tutorial linked above, (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/21/long-tail-tubular-cast-on-tutorial/), after casting on and knitting the two foundation rows, it advises to then join in the round. Can you advise how to join the loop? And will there not be a jog as two rows have been knit on already? Am using dpns. Many thanks in advance!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for writing us. You join in the round after the two foundation rows as you’d join any circular piece. Just make sure that the yarn is coming from your right needle for the initial join. There will be a slight gap from the two foundation rows, but if you weave in your tail horizontally in between the knit stitches, you’ll be able to mimic a purl stitch. This will hide your gap and your tail end.
Happy knitting!
-Adam
I want to thank you for such beautiful free patterns that I was able to get, which you can see the difference of quality in the material.
Thank you
How long should it reasonably take to knit this hat. It’s a fine knit and it’s taking me 6 months at least. Granted I only do a few rows each day. Suggestions advice? Please. Thank you.
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for the question! Every knitter knits at different rates. For me, the hat took about 2 weeks, knitting a little bit (30 minutes or so) every day. Other knitters in the shop have taken a little less time and some a month or a little more. I also know a customer who knit 12 of them in 2 months but she is very speedy indeed! If you take dedicate some time each day to knitting it, you should be able to make it to the end!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Your patterns are just right for an novice knitter!
Looking forward for more.
Hi! Love this pattern. Is there any way I could knit this flat? I have tried and tried again to knit in the round, but my patience steams off pretty quick. I don’t mind the look of a seam in my hats, either. I hope there is an easy answer!
Thanks a million!
Hi Annie,
Thanks for writing in and for the lovely comment! Unfortunately we don’t have a flat pattern for this, but I’m sure you could make one up! I would just cast on for your size plus two edge stitches, one on each side for seaming. For the decreases I would still divide in to four sections and maintain the same decrease techniques used in the pattern. Be sure to count your start and finish as a decrease point! Best of luck!
-Adam
I’m substituting Rowan Cashsoft DK to make this hat. Would you still recommend using the size 3 needle?
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for writing in! I still suggest using a US 3 with a DK weight for this project. I would also do a gauge swatch in the round before starting. You might have to go up or down a size in the pattern to accommodate for your gauge in this yarn. Whatever the gauge, the yarn sounds lovely and I’m sure the project will turn out great!
Best,
Adam
I want to make this hat in the Toasted Charcoal & Oyster Grey. I see the Oyster Grey but NOT the Toasted Charcoal in the line weight Metino yarn. Where is the Toasted Charcoal please?
Thank you.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately the Toasted Charcoal has been discontinued and if that color doesn’t show up on the sale page, we are out of stock and not reordering it. I do think the gray fig color would look nice with the oyster gray, though. Best of luck!
-Adam
Hi Adam, I have decided to knit the hat with Dark Loam and White. I think that will be closest to the Toasted Charcoal and give me the same look. Thank you for your suggestion,which sounds nice too.
Hi …I have another question. In regard to the line weight 100% merino yarn. What is “line weight” equivalent to ? Fingering weight? Can I use cashmere ?
Also, I want to knit this hat for my husband. His head circumference is 22 3/4 inches. What size should I make? Men’s large?
Thank you for your advice.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for your question! Line Weight is considered a lace weight or light fingering yarn. You could certainly use Jade Sapphire 2-ply Cashmere for this project and you’d still have to double it. If you’d like to do this pattern with a single yarn, you could work with a sport weight. Now, for the sizing I would actually choose to do a smaller size as the rib is quite stretchy. For your husband, I would choose to do the men’s small or men’s medium sizes. I have a similarly sized head and would choose those sizes for myself. Let us know how it goes!
Best,
Adam
Thank you Adam. Excited to knit this!
So I’ve come to my set up round to finish my hat. I should have 176 stitches for the men’s medium. Surprise! I have 180 stitches. Oh my. What to do? 4 extra stitches. Help! Anyone please. Thank you :-0
PS. IVE already KNIT the group’s of 44 and placed my markers with the 4 extra stitches hanging out at the end.
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for writing in! My suggestion is that you evenly distribute your four stitches over your four sections for decreasing so that you will have 45 stitches in each section instead of 44. You might have to play around with the decreases to make it work. For example, I would knit until three stitches before my next marker instead of two. This is because you are essentially adding on another stitch to your decrease sections. Hope this helps!
-Adam
Hi Adam. Thanks for your advice. My next dilemma is Ill have 3 stitches for my SSK. Instead of two. What do I do with this third stitch. Thanks. (For your patience lol)
Laurie
HI Laurie,
It’s no problem at all! I would knit to three stitches before the marker, SSK and then knit in pattern (this could be a purl or a knit depending). I hope this helps!
Adam
what cast on method would you suggest?
Hi Mandy,
Thanks for writing in! Unless otherwise notes, all of our patterns use the long tail cast-on. I have used it myself when knitting this pattern and it came out great!
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Apprx how many yards of each color should I have before starting? I don’t want to run out!! Thanks,
Tracie
Hi Tracie,
Thanks for writing us! For the largest size you’ll use approximately 250 yards of each color (500 yards total).
All the best,
Adam
Hi, I’m planning making this hat from Linen Quill I have left over from weaving the Field Scarf. I’ve got 62 gr of warp colors which I’m figuring is enough (270+ yds of each) for a large-size hat. I love the yarn, do you think that the linen in it will help to prevent the stretchiness mentioned previously?
Hi Mira,
Thanks for writing in to us! I think that 62g of the Linen Quill will even leave you with leftover. The largest hat size takes up about 50g each color. I think that the Linen Quill is less stretchy than the Line Weight, but I do suggest going down one size for this hat because the 1×1 rib will relax over time. Best of luck and let us know how it goes!
-Adam
Thanks for the lovely pattern! I’m beginning to shape the top of my first hat and am planning my second. First is women’s small, second may be women’s medium, however… I think +16 stitches is more than I need to go up for the second hat. Can I cast on any multiple of four and have it work out correctly? Should I anticipate any issues with a custom size? Thanks for your guidance!
Hi Susanna,
Thanks for the lovely comment! I think a custom size is totally doable! Just make sure that when you divide by four that number is even. An odd number will mess up how you decrease. Best of luck!
-Adam
Hi,
I have some DK weight I would love to use to make this hat. Still using 2 different color strands. Any idea roughly how many stitches I should cast on (for a large man’s head)? Should I use larger needles? Appreciate any help!
Hi Ali,
Thanks for your question! You can follow the pattern as is if you decide to use one strand of DK weight yarn. However, if you want to do this hat in two strands of DK weight yarn, you’ll have to knit a gauge swatch in the round and count your stitches per inch. From there you’ll multiply your desired circumference (accounting for negative ease) by your stitches per inch. This will give you a rough cast on. Make sure the cast on is an even number and is also an even number when divided by four. Your gauge swatch with two strands of DK will definitely be on a much larger needle — like a US 6 or 7. Try a few swatches to see what looks best. Best of luck on the hat!
-Adam
I cast on 96 stitches. Should I shape the crown with the given pattern, or do I need to change the numbers??? 🙂
Hi Kim,
Thank you for writing us! If you cast on 96, this means that each quadrant for your decreases will have 24 stitches. From here on out you will follow the pattern exactly as is. Thanks!
-Adam
Hi. I’m attempting to make this hat for my 8 yr old son, and I know that the cast on will be 60 stitches, but I don’t know how to divide the stitches up for the decreasing round. Is it possible to even do that?
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the question! I suggest you cast on 56 or 64 stitches for your son’s hat. For this hat it’s easier to follow the pattern as is when you cast on a number that is even when divided by four. Best of luck!
