Snow Day Hat
Having grown up in southern California, I’ve never made a snow angel or felt the supposed sting of a direct snowball hit. My first winter in New York I had to ask, “What is sleet?” Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed my warm-weather childhood, but I do feel a pang of sadness that I never experienced the singular joy of a snow day!
Though I’m far from expert on the subject, my Snow Day Hat seems to me the perfect accessory for child and adult snow days alike. Knit with two strands of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, the marled fabric looks like the cozy version of a January blizzard.
Snug in my Snow Day Hat, I plan to make up for lost time this winter. I may be too old for snow days, but not for building a snowman, right? -Gina
Update: New Colors
November 2016
When we added over a dozen new colors to our Super Soft Merino palette, we couldn’t help knitting up a new collection of Snow Day Hats! For the full story and additional photos, click here!
Update: New Pom Poms
November 2019
We’re having a party and you’re invited! We’ve topped a few of our favorite hat patterns with festive pom poms including our Snow Day Hat! Using our Pom Pom Maker Set in the Small + Large and Extra Large + Jumbo sizes, adorn your Snow Day Hat and join in on the party here!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gina Rockenwagner.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSnowDayHat, and #PurlSohoSuperSoftMerino. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino, in 2 different colors. Each skein is 87 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 72 (87) yards required per color.
- US 15 (10 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- A set of US 15 double pointed needles
- 1 stitch marker
- Optional: A Purl Soho Pom Pom Maker Set in Extra Large + Jumbo
KID HAT: 1 skein of Heirloom White, 1 skein of Super Pink
ADULT HAT: 1 skein of Heirloom White, 1 skein of Black Green
Gauge
10 stitches = 4 inches in 1×1 rib, with yarn doubled
Sizes
Kids (Adult)
To fit head sizes up to 20 (23) inches in circumference
- Finished height (not including pom pom): 9½ (12½) inches
- Finished circumference (relaxed): 11 (14) inches
- Pom pom diameter: 3½ (4) inches
Pattern
Using a strand of each yarn held together, cast 34 (40) stitches onto the circular needle. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker and join to work in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 8 (11) inches from cast on edge.
Changing to the double pointed needles…
Next Round: [Ssk] 17 (20) times. [17 (20) stitches]
Knit 2 rounds.
Next Round: [K2tog] 7 (10) times, K3tog 1 (0) time. [8 (10) stitches]
Cut both strands of yarn and thread them onto a tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches, pull taut and bring the tails to the inside of the hat.
Use both yarns and the smaller (larger) Extra Large Pom Pom Maker to make a pom pom 3 ½ (4) inches in diameter. Attach securely at crown. Here’s how…
You should have 2 long tails coming from the pom pom. Thread 1 tail through a tapestry needle. Insert the tapestry needle through the very top of the hat, directly to one side of the closure at the crown. Pull the tail through to the inside. Repeat with the other tail, this time inserting the needle on the opposite side of the closure at the crown. Turn the hat inside out. Firmly tie the two tails together in a tight double knot. Thread both tails onto the tapestry needle and bring the needle through the crown and up through the center of the pom pom. Trim the tails to the same length as the rest of the pom pom.
Weave in the remaining ends and enjoy your Snow Day Hat!
Can this pattern be adjusted to make a messy bun hat?
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for reaching out! You could certainly turn this into a messy bun hat though it may take a bit of experimenting! After working the first row of decreases, take a look at the opening left int he top of the hat. It may be the right side already, but if not, you can work a few more decreases on the next knit row. Once you are happy with the opening at the top of the hat, simply cast off your stitches and you are done!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi! I just finished knitting the decrease, but I feel like it looks really pointy. Is that supposed to happen?
Hello Lauren,
Thank you for reaching out! It is true that there might be a slight point at the top when you finish due to the slant that the decreases create. I have found that it is not pointy when worn because of the slight stretch that occurs to accommodate ones head.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
This pattern is so cute! How will this change if I use US10 sized needles instead of 15? Will I need more yarn?
