Toasty Hat + Mittens
Our wonderful new Fiddlehead is so special, whether you give a set of our cozy-soft Toasty Hat + Mittens or you surprise the knitters in your life with a Fiddlehead Bundle, everyone is going to feel the love!
Our 100% alpaca Fiddlehead is everything you want for a winter accessory. It is incredibly soft, wonderfully lightweight, and super fun to knit, too!
Each of its loops is made of two strands of roving, sometimes the same color and sometimes two different ones. Either way, Fiddlehead’s structure, together with its fiber, make for an irresistibly adorable texture of soft, little curls.
And to give them a little extra nubbliness, we knit both the hat and mittens (or hand warmers, if you choose!) and then turned them purl-side out for wearing. Beautiful!
Available in individual skeins, Fiddlehead also comes in two-skein gift bundles that are just the right amount for making the Toasty Hat + Mittens, or our other Fiddlehead accessories: the Coziest Cowl, and the Loop + Tuck Scarf.
Whether you pick up some skeins or a Fiddlehead Bundle or two, your cockles will be warmed!
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!
UPDATE: NOW IN NEW COLORS
NOVEMBER 2023
We’re celebrating eight new colors of Fiddlehead and the arrival of our Warm + Fuzzy Kerchief pattern with a colorful update to our Fiddlehead Bundle accessory collection! These quick knits are the softest, coziest, blow-you-away-beautiful-est arctic attire you can imagine. So, pick up a Fiddlehead Bundle or two for the knitters in your life, or cast on for some quick and beautiful gifts… Or treat yourself and make your own cozy Fiddlehead accessory!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gaby Bush.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoToastyHatAndMittens, and #PurlSohoFiddlehead. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
You’ll need our Fiddlehead Bundle, which includes…
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Fiddlehead, 100% alpaca yarn. Each skein of this super bulky yarn is 65 yards/ 100g; approximately 30 (43, 50) yards required for Hat; and 35 (60, 85) yards required for Mittens or Hand Warmers. We used Silver Lilac, Desert Gray, and Warm Ginger.
NOTE: For an Adult Large set, you may need an additional skein of Fiddlehead. If you don’t end up needing it, you can return unwound yarn for a refund within 30 days of purchase, or within 6 months, for store credit. Our Return Policy has all the details!
You’ll also need…
HAT
- US 13 (9 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 13 double pointed needles
- Stitch marker
MITTENS + HAND WARMERS
- A set of US 13 (9 mm) double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including 1 unique
- A stitch holder, or scrap yarn
GAUGE
7¼ stitches and 13½ rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
SIZES
HAT
Toddler/Kid (Adult Small, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference: 16½ (19¾, 23¼) inches
- Finished Height: 7½ (9¼, 10) inches
MITTENS + HAND WARMERS
Toddler/Kid (Adult Small, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference at Palm: 5½ (7¾, 10) inches, comfortably stretching about 1 inch
- Finished Length from Cuff to End of Palm of Hand Warmer: 8½ (10¼, 11) inches, with instructions to modify
- Finished Length from Cuff to Tip of Mitten: 9 (11¼, 12½) inches, with instructions to modify
SAMPLES: We knit the Warm Ginger hat in the Toddler/Kid size, the Silver Lilac hat in the Adult Small size, and the Desert Gray hat in the Adult Large size; the Silver Lilac mittens in the Toddler/Kid size, the Silver Lilac hand warmers in the Adult Small size, the Desert Gray mittens in the Adult Small size, and the Warm Ginger hand warmers in the Adult Large size.
NOTES
CONSTRUCTION
You will knit this Hat + Mitten (or Hand Warmer) set right (stockinette) side out and then turn the pieces wrong (reverse stockinette) side out for blocking and wearing. Be sure to weave in the ends on the stockinette side!
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise.
HAT PATTERN
Loosely cast 30 (36, 42) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: Knit to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures approximately 5½ (6½, 6¾), or 2 (2⅔, 3⅓) inches shorter than desired height.
CROWN
NOTE: Change to double pointed needles when necessary.
- Toddler/Kid: Start with Decrease Round 3.
- Adult Small: Start with Decrease Round 2.
- Adult Large: Start with Decrease Round 1.
Decrease Round 1: *K5, knit 2 together (k2tog), repeat from * to end of round. [36 stitches]
Knit 1 round.
Decrease Round 2: *K4, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [30 stitches]
Knit 1 round.
Decrease Round 3: *K3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [24 stitches]
Knit 1 round.
Decrease Round 4: *K2, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [18 stitches]
Knit 1 round.
Decrease Round 5: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [12 stitches]
Knit 1 round.
Decrease Round 6: *K2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [6 stitches]
Cut yarn and pull tail through remaining stitches.
Weave in all ends on the right (stockinette) side of hat. Turn inside out so wrong (reverse stockinette) side is facing you, and gently wet block.
MITTEN + HAND WARMER PATTERN
CUFF
Loosely cast on 10 (14, 18) stitches and divide over 3 double pointed needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Work in stockinette, knitting every round, until piece measures approximately 3¾ (4, 4¼) inches from cast-on edge.
GUSSET
Set-Up Round: K5 (7, 9), place marker (pm), yarn over (yo), pm, knit to end of round. [11 (15, 19) stitches]
Round 1: Knit to next marker, slip marker (sm), knit 1 through the back loop (k1 tbl), sm, knit to end of round.
Round 2: Knit to end of round, slipping markers as you come to them.
Round 3 (Increase Round): Knit to next marker, sm, yo, knit to next marker, yo, sm, knit to end of round. [2 stitches increased]
Round 4: Knit to next marker, sm, k1 tbl, knit to one stitch before next marker, k1 tbl, sm, knit to end of round.
Round 5: Knit to end of round, slipping markers.
Repeat Rounds 3–5 zero (1, 1) more time(s) [13 (19, 23) stitches]
Next Round: Knit to next marker, remove marker, slip next 3 (5, 5) stitches onto stitch holder or scrap yarn for Thumb, remove next marker, and joining two ends of gusset together, knit to end of round. [3 (5, 5) stitches on hold for Thumb; 10 (14, 18) stitches on needles for Palm]
PALM
Continue in stockinette stitch in the round until piece measures approximately 3 (3½, 4) inches from end of Gusset or until approximately ½ (1, 1½) inches from desired finished length.
HAND WARMERS ONLY
Bind off loosely knitwise, going up a needle size or two if necessary to keep bind-off loose.
Continue to Thumb section, below.
TOP OF MITTEN
Round 1: Slip slip knit (ssk), k1 (3, 5), knit 2 together (k2tog), pm, ssk, k1 (3, 5) k2tog. [6 (10, 14 stitches]
Round 2: Knit to end of round.
ADULT SMALL + LARGE ONLY
Round 3: Ssk, knit to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog, sm, ssk, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [– (6, 10) stitches remain]
Round 4: Knit to end of round.
ADULT LARGE ONLY
Repeat Rounds 3 and 4 one more time. [6 stitches remain]
ALL SIZES
Cut yarn and thread tail onto tapestry needle. Draw needle through remaining stitches, removing markers, pull taut, and leave tail on outside of mitten.
THUMB
Slip 3 (5, 5) on-hold thumb stitches onto 3 double pointed needles.
Join yarn at base of Palm.
Set-Up Round: K3 (5, 5) stitches, and before joining in the round, pick up and knit 1 (1, 2) stitch(es) from Palm at the base of Thumb. [4 (6, 7) stitches]
Join for working in the round and work in stockinette stitch until Thumb measures 2 (2½, 3) inches, or for Hand Warmers, until ¼ inch from desired Thumb length.
HAND WARMERS ONLY
Bind off loosely knitwise, going up a needle size or two if necessary to keep bind-off loose.
Make another identical hand warmer.
MITTENS ONLY
Cut yarn and thread tail onto tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches, pull taut, and leave tail on outside of Thumb.
Make another identical mitten.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends on right (stockinette) side, closing any holes at Thumbs. Turn inside out so wrong (reverse stockinette) side is facing you and gently wet block.
LEARN ABOUT FIDDLEHEAD + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Fiddlehead brings joy wherever it goes! Delightfully curly, it is 100% alpaca and as soft as you can imagine. One characteristic of Fiddlehead that’s hard to convey in photos is just how surprisingly light and airy it is, so although it is a super bulky-weight yarn, it practically floats off your needles! Available in lots of gorgeous colors and in 2-skein gift bundles, too, Fiddlehead is as fun as it is beautiful!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Fiddlehead knitting patterns
More Super Bulky-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of super bulky-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 alpaca 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!
I would love to crochet the hand warmers and hat. Do you happen to have a crochet pattern as well?
Gratefully,
Hi MK,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m afraid that we have not written a crochet version of the hand warmers and hat yet. We’re so sorry for the inconvenience! I will absolutely pass along your message to the design team, so they know that there’s interest in seeing a crochet version of these patterns!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you.
I would also be interested in a crochet version of this hat and mittens pattern!
Hi is the fiddlehead pattern for hat and mittens an easy pattern for a beginner. They look so soft and I need an easy pattern to try.
Thank you!
Kathy Rizzo
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for writing in! I would say that these patterns are perfect for a beginner. And if you ever run into any confusing points, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here, or at [email protected], and we’ll be happy to help clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Is the pattern included with the bundle or do you just download it from your website.
Hi Doreen,
Thanks for writing in! We do not include a hard copy of the pattern with the bundle, so the best way to access it would be by downloading it from this page. Alternatively, you could write us a message in the Special Instructions field on the checkout page to include the pattern, and we’ll print it out and send it with your order!
All the best,
Lili
Hello, rather than a 13 16″ circular, could I use a 13 32″ circular needles? Thank you.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a 32″ circular needle for the Toasty Hat pattern. That’s because the stitches won’t fit all the way around it! The finished circumference of this hat is 16½ (19¾, 23¼) inches (depending on which size you’re making), so you’ll need to use needles that are shorter than that length for them to work at all. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks for the lovely patterns! Do you have a sense of how much yarn one would need for just hat alone?
Hi Julia,
Thanks for writing in! You will need approximately 30 (43, 50) yards for one hat, depending on which size you’re making. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Julia
My friend got me the kit in black eyed Susan to make the cowl. I had enough yarn left over on second skein, to make the matching hat. So yes, one skein will work just fine. You will love the yarn, and hat and cowl is easy to knit for beginners.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks so much for your kind words! We’re so happy to hear that you’re enjoying knitting with Fiddlehead!
All the best,
Cat
I would be interested in a crochet version. Will be looking forward to seeing this come to pass.
Good morning to you!
I love these patterns, also because of the curly yarn. And thank you for the free patterns!!
Question: why do you use yo’s instead of m1’s, since you state:
‘Not only does this technique increase your stitch count by 1, yarn overs also leave you with a neat little eyelet that can be a decorative increase, an element in lacework, or even a buttonhole.’
A M1 does not leave an eyelet in my opinion, is your choice of yo because of the yarn?
Kind regards,
Elsje
Hi Elsje,
Glad to hear that you’re enjoying the patterns and the yarn! I believe that we meant that the yarn overs created little eyelets in that statement, not make 1 increases. You’re right though, make 1 increases should create a solid knit fabric with no spaces!
In this pattern, we used yarn overs in this pattern instead of m1 increases because the curly nature of the yarn makes the m1’s more difficult. By doing a yo and then knitting that yo through the back loop on the next round, that gives you more yarn to work with as you increase! Also, knitting it through the back loop closes up the eyelet, so there shouldn’t be any extra spaces left with this technique either.
All the best,
Lili
Hi there. For the hat, my head circumference is larger than the adult small but the adult large is too big. Do you think there’s some stretch circumference-wise with this yarn? Thanks!
Hi Lexie,
Thanks for reaching out. I’d recommend choosing the Adult Small size! Since all knit fabric has stretch to it, we always recommend selecting the smaller size when knitting a hat. Hats fit best with a few inches of negative ease, so I have a feeling that the Adult Small will fit nice and snug!
All the best,
Lili
I have restarted the hat pattern several times. I usually can fit into an adult regular size, however the adult large is too small for my head. My head measures 20” circumference. I even tried a casting on 46 stitches and it was still too small. Any recommendations would be great! (This yarn is tough to pull stitches out)
Hi Geana,
Thanks for reaching out, although I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble finding a size that fits! Have you knit up a gauge swatch yet? Since your hat keeps turning out too small, it sounds like your stitch gauge might be too small as well. I’d recommend measuring your gauge, if you haven’t done so already, and swatching once more with a larger needle. That should make the entire hat come out to the correct dimensions!
If this is daunting, I’d recommend checking out a tutorial called All About Gauge, which covers some incredibly helpful information. I even learned some interesting, new tidbits myself while looking over it, and you may, too! You can find it right here.
All the best,
Lili
Hi there,
I am working with the fiddlehead warm ginger and love it! I finished the cowl and I am now working on the hat.
I am not certain about the following instructions:
“Repeat Round 1 until piece measures approximately 5½ (6½, 6¾), or 2 (2⅔, 3⅓) inches shorter than desired height.”