-Adam
If I would like to knit this from one ball of your line weight yarn (to make it a single color hat), should I use one strand pulling from the outside end and the other strand from the center end? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lisa,
Great question! For using one color of our Line Weight, I would recommend splitting the ball in half by winding off half of the ball of yarn. This is because Line Weight is a soft single ply yarn and pulling from the inside of the ball causes a lot of friction that can sometimes result in the yarn sticking to itself in a way that makes knitting more difficult than you may like. I take the already would ball, place it on a kitchen scale and wind onto my ball winder until half of the weight registers on the remaining yarn. This will yield two balls of equal size that will be easy and delightful to knit from!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I’m not sure if any one else has written about this, but I don’t want to read back 320 comments! I love the way this hat feels and it’s very easy to do, but unless I’m reading it wrong, there is a mistake in the first round after you have decreased to 48 stitches. 48 would be 12 per section, but the directions say to ssk, [k1,p1] two times, k1, k2tog, p1,k1,p1. Isn’t that needing 14 stitches? I don’t see how you can do that and still end up with the 10 stitches you need for the next round. I’m certain I’m misreading this, because it’s been made so many times and not sure if any one else found this to be true. Should you stop decreasing when you have 56 stitches? I fudged it and didn’t do the k1, k2tog and I ended up with the 40 that I needed to finish it. Thank you – it will be interesting to see how I’m misreading it, because I must be!!
Hi Marilynn,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I see where the issue might be. The row that you are referring to is correct as written and the repeat is 12 stitches. I find it helpful to write out the line sometimes to clarify. I am also going to include the stitch numbers for the repeat.
*Ssk (stitches 1 and 2), [k1, p1] two times (stitches 3, 4, 5 and 6), k1 (stitch 7), k2tog (stitches 8 and 9), p1 (stitch 10), k1 (stitch 11), p1 (stitch 12), repeat from * to end of round. [40 stitches]
I hope that this clears things up and please do let us know if you have any further questions!
Cassy
Hi,
probably a silly question but I have problems with the double strands knitting technique.
So, I’ve youtubed it and learnt how to cast on with double strands, but then I’m stuck what do I do? Do you have any tutorials anywhere?
Once it’s all cast on I have my double stranded base from where to start knitting the first round but not sure what to do now if that makes sense?
In a normal knitting pattern I’d just start knitting in the round with my only colour of yarn, what to do with two and how to alternate?
Hi Stef,
Thanks for the question! In this pattern double stranding is treated at a single yarn. Essentially you are using two thin yarns to make one thicker yarn. There is no need to do anything different because your two colors will twist together on the needle and you’ll knit them both as if they were one single yarn. I hope this helps!
-Adam
Hi there! I’m having a bit of trouble deciding where my mistake was. I’m a regular knitter and I just might shape the top like I normally do if I can’t figure out what happened.
Set-Up Round: [Work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
1. I started out with 176 cast on stitches (my calculations are individual stitches of the double yarn, so double up count would be 88 stitches).
2. I split up my 88 stitches onto four needles, with 22 stitches on each needle. I prefered working on double pointed the entire time 🙂
3. Next, I placed my marker 3 times, except here is where I’m confused. My number didn’t add up to the amount for three markers, seems like it should be four markers because I had a whole needle of stitches left that did not get marked in the last 3 round marker.
4. When I continued with Round 1, again I knew something was off because I had that same needle of stitches left unaccounted for in the pattern.
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
5. So I’m wondering if I immediately start this round 2 for the 22 unaccounted for stitches from the last round.
Round 2: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
I think the pattern is worded a bit strange because others seem to be having problems understanding as well?
Please and thank you~
Hi Bree,
Thanks for the questions. The pattern is correct and hopefully I can clarify it for you. Firstly, I don’t understand how you can cast on 176 stitches but end up with 88 stitches. There is nothing different about casting on for this hat except for the yarn being doubled (two separate yarns being treated as one). If you have 88 stitches on your needles, your hat will end up smaller than suggested. I hope I’m understanding this correctly.
The decreases are split up in to four sections. When you knit “x” amount and then place marker you are doing this three times only because you should have a beginning of round marker. After placing the third marker you’ll knit in pattern until the end of round (this is the fourth marker).
Let me know if you have any other questions.
-Adam
Yes, I had the same problem. I did the women’s small size and cast on 144 stitches which turned out to look very large after a few rows. So I started over but this time cast on with 144 stiches but every other stitch for the two colors. So, when it said, join for knitting in the round, I began knitting the two colors together as one. So it became 72 stitches. The size is great, which leads me to believe the yarn I had was too thick in the first place. This made shaping the top of the hat tricky, but it just came out a bit shorter, because the 48 stitches needed for the final rounds was reached a bit sooner.
The part I am confused about patter “setting up the round” in this pattern, [Work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times. Do I work these groups of stiches onto one needle or multiple needles? How many and do they have to be double pointed?Then when it says work in established pattern to end of round, does that mean I work the rest of the 20 stiches and where( I casted on 160)?I am a begginer and its my first time knitting a beanie. Wish you guys had a tutorial on this part so I could understand it better.
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for the question. You can complete the set up round on your circular needle and won’t need to switch to double points until you are having trouble knitting on the corded needle (it’ll get a bit tight around the cord). Your set up round divides your hat into four sections. For example, for your size you’ll have four sections of 40 stitches. These markers indicate where you’ll be decreasing to shape the crown of the hat. You will have to switch to double points at some point in the decreasing, but that won’t be until farther into the crown. I hope this helps a bit!
-Adam
Hi,
I’m knitting the hat in Aran weight yarn and worked out my gauge for a men’s small. On a size US 4 needle I’ve divided my 116 stitches into 4 sections of 29. When I work the pattern for Round 1, when I get to the 2nd marker, it’s now a *[P1,K1] instead of *[K1,Pl]. What should I do?
Thanks – I want to finish this hat before winter ends!
Arlene
Hi Arlene,
Thanks for the question. I suggest decreasing one stitch at the marker for all four sections before you try to do the decreases as in the pattern. This way you’ll end up with an even stitch repeat within each section. From there on out you can follow the pattern as is for the decreases. All the best and happy knitting!
-Adam
Hi, I’m knitting the hat in an Aran weight merino, alpaca blend yarn and mistakenly cast-on 116 stitches which gave me an odd number of stitches per quarter. I have completed the 8 inches and ready to decrease. If I decrease 4 stitches evenly ending up with 112 stitches and then start round 1 will I run into any problems continuing the hat per your instructions?
Thank you very much!
Arlene
Hi Arlene,
Thanks for writing in. If you decrease one stitch next to each marker after the set up round, you should be good to go to start at decrease round one. I don’t think this will affect the look of the hat much. All the best and happy knitting!
-Adam
Hi!
This line is tripping me up:
Next Round: *Ssk, [k1, p1] two times, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [40 stitches]
I began with 160 stitches. When I came up to this round, I had 96 stitches, which leaves me with 24 stitches/quadrant.
Wouldn’t this entire round end up 16 stitches decreased? (from the ssk and k2tog twice for each quadrant)
Does the [40 stitches] mean the row should be decreased by that many stitches?
Thanks so much for helping me with this misunderstanding!
Hi Valerie,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I see the problem. Going into this round, you should have 48 stitches and not 96. It may be that you did not repeat rounds 1 and 2 for the 6 additional times called for for the size that you are knitting. I would suggest continuing on with rounds 1 and 2 until you get to the required 48 stitches and them completing the round above!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thank you so much! I hadn’t realized it switched from
How many decreased to Stitches left.
I really appreciate it! 🙂
Hi There!
I have been working on this hat – the toddler version, cast on 128 stitches – for over a year, and I have to get it done before my toddler is no longer a toddler!
I am almost there. I repeated the Round 1 and Round 2 decreases 5 times until I got to 48 stitches total.
Then the Next Round starts with SSK, which if do that has me knitting into a purl stitch, my stitch sections start with a knit and then a purl stitch. Is this right?