Hello Miranda,
Thank you for reaching out! If you are using two strands of bulky yarn you will need to us a US15. If you were to knit this hat up with a US10 the fabric will become very dense and stiff, and will come out much smaller.
If you are looking for a hat to knit up on a smaller needle I would check out our Super Soft Merino Hats.
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi,
I’m wondering if there are any video tutorials for this pattern? Or for decreasing in general? Or a glossary of terms somewhere on the website as I am just above a beginner knitter and need a little extra guidance.
Thanks
Hello Sarah,
Thank you for reaching out! We have a great Tutorial collection as well as a Knitting Abbreviations + Terms. I find both of these resources very useful and I hope you do to!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
If I want to use the salt and pepper for this hat do I purchase 2 skeins of it or each color separately. If separately, which colors are are they?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! For our black and white sample, we used one strand of Heirloom White and one strand of the discontinued Black Green held together, but I think using the already marled Salt and Pepper color of Super Soft Merino is a fascinating idea! You could hold two strands of Salt and Pepper together for a lovely fine grained marl, or use one strand of Salt and Pepper and one strand of a solid like Toasted Charcoal for a predominantly gray hat with fun speckles of white. To replicate the look of our original Snow Day Hat most closely, I would use one strand of Heirloom White and one strand of either Toasted Charcoal or Soft Black held together.
Happy knitting, and please let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
I would love to have the pattern but cannot justify all the ink to print out the pattern with all the comments.
Hi Deanna,
Thanks for reaching out! If you use our print function, none of the comments will be included and you can easily choose which portions of the pattern to print and which to omit. If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the date and tags. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
How many revolutions of yarn should I use for a large Pom Pom? The tutorial suggests 300, but that is with much thinner yarn, and I don’t have that much left. What would you advise?
P.S. I LOVE this hat, pattern, and yarn!!
Thanks in advance – Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thank you so much for the kind words! With a Bulky yarn like Super Soft Merino and our Pom Pom Maker Set, I would probably do about 150 wraps – the key is to make sure it looks nice and full on the pom pom maker, but not so thick that you can’t tie it securely!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
How would you end this if you didn’t want a pom pom on the end?
I’m using a size 9 circular needle.
Hi Christina,
Great question! This hat looks great as is without a pom pom – you don’t have to do anything special if you are skipping the pom!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello
Is There a way to Get This pattern on french ?
Thanks!
Hi Nicky,
Thanks for writing in! At present, our patterns are only available in English. We certainly appreciate the request!
Best,
Julianna
Hi
Could this pattern be used with a single strand of Super Soft Merino? As long as I adjust for the gauge and cast on the right amount of stitches?
Hi Natalie,
Thanks for reaching out! Although going from a double strand of Super Soft Merino to a single strand is quite a jump, you could use this pattern as a starting point to figure out your own hat! You would have to knit a gauge swatch on a US 11 or 13 needles and calculate how many to cast on, but the decreases should still work well for a ribbed hat at a smaller gauge.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello, may I know how many stitches repeat is this pattern for adult large size? I’m trying to figure out if I can incorporate a fair Isle pattern since we’re knitting with two color yarns here! Thanks!!
Hi Virgie,
Thanks for reaching out! The adult large hat requires a multiple of four stitches.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
No matter how loose I knit with #15 needles I get about 14 stiches on 4 inch and the hat clearly feels too tight. Should I go down to size 13?