Does this mean that I choose either length before starting the decrease?
How would I decide which length to choose?
Thank you so much for your help!
Charmaine
Hi Charmaine,
Thanks for reaching out. These measurements are actually two different ways of saying the same thing! For example, if you’re knitting the smallest size, you’ll repeat Round 1 until it measures 5 1/2 inches from the cast-on edge, which is also 2 inches shorter than the finished height (which is 7 1/2 inches).
We include the second way of thinking about this in case you want to adjust the finished height! In that case, 2 inches shorter than your desired height might mean that you’ve knit more than 5 1/2 inches (if you’re making the hat taller) or less than 5 1/2 inches (if you’re making the hat shorter). But if you aren’t changing the measurements at all, then these two lengths mean the same thing!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
Thank you so much! This makes perfect sense!
I appreciate your help!
Kind regards,
Charmaine
Hi Purl Soho! I’m thinking about making the hat and hand warmers for my 10 year old granddaughter. I’m quite sure the Adult Small size would be too big for her (I’m making that size for her 14 year old sister), but am concerned that the Toddler/Kid size will be too small. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Diane,
I would recommend taking your granddaughter’s measurements, if possible! You’ll need her head circumference and her palm circumference, which you can compare to the finished measurements of the hat and hand warmers. Just keep in mind that both the hat and the hand warmers should fit with negative ease (so that they’re snug)! But if the toddler/kid size ends up being too small, then it wouldn’t hurt to make the adult small, since that’ll give her room to grow into them!
All the best,
Lili
Lili, as always, thanks for your help.
Dear Purl Soho,
Is it possible to knit this hat flat?
Thank you,
Shari
Hi Shari,
Thanks for writing in! I’m afraid that it’s only possible to knit this pattern in the round, but you could still use Fiddlehead to knit a hat flat! Here’s how I’d recommend doing that: First, knit a rectangle in your preferred stitch pattern (it doesn’t really matter which, since Fiddlehead doesn’t have much stitch definition). The dimensions of the rectangle should be the height you want the hat to be by the circumference you want it to be. Then, seam the cast-on to the bind-off edge to create a cylinder, and finally, cinch together one end of the cylinder to form a hat shape. Hope this gives you some guidance on the project you want to make!
All the best,
Lili
Give this yarn and pattern a try. It took me a few minutes to get used to working with the fluffy yarn, but once I got more comfortable using the twisty, incredibly soft, and very fluffy yarn, the knitting went so quickly. It was very rewarding watching the hat grow quickly, and the finished product looks very professional. This is truly a fun, easy project for beginners and for experienced knitters as well. I imagine an experienced knitter, once getting used to the yarn, could finish the hat in an hour or two – seriously.
Thank you Purl Soho, as always,
Phyllis
i made hats for a bunch of people at work. it takes an afternoon to knit one, and everyone was happy so far.
Hi Ellen,
That is so great to hear! Handmade gifts are the best gifts!
Happy making,
Gavriella
Would this make a good chemo hat or is it too heavy? I need to make one for a close colleague at work who is about to begin chemo.
It looks cozy and I imagine would be comfortable next to the skin?
Would probably make her one warm hat like this one and one lighter weight one.
Hi Deb,
We are deeply sorry to hear about your friend. We think this hat would make a wonderful companion for your friend as the yarn is ultra soft and very light. Please let us know if you have any additional questions and we would be happy to answer them!
Warmly,
Gavriella
I knit this hat once and it fit perfectly but over time the “Rib” has loosen although the body still fits well. Would you recommend doing a couple of rows with a 11 needle and then jumping back to 13, or fewer stitches for a couple of rows and then increasing to proper count of stitches.
Hi Gabriel,
Thank you for writing in! Although both of those suggestions could work wonderfully, I wanted to share a little tip that helps my hat brims (and collars) stay for years on end! With a darning needle and some clear (or matching) elastic thread, you can reinforce the band by sewing the elastic to the inside of your hats! This is especially helpful for projects that have such delicate fibers and can be done on existing hats you may have already knit! I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Can I knit the hand warmers using magic loop?
Hi Kathleen,
You can definitely us Magic Loop for this pattern!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Hi!
Is Fiddlehead stretchy enough to be knitted into knee warmers?
Thank you.
Hi Judy,
Fiddlehead itself does not have very much elasticity, but when knit up in a stitch like stockinette or garter stitch, that will provide a lot of stretch!
All the best,
Lili