Thanks!
Sara
Hi Sara,
Yes, after you SSK you will be knitting into a purl stitch.
Have a great weekend,
Melissa
Any chance you have a video??
Hello Brivee,
Thanks for reaching out! We do not have a video, but i will certainly pass along your suggestion. Is there a particular part of this pattern that you need help with? Perhaps I can provide some insight.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hi! Okay so I’m a new knitter, and the two strands of yarn casting on is tripping me up, as well as the set-up round for the top of the hat.
Thank you!
Hello Brivee,
Great question! You don’t need to do anything special when knitting with two strands, you’ll just hold the two together and knit as usual.
The set-up round section is where you will be placing your stitch markers so that you will know where to put your decreases.
I hope this clears things up!
-Marilla
I am new to making hats – this is my first one! I got it down to the 24 stitches. Do I truly just draw the thread through the stitches and pull tight to close the top of the hat?
Thanks!
Sara
Hi Sara,
Thanks for writing in! For this hat, you will draw the remaining tail through the final 24 stitches. Due to the smaller gauge of this hat, this will work fine and give you a lovely finish. Were this a hat using larger yarn, you would certainly go down to fewer stitches but here the 24 will not be too many!
Congratulations on your first hat!
Cassy
Hello, I need help with decreasing this hat, please. I started out with 120 stitches because I found it was too large even with the minimum amount of stitches given in your pattern. I’ve started decreasing but the beanie is already as long as I want it (I don’t want to fold the bottom as shown in one of the pictures). It fits my boyfriend’s head as it is right now but I’m still at 80 stitches in the round right now. I was trying to follow your pattern and get all the way to 24 stitches before I cut it off but I feel like it might be too long at that point. I still have 6-7 more rounds before I’m done. Is there any way to skip some of the last rounds without it looking weird? Is it best to get all the way to 24 stitches before I stop? Or is there a way to decrease to get to 24 stitches faster? Please advise. Thank you so much!
Hi Lindsey,
Thanks for writing in! I hope that I can help! As you decrease each round for the crown, it is not possible to skip rows here. Additionally, given that the decrease section is already fairly short, it may be that adding decreases will make the top difficult to close. I would suggest ripping back to about 6 rows before you initially started the decrease and then begin the crown there. As knitters, I know that we are all reticent to pull back but I have never regretted doing so to make a project just the way I want it.
Courage and best of luck!
Cassy
Please tell us what the Mutiple of Stitches is for The Boyfriend Hat so that we can convert it to various yarns / needles.
I read through messages and think it may Mutiples of 4?? But I’d the precise number. Please give Stitch Mutiples on your other patterns in the future.
I will be making this on 7s or 8s. I’m using my Line Weight for something else.
Thanks so much for your beautiful patterns and yarn,
Keith
Hi Keith,
Thanks for writing in! This hat is certainly a lovely one to do out of different weights of yarn. The pattern is worked over a multiple of 16 stitches to ensure that the decreases work properly.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi!
I’ve been in love with these for a few months, but it looks like the charcoal color is no longer available. Is that correct? I hope not 🙁 If so, what other combo would you suggest for making a hat that looks like the women’s small above?
Hi Brook,
Thanks for reaching out. Toasted Charcoal has indeed been discontinued, but a close color would be Fieldstone Gray:
https://www.purlsoho.com/line-weight.html
Hope this helps!
Kindly,
Anna
Anna,
Thank you for your response. Is there any other yarn that you would suggest as a good option to use with this pattern? Maybe one that has a natural heather to it so only one skein is necessary? What about super soft merino in salt and pepper? Thanks, I appreciate any advice you have.
Hello Brook,
Thank you for your question! You could use any fingering weight yarn to knit this hat. Super Soft will be much to think even if you are using a single strand, but you could look at the colors in Squishy or Tynd .
I hope this helps!
-Marilla
Hi there! How many yards of yarn in the light fingering would it take to knit the men’s size small and the men’s size medium would you estimate? Thanks!
Hi Dan,
Thank you for reaching out! For the largest side I would estimate that you’ll use approximately 250 yards of each color (500 yards total) and for the Men’s smallI would say 220 for each color and 480 yards total. This is definitely an estimate so you might want to have a bit extra to be on the safe side.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi, there!
Love this pattern and have all my supplies to get started. I have a question about the gauge, when knitting the swatch is it okay to knit flat or do you use another technique for knitting a swatch for a pattern in the round???
Thank you in advance.
Hello Laura,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend knitting up a swatch in the round- here is a helpful tutorial on how to do this-
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
I’m hoping to get started on this hat asap, but my head’s circumference is larger than the largest size (including the ‘comfortable stretching’) for this pattern, about 30 inches. I’m a bit of a novice – at least to modifying patterns – and was hoping you could give me some tips on how to adjust for the size difference? Keeping in mind there will be some give, of course. Thank you for your help!
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly make this hat larger if you would like. To do so, you can add multiples of 16 stitches to get up to the correct size for your head. I would also be certain to do a gauge swatch for this hat as some have found that at the recommended needle size they are getting fewer stitches per inch. If this is the case for you, you may be able to cast on a smaller size than you need and still get a large enough hat.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi,
I love this hat and I’ve knit it three times but I seem to consistently be doing something wrong. When I get to my decreases I inevitably end up with gaping at the first decrease of every section, no matter how tightly I pull my wool to prevent this. Any idea of what I’m doing wrong and suggestions of how I can prevent this? I’ve just started this hat again for my husband.
Thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for writing in and for your kind words! How curious! Is the gaping only at the first decrease? It may be that you are pulling to tightly at this section. Pulling too tightly or not as tightly can cause gaping sometimes. You can always weave in additional yarn on the back side to close up a gap if the issue persists. I’d suggest trying pulling less tightly and see if that helps!
Best,
Cassy
I knit this for my husband in black and oyster grey, he absolutely loves it and it has held up really well. I would now like to knit one for my dad but I would like some advice on the colors… I definitely will choose black and grey, but since you don’t have the charcoal grey anymore, can you recommend another grey? I am hesitating between fieldstone grey and trout brown, but on screen the trout brown looks almost aubergine so I am concerned that it will give the hat a purplish tint. What would you recommend? I am going for a two-tone, subtle colour change between the black and the second color and it is very hard to decide on screen.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Pastille,
Thanks for writing in! Trout Brown can certainly read differently in different lights and when paired with different colors. In this case, I think that Fieldstone Gray would be beautiful with Soft Black! I think that the finished look would be subtle and look great for a gentleman!
Best,
Cassy
Hi there,
I am a beginner knitter, so I apologize in advance if this question is a bit (or very) stupid, but if I am knitting this hat using magic loop, do I continue to follow the instructions as written when I get to the DPN switch, or is there any modification that needs to be made for Magic Loop?
Thank you!
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for writing in! No modifications are needed! You can knit the top of this hat using magic loop. Just be sure that your markers are in the correct places and it should work just fine!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi, is anyone else having the issue that the gauge seems to be way off? Its not off by a little bit either, even for the smallest size it’s turning out twice as large as stated in the pattern. I’m pretty sure I’m following the pattern properly – using size US3 needles, a merino alpaca wool, two strands, and I’m not a loose knitter so I don’t understand how the gauge is double the size. I knit up a swatch of 20 sts and stretched it comes to about 4.5-5 inches, so that means for a 20in circumference I want between 80-88 stitches. That’s almost half as many stitches called for in the pattern. Is anyone else having this issue or am I doing something completely wrong.?
Hi Nic,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you are getting quite a different gauge than we are for this lovely hat! We are getting roughly 39 stitches in 1 x 1 rib over 4 inches, unstretched. You may want to go down a needle size or two to try and get the correct gauge.