Hi Monica,
Thanks for reaching out! If you are getting too many stitches per four inches, that actually means you need to go up a needle size or two. It sounds a bit counter intuitive at first, but you need to make your stitches larger so that there are fewer of them in your four inch square.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I love this pattern! Super easy to whip out. My only problem was getting gauge. I was so excited to start that I grabbed 2 skeins of my super bulky that I had in my stash and my 10 mm needles. I kept getting 7 to 8 stitches per 4 inches. It was huge, so I kept stepping down and I finally got gauge at a 5.5 mm set. I didnt like the fabric it created, so I just tried 1 strand of the yarn at 10 mm and it worked perfectly fine. Maybe my yarn was just too bulky? It has little bumps in it, but I thought that it would work because the gauge was the same as the yarn required for the project. Oh well, I’m almost done with my first hat and I’m loving it. Thanks!
Hi Alex,
Thanks for reaching out! Super bulky yarns can knit up at anything from 1.75 stitches per inch to 2.75 stitches per inch on a size 11 to 17 needle, which is quite a difference! Our Super Soft Merino is a super bulky yarn but comes in at the lowest end of that range, so if your super bulky yarn was at the high end, it certainly makes sense that you would be able to get gauge with a single strand. You definitely did the right thing by checking your gauge and finding the needles and yarn that work best with the pattern!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
When attaching my pompoms to the hat, my super soft merino tends to be break and my pompoms are not securely attached. Any suggestions?
Hi Nithya,
Thanks for writing in! This is not uncommon when sewing with or trying to pull tightly on single ply yarns such as Super Soft Merino. If you look closely at the yarn, you should be able to see which direction the fibers are twisted together, and you can then twist the yarn so that it becomes more tightly twisted. This will strengthen the yarn so you can pull on it tightly to secure your pom pom without worrying about it breaking. Another option would be to use a regular plied sturdy yarn, such as Cascade Yarns Superwash 128, in a color similar to your Super Soft Merino, to tie the center of the pom pom and secure it to the hat.
Best of luck, and I hope that helps!
Julianna
hello is it possible to make a video tutorial for this hat? I am French Canadian and understand more or less your pattern.
thank you very much
alexe
Hi Alexe,
Thanks so much for your interest in our pattern! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this pattern. We will keep your request in mind though for the future! Thanks!
Best,
Julianna
This hat is very much like the “Super Simple Super Soft Merino Baby Hat”. I have made about 20 of those. I actually like it better because there is no awkward decreases. You just run a needle through all the stitches and gather it. That pattern has disappeared from your website. Any chance you could bring it back?
Hi Pat,
Thank you for reaching out! Our Super Simple Super Soft Merino Baby Hat is still available – I apologize that it isn’t showing up in search results! You can find it by browsing all of our hat patterns, though you will have to scroll a bit, or by clicking right here. I’ll let our web team know about this bug in the search system, and in the mean time, I hope you enjoy knitting yet more hats!
Best,
Julianna
I wish the Honey Pink was still available!
What do you think about the combination of Red Poppy with Oyster Gray for this hat? Or would Red Poppy work best with Heirloom White?
Hi Natalie,
Thanks for reaching out! We are always sad to see some of our favorite colors go, but we’re always making room for new beautiful colors! I personally prefer Red Poppy with Heirloom White, but there’s no reason you couldn’t pair it with Oyster Gray if you prefer gray as a background color! Alternatively, you could use Oatmeal Gray for an extra-marled bit of both worlds!
Best,
Julianna
hello .. do i have to change to double pointed needles or i can make decrease on circular needle?
Hi Nisrine,
Thanks for reaching out! While you are working the decreases the opening at the top of the hat will be much smaller than the 16″ circular needle, so you will need to switch to double pointed needles to complete the hat. If you are familiar with the magic loop method and have a 32″ or longer needle available in the same size, you could use that instead!
Best,
Julianna
Hello! I was hoping to make this pattern with the gentle giant yarn, but I’m not sure if that’s possible, or how much I would need for one adult hat, or what size needles to use?
Hi Liz,
Thanks for reaching out! Since we are holding our Super Soft Merino double here the gauge should actually be quite similar to using a single strand of Gentle Giant! I would recommend buying 2 skeins of Gentle Giant to insure you have enough for the hat and using the needle size we recommend in the pattern (US 15!)
