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.
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. Each skein is 494 yards/ 100 grams.
- Yarn A: 1 skein; approximately 235 (265, 305, 355) yards required. We used the color Heirloom White.
- Yarn 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 with yarn doubled, unstretched
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 Yarn A and one strand of Yarn B, cast 144 (160, 176, 192) stitches onto the circular needle. 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 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]
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 five (six, seven, eight) 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]
Finish Hat
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.
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