This hat is very customizable so alternately, if you like the fabric at the gauge that you are getting, you can cast on a multiple of 16 stitches to ensure that the decreases work properly. If you choose this option, you will want to place your markers for the Shape Top of Hat section so that you have divided your stitches into 4 equal amounts.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I can not knit in the round so what size needle can. I use
Hi June,
Thanks for writing in! We don’t have plans to write a version of this pattern that is knitted flat since, unfortunately, it’s not a quick or simple conversion; however, if you would like to take a shot at it yourself, any length of size 3 needles, either straight or circular, would work.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi , thanks for such lovely pattern . However , can i cast on even fewer stitches for my gauge is off and the smallest size is still to big . Also , I like the drape of the fabric I am knitting so I don’t want to change the needles size
Hello Anna,
Thank you for writing in! I think a fewer cast number should work out fine. You will just need to make sure the cast on is an even number and is also an even number when divided by four for the decrease section.
I hope this helps and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi-
When I click on line weight, the link brings up a broken page. When I do a search, it seems that this yarn isn’t sold so much now. Is there another yarn you’d recommend?
Thanks!
Susan
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! We are so sorry about the broken links! Line Weight is still very much available and we have corrected the links to work!
Best,
Cassy
For shaping the crown, round 1 says “work in established pattern until 2 stitches before next marker.” I castes on 160 stitches, so 40 stitches between each marker, but im not getting left with 2 stitches before the next marker… please help
Hi Krystal,
Thanks for reaching out! This means that you will stop knitting when you are two stitches before the next marker, regardless of whether you end on a knit or purl, and then follow the next step.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
My dad has a 26 inch head…I read about stretching over time, how much should I increase for this size? Thank you!
Hi Amanda,
Great question! I would probably recommend knitting the Men’s Large. I find that this hat stretches a bit more than we list in the pattern as well, so the Men’s Large should still stretch comfortably to fit a 26 inch head and still be snug enough to keep it’s shape.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi! I knit this in the round in all stockinette (I like the utilitarian look of it and I’m a bit lazy to k/p over and over again). When I shape the crown, should I follow your pattern with the purl step or should I just knit everything? Luckily, this hat is pretty straight forward so this is my second one in two weeks, but the first one has gaping all the way up the decreases on two seams . I hope this makes sense and I’m not blathering on for no reason!
-Cody
Hello Cody,
Thank you for reaching out! I would reccomend knitting all the decreases to follow your established stockinette pattern. This means you will only be doing k2tog or ssk.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
I love this pattern and am planning on making 6 of them total! I casted on 120 stitches since I heard it ran a little big and am up to the top of the hat and ready to start decreasing. I only just realized that I might have some issues since it’s not divisible by 16.
Could I do the decrease rounds 1+ 2 until I am at 48 stitches (would have me skipping the last round 2 and go straight from round 1 to the final 3 rows)? I there a better way to modify this?
Thank you!
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for writing in! The decreases should work fine with any multiple of four, which you have! Rather than following our stitch counts for placing the decrease markers, you will need to divide your stitch count by 4 to determine that you need to place the markers every 30 stitches. The decreases should then work out just fine as written.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi, could you knit this whole hat on US size 3 (3.25mm) double pointed needles, to avoid the expense of buying both circular and DPNs? Thanks for your help!
My head circumference is about 22inches so I am planning on knitting the women’s small?
Hi Seona,
Great question! You can definitely knit an entire hat on double pointed needles if you wish! You will, however, want to make sure your double pointed needles are a bit longer than usual to accommodate the number of stitches in the body of the hat. I would recommend using at least 8 inch long needles, such as the longer length of our Double Pointed Bamboo Knitting Needles.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I’ve been trying to complete this hat for 2 years ( I’m serious! But not consistently knitting obviously but really – no way this should take this long.) I’ve had to rip down the top crown decrease area at least 5 times – just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. When you get to the “repeat rows 1 & 2 (5,6,7,8) times do you mean a total of (5,6,7,8) rows or double this amount?
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out! For this section of the pattern, the numbers following the instructions to repeat rows 1 & 2 refer to each size of the hat – for instance, if you are knitting the smallest size of the hat, you will repeat rows 1 & 2 five times for a total of ten rows, if you are knitting the second size of the hat you will repeat them six times for a total of 12 rows, and so on. There’s still plenty of winter to enjoy your hat in, so I hope that clears things up so you can finish it quickly!
Best,
Julianna
Hi Barbara,
I love the shape and size of this hat. It is exactly what I have been looking for. I did want to do a duplicate stitch design on the hat or an intsrsiavir fair isle design. Is this possible on this right 1×1 rib?
Best,
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately I would not recommend either intarsia or duplicate stitch over 1×1 ribbing. First, it will be quite difficult to predict how your design will look when the hat is worn since the ribbing will stretch out, and both techniques reduce elasticity, so you will end up with puckered areas where the colorwork is. Instead, I would suggest our Classic Cuffed Hat without a pom pom. The shape is quite similar to our Boyfriend Hat since the decreases are worked in the same manner, but you can easily add a design with the colorwork of your choice on the stockinette body of the hat.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi, if I were making this hat starting out with 120 stitches how would I adjust the shaping the top of the hat? Would I do the set up round with 30 stitches and then putting a marker, then following the rest of the pattern as stated. Or would I also alter round 1 and so on?
Hi DD,
Thanks for reaching out! The decreases in this hat are written for a multiple of 16 stitches, so I would recommend starting with either 112 or 128 stitches – fortunately the ribbing is quite stretchy and forgiving! You can then place your markers for the decreases so that your stitches are divided evenly into four sections and work the decreases as written.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I’ve knitted this hat many times and love it. As I get to the end though once more I wish there was one more round of decrease to reduce the final number of stitches from 24 to say 16. No matter how tight I pull I end up with a small hole because of number of stitches (24). The pattern of the decrease is so perfect I don’t want to mess it up by guessing what to do. Is there another easy decrease round you can suggest? Maybe not or you would have included it in the first place. Here’s hoping but love it anyway!
Hi and thanks for writing in! We stopped the decreases at this point because working one more decrease round will use up all your purl stitches, leaving you with one round of stockinette at the top of the hat. However, I think it will look fine since you will be cinching the top shut – especially since it will be easier to get it even tighter! The final decrease round would be:
Next Round: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, k1, repeat from * to end of round. [16 stitches]
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you so much. I am much happier with less stitches to cinch in and the round of only stockinette stitches is not detectable at all. From now on I’ll always finish this way.
Hi! Thanks for the gorgeous hat pattern. I have been looking for a double knit/yarn hat pattern like this for a while but I have sport weight yarn to use. Is there a way to convert this pattern for that yarn weight?
Hello Bri,
Thank you for reaching out! The first thing to do is to knit up a little gauge swatch to see how many stitches per inch you are getting. Once you have this number you can multiply it by your desired hat circumference to get you cast on number. I would cast on a multiple of 16 as this will be the easiest number to convert your decreases to.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I started this hat a few days ago and found that it has a LOT of capacity for stretch. I ripped it out as I anticipated it would stretch far too much. I started with the men’s medium and its resting circumference was just shy of 20.” When i ripped it out i could stretch it comfortably to about 25″ but could stretch it all the way to about 30″ (without it being too uncomfortable). Would it be too much to size down 32 or even 48 stitches? My SO likes beanies that fit snug so I want to factor in an appropriate amount of stretch and am not sure if I should go off the “comfortable stretch” or the over stretch.
Hi Lulu,
Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like your gauge might be off, since our measurement for the unstretched Men’s Medium is 18 inches. In that case, it may be best to size down to the Women’s Small since it will turn out equivalent to a Women’s Medium/Men’s Small.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I don’t understand why I can’t figure this out, but I’m here:
SHAPE TOP OF HAT
NOTE: Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.
Set-Up Round: [Work 36 (40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] three times, work in established pattern to end of round.
Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]
After I work Round 1 ([K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog) I have 3 stitches left before the next marker – not 2. I have 36 stitches and the pattern only accounts for 33. Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?!?
Hello Francine,
Thank you for reaching out! For this section the pattern says “*[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]” This means that your first set of 36 stitches you will work “[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog” (a total of 11 stitches worked) and then you will “work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk” This means you will (P1, K1) 11 times, P1, SSk.
I hope this clears things up for you and let us know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla
Amazing! I interpreted the pattern the same way as Francine and was really frustrated that it seemed more difficult than it should be. Was really hoping the comments would clear up my confusion and it has! Thank you so much, both! Now I can finally finish this hat 🙂
Can you tell me the total number of yards needed to knit this up?
I have line weight at home and want to make sure I have enough. Thank you.
stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for reaching out! I would be happy to let you know the exact yardage! Can you tell me which size you want to knit?
Best,
Julianna
I am trying to follow your instructions to P2tog tbl, but they don’t match what I am seeing on YouTube, and now 6 rows in to my decrease I feel like I’ve messed something up. Can you offer any guidance??
Hi Christina,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having some trouble with the decreases! It’s hard to say what might be going wrong without seeing your work, but you can send us a picture of your decreases at [email protected] and we would be happy to take a look!
Best,
Julianna
I CO 176 stitches and started the decrease. I did Round 1, Round 2, and have repeated Round 1 and 2 five times. But I have 120 stitches in this fifth repeat; if I do two more repeats I will have 104! What am I doing wrong?
Hi Keipop,
Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like you must be missing some of the decreases in either Row 1 or Row 2. Every round in the decrease section should remove 8 stitches, and it sounds like you are only decreasing by 4 stitches each round. After the set-up round, you should have markers dividing your stitches into four equal sections. In Decrease Round 1, you will work both a k2tog and a ssk each of the four sections, and in Decrease Round 2, you will work a p2tog and a p2tog tbl in each section. I would suggest double checking the rows to see which of these decrease you are missing or possibly working incorrectly.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I am having a hard time determining which size hat to knit. It will be for someone who’s head circumference measures 23 inches. The Men’s Medium had “comfortably stretches” to 23″, while the Men’s Large stretches to 24.75″. Which size would you recommend? Thank you for your help. I am anxious to get started on this project with lovely PurlSoho yarn!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for reaching out! This hat is meant to fit fairly snugly, so I would recommend knitting the Men’s Medium size for the most comfortable fit.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
It seems to me there is a mistake in the ‘”shape top of the hat” round 2 paragraph. After decreasing 8 stitches in round 1, I have 42 stitches between the markers. I round 2, I am instructed to k1,p1 four times, k1, p2tog, up to two stitches before marker.
This does not add up. Each round adds up to 11 stitches; 11+11+11=33. What am I supposed to do to get to 40 stitches (2 stitches before the market)?
Hello Michal,
Thanks for reaching out! For round 2 your p2tog is in the middle of this section so you will “[K1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, repeat from * to end of round” When the pattern says to “work in established pattern” it just refers to your rib stitch, so you will be following the established rib stitch pattern.
I hope this makes sense and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hey! sorry if this is a silly question, but for the gauge do we use double strands of the yarn or single strand? It looks like all of the hat is knitted using a double strand so not sure if that’s what I should do for the gauge also. Thank you! 🙂
Hi Helen,
Thanks for writing in! The gauge for this pattern should be knit with the yarn held double, just as you will knit the hat.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I love the look of this hat!!not sure if this is a silly question but does it have to be knit using two strands of yarn or can it be knit with a single strand?
Thank you!
Hi Orna,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, you can knit this hat with a single strand of yarn, but you will have to use a slightly heavier weight yarn to make up for it, and I would strongly recommend knitting a gauge swatch. A sport weight yarn, such as Mulberry Merino, should be just about the right weight to use as a single strand in this pattern.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi Julianna, now that Purl Soho has discontinued Mulberry Merino, what yarn do you suggest to knit this with a single strand? Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Marcela,
Thank you for reaching out! As a substitute for Mulberry Merino, I’d recommend Wigeon (https://www.purlsoho.com/wigeon.html) or Season Alpaca (https://www.purlsoho.com/season-alpaca.html). Both of these yarns are soft and cozy alternatives to Mulberry Merino, and as they are both sport weight, they should work as a gauge substitute! Wigeon is spun from 100% fine Falkland Merino Wool, and as it is more tightly spun with more plies, it’s a warm and sturdy choice. If it is cozy and plush you are after, then Season Alpaca’s 100% super baby alpaca fiber content is what I would recommend! Hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Hello! I got to eight inches of length and realized I’d cast on 148 stitches ??♀️
I decreased four in the set up round, in hopefully unobtrusive places, being careful to maintain the established 1×1 pattern.
However, now I seem to be running into trouble in round two of the shaping – I found two knits next to each other and then when I undid that, of course I had an uneven number on my needle.
Is there any way to save this?
Hello Meg,
Thank you for reaching out! It sounds like you may have missed a decrease. sense it’s not to far back I would just un- knit, back to where you had an even number and start from there.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you so much Marilla ? And can I ask another question, should the decreases always result in continuous knit purl pattern? Meaning I would never have two knots or two purls beside each other?
Hello Meg,
This is a great question! You will have knits next to knits and purls next to purls throughout your decrease section, however because you are decreasing every row this will resolve itself as you go.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions!
Best,
Marilla
Hi! This is my first time attempting to make this beautiful hat and I have some questions:
1. Are the DPNs truly necessary? I’ve grown accustomed to knitting in the round, but have never used DPNs before and I’m honestly nervous to use a new tool/confused as to how they’re supposed to be used.
2. Is there a full video tutorial somewhere? I’ve just started casting on, but looking forward to the ‘Set-Up Round’ and on has me getting anxious haha
Thanks!
Hello Margo,
Thank you for reaching out! When you get to the decrease section of this hat, the circumference of the hat will become smaller than the circumference of your needles. When this happens you will need to switch to double pointed needles, flexiflips, or Magic Loop. There is not a video tutorial for this project, but we do have explanations of Knit Two Together, Slip Slip Knit, Purl 2 Together (p2tog) + Slip Slip Purl (ssp) which are the only new techniques you will be taking on with this project.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Quick question.
I am on the first round in the shaping section.
I k1,p2 4xs then I k1 the k2tog until the next marker. But I am left with 3 instead of 2. There’s 36 stitches in between markers?
Hello Victoria,
Thank you for reaching out! For round 1, in shape top of hat, after you [K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, you then “WORK IN ESTABLISHED PATTERN”. This means you are knitting in your rib pattern until your last two stitches, when you have three stitches left you will knit your third to last stitch in your established pattern.
I hope this makes sense and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi, I was thinking of trying the tubular cast-on here. What do you think?
Hello Natalie,
Thanks for reaching out! A long tail tubular cast on would be beautiful for this project.
Happy knitting!
Marilla
Hi,
I made this hat for my wife’s birthday and I would love to make a matching one for our babe who is due end of November. If you could tell me the number of stickers to cast on I think I could figure the rest out. thank you so much.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out! The first thing to do is to knit up a little gauge swatch to see how many stitches per inch you are getting. Once you have this number you can multiply it by your desired hat circumference to get you cast on number. I would cast on a multiple of 16 as this will be the easiest number to convert your decreases to.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! I have a question…is the gauge in 1×1 ribbing done in single strand or double strand? thanks!
Hi Asha,
Thanks for reaching out! The gauge swatch should be worked with the yarn held double. Please let us know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Julianna
I have a question about the decrease section:
“Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, k2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, ssk, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]”
“Round 2: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, p2tog, work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog tbl, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]”
How do you determine which stitch to start with when you “work in established pattern”? I.e. after the k2tog, am I to start with a knit, or a purl? Same question for after the p2tog.
Thanks!
Hello Kate,
Thank you for reaching out- this is a great question! Basically, you are following the lead of your previous row to maintain your ribbed pattern. In your ribbed patted you are switching between purl bumps and knit vs, if the pattern asks you to “work in established pattern” you will knit your knits and purl your purls, using your previous row to guide you.
I hope this makes sense, but let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
-Marilla
Hello!
I was hoping to make this hat with some letters on it. At first I planned on doing duplicate stitches but saw a note on how that would mess with the ribbing. Is there any way to do some intarsia with the ribbing? If not would it be possible to straight knit a couple inches in the middle of the body without messing with the shape too much?
(I’ve made the classic cuffed hat before but I was hoping to do lettering on something a bit warmer/ wind resistant).
Thank you!
Hi Alison,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately intarsia won’t work for adding letters to any hat, as intarsia cannot be worked in the round, and I’m afraid that a stockinette area in the hat would distort the shape of the hat quite a bit. You could certainly try duplicate stitching over ribbing on a swatch to see how it would turn out! Just be sure to stretch your swatch to see how the duplicate stitching will look when the hat is worn to make sure you are happy with it before adding the monogram to the actual hat.
Best,
Julianna
Hi,
Do you think I could double knit this hat so that it is reversible? I’ve never double knit before, so a bit nervous about problems that might come up!
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for the question! This lovely hat is more or less reversible as knit! So long as you weave in your ends to be pretty much invisible, the hat is completely reversible!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hello. Do you think this hat would work with 1 skein line weight Marino and 1 skein cattail silk? Knitting for someone who lives in a moderate climate.
Thanks.
Hello Betsy,
Thanks for reaching out! I think this is a wonderful idea. I would be sure to knit up a gauge swatch before getting started to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! I’d love to knit this hat for my husband whose head measures 23.75”. I’m guessing I should go with the men’s large just to be safe, but I’m concerned that it might not be snug enough. Which size would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for reaching out! Ribbing, especially 1×1 rib, is extremely stretchy and forgiving, so you have a bit of wiggle room on the sizing! Both the Women’s Large/Men’s Medium and Men’s Large should fit, but the Women’s Large/Men’s Medium will be a bit snugger and more fitted, while the Men’s Large would be more on the slouchy side. If you aren’t sure, I would probably go with the smaller size!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi, I am a little confused with the end of round 2 in shaping the top of the hat. The pattern says p2tg tbl, but then the link in the video shows p2tg and p2tg tbl + ssp. I am unclear which I am supposed to be doing for this final step, am I also supposed to be doing ssp? is p2tg tbl the same as doing ssp? (For a beginner knitter I am easily confused with the different terms not being consistent).
Thanks a lot! Otherwise, super excited about the hat.
Hi Liv,
Thanks for writing in! For this pattern, you will be working a p2tog, which is very similar to the ssp we show in the video. The only difference is that you won’t have slip the two stitches first, and can go straight to purling them together through the back loop. The ssp and p2tog tbl are interchangeable – although they look slightly different, they lean the same direction so you could use whichever one you prefer!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi,
What would most closely replicate the Toasted Charcoal/Heirloom White combo? Could I sub Soft Black or River Rock?
Hi Natalie,
Great question! River Rock would be the most similar color to Toasted Charcoal.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi! Would an alternating cable cast-on work for this hat? Wondering what cast-on is most appropriate. Thank you 🙂
Hi Nathalie!
Thanks so much for your question! While we used a long tail cast on for our samples, an alternating cable cast on would also be great for the 1 x 1 rib.
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
Can anyone help? I am at the part where the pattern says there should be 48 stitches left. Meaning, I only have the three rounds to do before the part where it says “finish hat”. My problem is that I have 49 stitches instead of 48. Is this a major problem? Will it resolve when I get to the end anyway? Or what do I need to do on the step that follows the row where I was to end with 48 stitches but ended up with one more? I just don’t know if I should 1) rip back which is hard in the round with decreases or 2) do something different with the remaining rounds to get the hat to work
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for reaching out! If your knits and purls have all lined up properly so far, I think it’s likely that you have only missed a decrease in the very last row, so first, I would recommend going over the previous row very closely to see if you can spot the error. Hopefully taking out just this one row will fix the problem! If not, I would recommend continuing on with the pattern, but pay special attention to the stitches between the decreases to make sure your knits and purls are stacking correctly. You may have to knit or purl an extra stitch at some point, but I think you will be able to knit the rest of the hat with an extra stitch!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
This is a perfect hat pattern. It is well written, easy to make and looks wonderful. The timing was great since I was looking for a quick, easy, last minute gift. I almost have it finished and it will make a great stocking stuffer. Your yarn for this hat is amazing. Thanks Chandi. I loved knitting this beanie so much I had knitted up two! I referred to your video to get the hang of it as I am a beginner. It’s easy and simply enough that I had brought it with me to knit on a 6 hour flight! Thank you so much!
Hi! I made the men’s small. I would love to knit a matching newborn hat. Do you have any recommendations for how to adjust this, or another pattern to use with this yarn? Because the yarn is doubled, I’m not sure how to look for other patterns that use this weight yarn.
Hi Ali,
Thanks for writing in! This pattern works with any multiple of 16 stitches, so for a newborn-sized hat, I would cast on 112 stitches and knit the body of the hat to about six inches before beginning the crown decreases.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
The boyfriend hat sample in heirloom white and toasted charcoal is pretty. Do you no longer offer toasted charcoal? What color (or combination of 2 others) would be closest?
Thanks!
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, Toasted Charcoal has been discontinued, but I think you could get a very similar look by combining Heirloom White and Fieldstone Gray!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi! I am fairly new to knitting. I’m wondering if it’s possible to do this great marled pattern with two different colored fingering weight yarns, if each of those yarns is 4 ply rather than 1 ply. Do people ever knit double stranded with yarns that are each multiple ply, or do you have to use single ply yarn if you’re going to knit double stranded? And if this is possible, can any 2 fingering weight yarns be used together on US #3 needles? Thank you!
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for reaching out! You can knit double with any yarn of any ply that you would like! It isn’t necessary for the yarn to be single ply in order to be knit double! In the case of the Boyfriend Hat, as long as the yarns are a fingering weight you are good to go! I would recommend working up a gauge swatch before beginning the pattern to make sure that your gauge is consistent with the patten!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi,
This is my first time trying to knit a boyfriend hat and I find it difficult. I casted my yarn for a women’s medium size (160 stitches). I did the 8 inches in length and then I did the beginning of the shape of the hat, I knitted the round 1 and 2, 6 times each. That would mean that by the end of those 12 rounds I have decreased from 160 stitches to 64 stitches. Then with my 64 stitches, if I follow the next step, my round doesn’t decrease from 64 to 40 stitches. I know I am doing something wrong but I can’t pinpoint it. Would you please help me. Thank’s a lot 🙂
Hi Audrey,
Thanks for reaching out! It looks like you are on the right track if you are working all the decrease rounds accurately and the correct amount of repeats. The number at the end in the brackets is the amount of stitches for the smallest size and then it goes up from there for the larger sizes!
I hope this helps and feel free to reach out with any more questions going forward!
All the best,
Gianna
I am confused how to switch to double pointed needles with this pattern. Since it’s split into 4 sections (with shape top of hat round 1 and round 2) should I cast in to 4 double pointed needles using the 5th to knit with, so I can keep the 4 sections or do I have to use 4 double needles?
Hi Liv,
Thanks for reaching out! With this pattern there is not a specific formula for transferring to DPNs, once it becomes tight working on your circular needles you will start knitting on the DPNs and you can either use 3 or 4 needles and divide the stitches evenly across. You then either use the 4th or 5th needle to work with depending on your preference! The stitch markers determine where you work the decreases, so the placement on the double pointed needles is not crucial! You should also not be casting on any stitches at this point, you should only be working with the pre existing stitches.