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi,
I was wondering if I could increase the cast on 36 stitches. I have an adult with a small head and I think the adult cast on of 40 would be too big. If I cast on 36 stitches, would it change the rest of the pattern?
Thanks very much
Terri
Hi Terri,
Thanks for reaching out! As long as you keep an even number of stitches I don’t think that would change the rest of the pattern, you may have to adjust the shaping of the crown a little but but it should be fairly easy to figure out!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
If you purchase a skein or each color for the adult hats, is there enough to make two hats? Thanks!
Hi Georgia,
Thanks for reaching out! You need 2 skeins for one hat, so to make two I would recommend buying 4 skeins!
All the best,
Gianna
How would I change this pattern to make a hat for a toddler?
Hi Laura,
Thanks for reaching out! You could adjust the cast on to be slightly less than the kid size, the pattern works over a multiple of 2 stitches and you can calculate this based on the circumference of the toddlers head!
All the best,
Gianna
Hello! Is it possible to leave off the Pom Pom and make a beanie?
Thanks!
Hi Stacy,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes the pom pom is totally optional so you can absolutely leave it off the hat!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi! This is probably a silly question but does the 40 cast on stitches mean 1 stitch of each color = 1 stitch or do the serrated colors = 2 stitches??
Thanks!
Hi Rosie,
Thanks for reaching out! For this hat you will cast on 40 stitches holding the 2 colors together, so you will be using 2 strands as 1 throughout the hat!
I hope this clarifies things!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello,
How many stitches in the cast on would you recommend to make this an adult large?
Thank you
Hi Katherine,
Thanks for reaching out! The adult size can comfortably stretch to a 23″ circumference, so I would suggest following the pattern and casting on 40 stitches!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi there,
I really love this pattern but I kind of just want to do a solid colour hat. How many stitches should I cast on if I am using just one strand of the Super Soft Merino?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Abigail,
Thanks for writing in! I would suggest starting off by working a gauge swatch, from there you can calculate your stitches per inch to determine your cast on amount! I also suggest checking out our wonderful tutorial All About Gauge for more information!
Warmly,
Gianna
Ok great, I’ll check it out! Thanks so much for you help
Knitting this hat right now and need a little bit of clarification. I just finished my decreasing row and have 20 stitches. The next set of instructions says knit 2 rounds. Does that mean knit, purl for two rounds? Or just knit stitch for two rounds? Thanks in advance!
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out. It means to knit every stitch for two rounds! The two decrease rounds essentially “get rid of” the purl stitches and leave you with only knit stitches left. I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
I’m a little confused on how many skeins I need for the Snow Day Hat.
In the pattern it shows this:
2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino, in 2 different colors. Each skein is 87 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 72 (87) yards required per color.
But in the Nov 2016 update this:
2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 87 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 144 (174) yards required, in two different colors.
The yardage is different.
I’m making a child’s hat w/pom. Will I need,
2 of x color skeins and
2 of y color skeins ?
Or one of x & y, will be enough?
Hi Evie,
Thanks for reaching out. The yardage is actually still the same! A child size hat requires 72 yards of each color, which adds up to 144 yards in total. So you’ll need just 1 skein of each color!
All the best,
Lili
can i make this with just one strand of yarn instead of 2
Hi Sue,
Thanks for reaching out. You could knit this pattern with just one strand of Super Soft Merino, but you will need to adjust your cast-on number so that it fits! To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the finished circumference of the size you’re making and cast on an even number of stitches. Then, just follow the pattern as written, but you may need to work a few extra decrease rounds. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi can you please tell me the size of the needles in the uk size?? Many thanks
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks for reaching out. I believe that US size 15 needles would be a size 000 in UK sizing! Another way to determine needle size is by the millimeter measurement, which is 10mm for the recommended needles for this pattern. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili