Elfin Hats In Linen Quill Worsted
Whether they’re mischievous sprites or cheerful makers, for centuries the story of elves has helped to sustain humans through the long, cold months of winter. Our pointy little Elfin Hats tap into the fun and are made with a cool technique, ancient and mysterious in its own right!
The technique is a traditionally Scandinavian one called twined knitting. It’s very simple to do and creates a thick, warm, weatherproof fabric. Also known as two-end knitting, you work it with two strands, passing one over (or under) the other before you knit the next stitch.
Once you’ve learned to knit with a twist (if you’re worried, don’t be, we have a tutorial!), there’s nothing to it… Knit, knit, knit, then work some simple decreases to reach the summit.
You work these hats with the knit-side facing you, but the fabric is equally fascinating on the purl side, so knit-side-out or knit-side-in, cuffed or uncuffed, for babies, kids, or adults… Wear it your way!
We knit these Elfin Hats in our wonderful Linen Quill Worsted. This fine highland wool, alpaca, and linen blend has the best of all these fibers: springiness and durability, softness and warmth, and a beautiful character and texture. So much to love!
In an array of red and pinks and greens, these hats will be particularly festive under the tree, but with over twenty colors to choose from, have some fun creating your own elf story!
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!
Originally designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoElfinHats, and #PurlSohoLinenQuillWorsted. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Purl Soho’s Linen Quill Worsted, 50% fine highland wool, 35% alpaca, and 15% linen. Each skein is approximately 164 yards/ 100 grams.
- Main Color (MC): 1 skein; approximately 75 (100, 135, 150, 160, 164) total yards required
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein; approximately 40 (50, 65, 80, 90, 105) yards required
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 16-inch circular needles, for Kid and Adult sizes
- A set of US 7 double pointed needles, all sizes
- Stitch markers, including one unique
NOTE: For Adult Large, some styles may use nearly the full skein of MC. We recommend re-using your swatch yarn, and also, be sparing with your tails!
We used the following CC colors for our samples (all of our hats use Pale Oats as MC)…
- Peony Pink: Baby (Style 1)
- Bright Flamingo: Baby (Style 2, modeled) and Toddler (Style 4)
- Kiln Red: Kid (Style 2) and Adult Small (Style 1, modeled)
- Golden Green: Adult Small (Style 3)
- Fresh Pickle: Adult Large (Style 4)
GAUGE
21 stitches and 23 rounds = 4 inches in Twined Knitting Stitch (see Notes)
SIZES
Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference: 12½ (14¾, 17¼, 19½, 20½, 21¾) inches
- Finished Height: 9 (10¾, 12, 13, 13¼, 13¾) inches
NOTES
CONSTRUCTION
You will work these hats with the knit side facing you, but you can wear the finished hat with either the knit or purl side facing out.
TWO STRANDS OF SAME COLOR
When the pattern requires you to hold two strands of the same color, you can either roll the skein into two balls and pull from both at once or wind a center-pull ball and pull one strand from the center and one strand from the outside of the ball.
YARN 1 AND YARN 2
The Main Color (MC) will always be the MC, however sometimes it will be “Yarn 1” and sometimes it will be “Yarn 2.” The same is true for the Contrast Color (CC). It may sound confusing now, but you’ll see… It’s not, really!
TWINED KNITTING STITCH
This pattern uses a technique called Twined Knitting. Twined Knitting is a method of working two strands of yarn at a time, alternating strands every stitch and, between each stitch, twisting the strands over or under each other. The result is a dense, warm, and beautiful fabric.
In the photos below, Yarn 1 is the white strand (or MC), and Yarn 2 is the pink strand, (or CC).
To work a gauge swatch, cast on an even number of stitches in the round and repeat Rounds 1 and 2 for pattern, below.
ROUND 1 (TWIST OVER)
Round 1: *Holding both strands at back of work, cross Yarn 1 over Yarn 2 and knit next stitch with Yarn 1 (above left), still holding both strands at back of work, cross Yarn 2 over Yarn 1 and knit next stitch with Yarn 2 (above right), repeat from * to end of round.
ROUND 2 (TWIST UNDER)
Round 2: *Holding both strands at back of work, cross Yarn 1 under Yarn 2 and knit next stitch with Yarn 1 (above left), still holding both strands at back of work, cross Yarn 2 under Yarn 1 and knit next stitch with Yarn 2 (above right), repeat from * to end of round.
PATTERNS
BRIM
With Main Color (MC), cast 66 (78, 90, 102, 108, 114) stitches onto circular needles or double pointed needles (for Baby and Toddler sizes). 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.