I hope this clarifies things, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello! Just finished this guy, and while it looks (and feels) good rolled up, it looks a little too bell-shaped when unrolled. The cast-on row looks a tiny bit loose (although I definitely couldn’t have made it any tighter), and I’m realizing that I wish I’d cast on with a smaller needle and/or fewer stitches. Do you happen to have any suggestions for tightening up the cast-on edge? Or even cutting it out to redo, etc.?
I used the recommended yarn, needle size, and # of stitches for a men’s medium. (Only change I made was knitting 7 vs. 8 inches from cast-on edge before starting crown.) I’ve made lots of hats before and never had this problem for some reason, but this is my first time trying this pattern.
Thanks so much for any help!
Hi Alena,
Thanks for reaching out! Did you work a gauge swatch prior to beginning the hat to make sure your gauge was consistent with the pattern? I would recommend measuring your gauge now if you haven’t already! I would also recommend blocking the hat. Blocking is a great way to re-shape your knitting and re-distribute stitches to get the best fit and look! I suggest checking out our All About Gauge and Blocking tutorials, they are both excellent resources to use.
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi! I really would love to make this hat, however I’m interested in making it with a worsted weight yarn. Do you have any recommendations on how to go about using a different yarn/needle size for this pattern OR a similar pattern for what I am looking for? I love the shape of this hat.
Thanks so much!
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for reaching out! If you would live to make this hat with worsted weight you would need to adjust the gauge and needle size! I would recommend working a gauge swatch with the yarn you plan on using and an appropriate needle size (typically when working a rib you go down from the recommended size so a US 5-6 for a worsted weight!) you can then calculate the cast on number from there. I recommend checking out our All About Gauge tutorial, it is an excellent resource to use!
If you don’t want to re-gauge the pattern, we do have a similar pattern available that is already written for a worsted weight yarn called the Lovely Ribbed Hat In Linen Quill Worsted!
I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi, I love this pattern and am making it as my first ever hat (for my BF)! I do have a question, I used different yarn so that meant that I had to adjust the gauge. I want to make a men’s large and in order to do that with my yarn I casted on 96 stitches and I have knitted 54 rows and I have now a little more than 8inches so I have gotten to the set up round. And here my questions come in: First, do I have to knit a round in this set up round or is it just the division of the stitches into four sections? Then my second question: I have divided my work into four sections of 24 stitches so if I get to round 1 and 2 I should decrease 8 stitches in the normal pattern but should I also decrease 8 stitches when I already started with fewer stitches than the pattern called for? Or should I decrease less but then what would the pattern look like? Then my third question: when repeating rounds 1 and 2 should I go for 8 rows because I want to make the men’s large or should I also do this fewer times since I am using a different gauge? And then for the last part of decreases, should I adjust this also to my gauge as in round 1 and 2 and what should that pattern look like? Woow this is a very long story, I’m sorry! Usually I would ask my gran but because of the lockdown I can’t, I’m really enjoying getting into knitting and this website is a great resource! Thanks so much!
Hi Florine,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! I am happy to help! Unfortunately, when going off from the written pattern and working with a different weight of yarn and making adjustments to the gauge and cast on, it takes a bit of trial and error to get things like decreases to work accurately! I would recommend starting out working the decreases as written and if its comes out a little wonky you can make adjustments from there! And yes, you will be working the set-up round meaning you will knit x amount of stitches and place the stitch maker and continue this till all your stitch makers are placed and you reach the end of the round!
I hope this helps and please let me know if anything comes up or if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello there, I am wanting to make this hat (my first ever!) for my husband in a Men’s Medium. I have some line weight yarn, but don’t know if it is enough for making this hat. Could you please tell me how many yards this hat requires? Thank you so much! christy
Hi Christy,
Thanks for reaching out! This is a great pattern for a first time hat (one of my favorites!!) For the Mens Medium we used approximately 305 yards per color of Line Weight (approximately 610 total.)
Please let mw know if you have any more questions, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hey there –
I bought some Posy recently because I loved the yellowish green color. Would this hat work with Posy? If not, do you have a suggestion for a hat that would work with Posy?
Thanks!
Hi Peggy,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you could certainly use Posy for this hat! I do recommend working a gauge swatch prior to beginning since Posy is a bit heavier than Line Weight, and you may need to make a few adjustments!
Warmly,
Gianna
thank you!!!
Hi!
I’m looking forward to starting this pattern, and wondering about yardage…
Am hoping to use 2 skeins of Madeline Tosh Merino Light, but the skeins come with 420 yards each. I see the Line Weight comes in 494-yard skeins. Is there quite a bit extra leftover from the Line Weight or should I plan to purchase 3 skeins total?
Nevermind 🙂 I see the pattern calls for 1 skein of Line Weight. I suppose I should plan to still purchase 2 skeins since the Madeline Tosh skeins are 70+ yards smaller.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern works with two skeins of Line Weight, one in each color, and you knit holding the two strands together, or if you are making a solid color hat (pulling two strands of a single color) rather than a marled hat (pulling a strand of two different colors), you’ll need 1 (1, 2, 2) total skeins of Purl Soho’s Line Weight. So depending on the style and size, you are making you will need 494 (494, 988, 988) yards total. So if you are planning on using Madeline Tosh I would recommend 2 skeins per color to ensure you have enough!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Thank you so much, Gianna! I was wondering if I could make it through with just 420 yards, but you answered my question. Really appreciate your help.
Hi!
Beautiful additions!!
Seeking some advice/ suggestions – Would clear sky go well with fieldstone grey when making these for men?
I am thinking to make the hat a bit lighter in color than the sample ones. Thought clear sky could give a little more unique mixing and a little more pop than heirloom white.
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Park,
Thanks for reaching out. I think that Clear Sky and Fieldstone Gray would look lovely together in a hat for anyone! Happy knitting!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! I am having a harder time understanding how to use two yarns than I hoped. I’m still a beginner but have made a few hats so far. I purchased the River Rock and Heirloom White colors which I think will look great together if I can ever figure it out. Is there a video tutorial that demonstrates how to use two colors?
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for writing in. For this pattern, you will need to hold one strand of each color of yarn at the same time! All this means is that while you’ll be holding onto two strands at once, you just need to treat them as if they were one strand and knit as usual. I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
I am a fairly new knitter but have been able to make socks. So I am familiar with decreases.
I am not able to understand the shaping.
Am I correct that the decreases will all be on top of each other?
Row 1 knit2together, 9 stitches from marker and SsK 2 stitches from marker.
Row 2 I do the same thing with Purl. So the decreases stack on top of each other?
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for reaching out. You are absolutely correct that the decreases stack on top of each other! This creates the nice and neat “seams” on the crown of the hat. I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Do you test the gauge blocked or unblocked, and are the hats in the photo blocked?
I knit the gauge and got close to what is needed (slightly less stitches, so looser knitting?). Once wet, it looks much looser than the photos. Does this mean I should switch to smaller needles?
Hi Hanna,
Thanks for writing in! The gauge is measured post-blocking and the photos are also of the hats blocked! When wet, the yarn will want to stretch, so it helps if you shape the hat to the dimensions listed so that it will dry to the right size! For more tips on gauge and blocking, I would suggest checking out our All About Gauge and Blocking tutorials!
I hope this helps!
Gianna
Thank you! I was thinking you would always stretch it once blocked, but good to know you can keep it tighter weave.
I’m almost done with my first hat and it is really lovely. The feel of this yarn is so soft and cozy. I have just ordered yarn to make 3 more (in different colors) as gifts. I used the alternate cable cast on and notice that it is a tiny bit “ripply” on the edge. Should I use a smaller size needle to cast on with my next hat? If so, how many sizes smaller should that be? I tried the tubular cast on, but couldn’t get it right (despite many frustrating attempts!) so went to the alternate cable cast on. What do you think?
Hi Lin,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so pleased to hear that you enjoy the yarn and making this hat! I actually just finished one for myself and it has become my new favorite go to hat! For that method, I would go down one needle size and see how it looks to start, however, we actually used a basic Long Tail Cast On for this pattern, it gives a nice clean edge without the added steps of a Long Tail Tubular Cast On. I used the Long Tail Cast On for my hat and it turned out lovely!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I was hoping to this the Boyfriend hat using the Canada National Parks Collection fingering wool . I see on Ravelry that other people have used this yarn and they double the yarn for the Boyfriend hat. When I made a gauge, it was way off. The gauge on the wool is 26sts to 4 cm using 3.25 mm needles.
Perhaps I should not be using this yarn?
Thanks for your help
Hi Jane,
Thanks for reaching out. Did you knit your swatch in 1 x 1 ribbing or in stockinette? Our gauge measurement of 39 stitches in 4 inches is for a swatch knit in the stitch pattern of the hat, which is 1 x 1 ribbing. Generally, yarn labels will give you an idea of the gauge for stockinette, which is very different than gauge for ribbing.
If you’re still not achieving gauge on your swatch though, you’ll need to adjust your needle size! You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge. If you would like to learn more about this, we have a handy tutorial called All About Gauge, which you can find right here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2020/08/20/all-about-gauge/. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hello, has anyone decreased size to make this hat for a 6-9 month old baby? I’ve made this hat for myself and my husband, and now want to make it for our newest addition to the family! Any recommendations for cast on amount?
Thanks!
Hi Madison,
Thank you for your question! We released baby and toddler sizes for this hat in an updated post which you can find right here! The smallest size has a cast on of 112 stitches for a head size of 15-16 inches.
Congratulations on your newest family member, and we can’t wait to see your matching hats!
All the best,
Margaret
Making a hat for a gentleman who wants it to be made of cotton yarn: I was thinking of using your Tulip Cotton ~ wondering if I should knit w/ a single strand or to double as the pattern is written. Thanx in advance for your assistance.
Hi Lyn,
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m afraid Tulip Cotton would be too thick for this pattern, since the original hat is made by holding 2 fingering weight yarns together and Tulip Cotton is a worsted weight yarn. I’d recommend Santolina (https://www.purlsoho.com/santolina.html) as a great plant-based fiber option! It’s fingering weight so it would work well held double for a marled look, and is made of 70% organically grown cotton, 20% rayon from bamboo, 10% hemp. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Thanx so much Cat!!!! You have been most helpful!!!!
Enjoy your holidays in good health and may your days be filled with all things Merry & Bright!
hi there, I accidentally cast on 178 stitches and didn’t realize until I got to the top of the hat and needed to divide into 44 stitches. That leaves me with 3 sections of 44 stitches and a fourth section of 46 stitches. Any suggestion for how I should proceed for the top of the hat? Thanks!
Hi Kath,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend working two rounds of decreases in the section with 46 stitches only, which will bring your stitch count back down to 176. After you get to that point, you can follow the rest of the SHAPE TOP OF HAT instructions as written!
All the best,
Lili
Hi,
My hat feels very loose and floppy, what is the recommended method to block this? Will it tighten it up?
Thanks,
Kat
Hi Kat,
I’m sorry to hear that your hat ended up too loose! I’m afraid that this is likely due to the gauge being a bit too large, and blocking won’t help very much at all, unfortunately. In cases like this, I always recommend adding in some elastic thread to the brim of the hat to maintain the elasticity! You can do this by sewing it into a few rounds of the brim, or you can even use duplicate stitch to camouflage it within the knit stitches of the hat. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi. I know this is a stupid question. I’m a newbie. I finished knitting this hat but I’m not sure which side is suppose to be the right side. The side I’ve been knitting on or the side that I flip it over? Thank you!
Hi Nicki,
Thanks for reaching out! This hat is knit in the round, so the right side is the side that’s on the outside of the tube of stitches, and the wrong side is the one that’s on the inside. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, thank you so much for the pattern! I made this hat over a year ago for my boyfriend and he absolutely loves it. So much so that the hat has now stretched so loose that he can’t wear it. I knit it using the recommended yarn and we have washed and blocked it but it’s still too loose. Do you have any advice for how to reshape this hat back into its proper size (without access to a dryer)?
Hi Sam,
Thanks for reaching out, although I’m sorry to hear that the hat you made has stretched out to that extent! Wool yarn does tend to loose some elasticity over time, especially in a ribbing stitch pattern. In cases like this, I always recommend adding in some elastic thread to the brim of the hat to maintain the elasticity! You can do this by sewing it into a few rounds of the brim, or you can even use duplicate stitch to camouflage it within the knit stitches of the hat. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hello! Can you use Linen Quill for this pattern? Thank you!
Hi Jackie,
Since this pattern was designed for a fingering weight yarn (held double), you can absolutely use Linen Quill for it! As always though, we recommend making a gauge swatch, especially when substituting yarns!
All the best,
Lili
Hello, how many extra stitches should I add if I need to make this a bit bigger? Could you just increase by multiples of two? Thank you!
Hi Sia,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern works over a multiple of 8 stitches, so you would need to add at least 8 stitches to make it a bit bigger. Once you add these stitches, you can essentially work the pattern as written, making sure to divide your stitches evenly for the SHAPE TOP OF HAT section. Here’s how to work the Set-Up Row for that with any multiple of 8 stitches:
Set-Up Round: [Work (cast-on / 4) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] 3 times, work in established pattern to end of round.
Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I feel rather stupid right know. It has been years since I knitted. I’ve reached the first row of decrease. I understand K1,P1 (4 times) which puts me at a purl stitch to K1 in and if I K1, then K2tog then continue it does not come out right. If I leave out the K1 it does work out. I don’t know if I’m reading the pattern wrong. I’m working size med 160 stitches and have divided in 40 stitch sections 4 times.
Hi Renee,
Thanks for reaching out! If you’re working in 1 x 1 ribbing, then after you [k1, p1] 4 times, the next stitch should be a knit stitch. If you’re seeing a purl stitch there instead, then you would have gotten out of pattern somehow, and I would recommend taking a look at your knit fabric to see if there are any inconsistencies in the ribbing.
If you’re still having trouble at this spot, can you please send a photo of your work so far to [email protected]? That way, we can better visualize what’s going on!
All the best,
Lili
Could I use a US 4 needle? I’m a tight knitter and don’t have a 3.
Hi Deb,
Thanks for your question! You could use any needle size that helps you achieve gauge! We always recommend making a quick gauge swatch so that you can make sure you meet that of the pattern as well as get the correct sizing for your project. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Would this pattern work as well with the PS Quartz Yarn. It is
listed as fingering weight yarn.
Hi Susan,
Yes! You can definitely use Quartz for this pattern in place of Line Weight. Please let us know if you have any other questions along the way.
Happy making,
Gavriella
I am finally at the first decrease and have my 36 stitches divided by stitch makerers. I did the k1 p1 four times, l1, k2tog – then it says work in established pattern which I assume means do that again until the last two stitches before the next marker. But when I count ahead in that pattern I have three stitches left before the next marker and the knits land on the purls etc So worried as it has taken me a lot of restarting to get this far! Help is appreciated!
Hi Dorothy,
I’m so sorry that you’ve hit a stopping point in this pattern! Can you please let me know a) how many stitches you started with, b) how many stitch markers you have on your needles, and c) exactly how many stitches you have between each stitch marker?
I’ll keep an eye out for your reply, and then we can go from there!
All the best,
Lili