NOTE: When you join for working in the round, work the first stitch of the first round with MC (Yarn 1), then join Yarn 2 to work the second stitch. Depending on which style you are knitting, Yarn 2 will be another strand of MC or it will be the Contrast Color (CC) (see Notes, Yarn 1 And Yarn 2).
STYLE 1
Using MC for Yarn 1 and CC for Yarn 2…
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures 4½ (5½, 6, 6¼, 6¼, 6¼) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Cut CC and join second strand of MC as new Yarn 2 (see Notes, Two Strands Of Same Color).
Go on to Crown section, below.
STYLE 2
Using one strand of MC for Yarn 1 and a second strand of MC for Yarn 2 (see Notes, Two Strands Of Same Color)…
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures ¾ (1, 1, 1¼, 1¼, 1¼) inch(es) from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Cut second strand of MC and join CC as new Yarn 2.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch one time.
Cut CC and join another strand of MC as new Yarn 2.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures 4½ (5½, 6, 6¼, 6¼, 6¼) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Go on to Crown section, below.
STYLE 3
Using one strand of MC for Yarn 1 and a second strand of MC for Yarn 2 (see Notes, Two Strands Of Same Color)…
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures 2 (2¼, 2½, 2½, 2½) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Cut second strand of MC and join CC as new Yarn 2.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures 4½ (5½, 6, 6¼, 6¼, 6¼) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Cut CC and join another strand of MC as new Yarn 2.
Go on to Crown section, below.
STYLE 4
Using MC for Yarn 1 and CC for Yarn 2…
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures 2 (2¼, 2½, 2¾, 2¾, 2¾) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Cut first strand of MC and join another strand of CC as new Yarn 1 (see Notes, Two Strands Of Same Color).
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch one time.
Cut both strands of CC and join two strands of MC as new Yarn 1 and Yarn 2.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch until piece measures 4½ (5½, 6, 6¼, 6¼, 6¼) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.
Go on to Crown section, right below.
CROWN
ALL STYLES
NOTE: Change to double pointed needles if and when necessary.
Round 1: Working Round 1 of Twined Knitting Stitch, [k22 (26, 30, 34, 36, 38) stitches, place marker] 2 times, knit to end of round. [66 (78, 90, 102, 108, 114) stitches]
Round 2 (Decrease Round): Working Round 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch, [knit 2 together (k2tog), knit to next marker, slip marker (sm)] 3 times. [3 stitches decreased]
Round 3: Work Round 1 of Twined Knitting Stitch.
Round 4: Work Round 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch.
Round 5 (Decrease Round): Working Round 1 of Twined Knitting Stitch, [k2tog, knit to next marker, sm] 3 times. [3 stitches decreased]
Round 6: Work Round 2 of Twined Knitting Stitch.
Repeat Rounds 5 and 6 one more time. [57 (69, 81, 93, 99, 105) stitches remain]
STYLE 1
Repeat Decrease Rounds 5, then 2, four (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) times. [33 (39, 45, 51, 51, 51) stitches remain]
Cut both strands of MC and join two strands of CC as new Yarn 1 and Yarn 2.
Repeat Decrease Rounds 5, then 2, five (6, 7, 8, 8, 8) more times. [3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) stitches remain]
Go on to Finishing section, below.
STYLE 2
Cut second strand of MC and join CC as new Yarn 2.
Repeat Decrease Rounds 5, then 2, nine (11, 13, 15, 16, 17) times. [3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) stitches remain
Go on to Finishing section, below.
STYLE 3
Repeat Decrease Rounds 5, then 2, nine (11, 13, 15, 16, 17) times. [3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) stitches remain]
Go on to Finishing section, below.
STYLE 4
Repeat Decrease Rounds 5, then 2, zero (0, 1, 1, 1, 1) time(s). [57 (69, 75, 87, 93, 99) stitches remain]
Cut both strands of MC and join two strands of CC as new Yarn 1 and Yarn 2.
Repeat Decrease Rounds 5 , then 2, nine (11, 12, 14, 15, 16) more times. [3 (3, 3 3, 3, 3) stitches remain]
Go on to Finishing section, right below.
FINISHING
Cut both strands and thread them onto a tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches, pull taut, and bring tails to inside of hat. Weave in the ends and block as desired.
Wear knit-side-in or knit-side-out, elf’s choice!
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!
Cute hat, but, can it be worn over the ears, so that the ears are also nice and warm?
Thanks.
Hi Heather,
Thanks for reaching out! If you wear the hat uncuffed, then it will be long enough to cover your ears. Alternatively, you can knit more rounds for the body of the hat so that it will be long enough to cover your ears even when cuffed. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
could i double regular linen quill?
Hi Susan,
You can certainly use 2 strands of Linen Quill held together for this project! However, I’d recommend taking extra care to make a gauge swatch beforehand to make sure you choose the best needle size to work with. I’d say that Linen Quill doubled will add up to more of a DK weight than a worsted weight, so it will still be slightly thinner than Linen Quill Worsted. Because of that, you may find that a larger needle size than recommended will be needed to match the gauge!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! The photos are so, so cute! The sweet photos and all the fun color options made my day!
Do you have a video tutorial for the Twined Knitting Stitch. I looked at the photos and the written instructions, but am not quite getting it. I’m a visual learner. Thank you . I love the idea of these hats!
Hi Lane,
Thanks for writing in! I’m afraid we don’t have a video tutorial for how to do twined knitting at this moment. That’s a great suggestion though, and we really appreciate the feedback! If you’d like more guidance on this technique, please email us at [email protected] and we’re happy to help you one on one with your project there!
All the best,
Cat
I have found a couple really good ones on YouTube!
Hi,
You say use US7 circulars for kids and adults. What size for baby? Sorry if it’s stated somewhere, I couldn’t find it!
Thank you,
Kelly
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for writing in! You can use US 7 needles for the baby size too! Feel free to use either US 7 DPNs for this size or longer circular needles and the magic loop method if you prefer that more. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Hi, these are adorable but I can’t knit with wool/alpaca. Is there an alternate yarn that can be used? Thanks!!
Hi Sue,
Thanks for writing in! I’d recommend our Worsted Twist (https://www.purlsoho.com/worsted-twist.html) as an alternative for this pattern. It’s a very soft 100% merino wool! With all yarn substitutions, we suggest doing a gauge swatch as well to make sure you’re consistent with the pattern. Here’s our guide on that if you’d like more information (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2020/08/20/all-about-gauge/). I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Is there a trick to doing the twine stitch without losing my mind?! The way I am doing it is over the top frustrating and super fiddle -ly.
Hi Juliana,
Thanks for reaching out, although I’m sorry to hear that this stitch has been frustrating to do! Twined knitting is naturally very fiddly, since it involves “rearranging” the yarn during each stitch. Can you let us know exactly what’s giving you trouble though? It’ll be easier for us to give advice if we can visualize what’s going on on your end.
All the best,
Lili
Loved this pattern but I think your decrease instruction for the crown in 1st hat are incorrect. I haven’t tried another one. Has anyone else found this? Thanks!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out. Can you let me know what seems incorrect about this instruction? We’d like to pass this issue along to our design team if something’s wrong, so we can correct the pattern!
All the best,
Lili
I’m on the crown and I should have 39 stitches and I have 54 so I think I need to decrease 3 more rows to get to 39. Your right it’s not correct
Hi Noreen,
Thanks for writing in! Are you working on the CROWN for STYLE 1 in the Toddler size? If so, then I believe the stitch count is accurate at this point. At the end of the ALL STYLES section, you should have 69 stitches remaining. Then you will repeat Decrease Rounds 5 and then 2 five more times, for a total of 10 rounds. Each of these rounds decreases 3 stitches, so by the time you’ve worked 10 decrease rounds, you will have decreased your stitch count by 30 stitches. The math checks out in this case: 69 – 30 = 39.
Let me know if you’re wondering about a different size or part of the pattern though! I’d be happy to look that over for you.
All the best,
Lili
I could use some pointers on creating a gauge swatch in the round. It says to cast on an even amount of stitches, but how many is enough?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! I always recommend making a 6×6 inch swatch, so that you can measure the stitch and round count over the central 4 inches, avoiding the uneven tension of the edges. In the case of this hat pattern, you would need a cast-on of about 32 stitches for a 6-inch swatch. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks, Lily! That really helped. I am now working the color portion for View 4 of the hat. I’m on the third row of twine stitch. So far, I’ve been knitting into the same color for each stitch, but on this third row MC (color 1) is already on top, so it doesn’t seem possible to bring it over CC (color 2). Should I begin the row with CC even if I would have to knit into MC? I hope this makes sense!
Nevermind! After doing a few rows, it looks like I’m doing it right. 😮💨
The selvedge is rolling up, though. Is this something that can be fixed with blocking? I’ve never blocked anything before!
Hi Mary,
Glad to hear that everything is looking good now! The bottom edge of the hat has a natural bit of curl to it, but this will definitely be reduced once you block the hat. If you’re using Linen Quill Worsted, blocking really does wonders to the drape, because of the linen content!
All the best,
Lili
How do I join the second yarn? Just leave a tail and weave in when finished? Is there a way to weave in ends or join second yarn so that hat can be reversible?
Thanks!
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, that is a great way to add in a new yarn, and generally what we recommend! When weaving in your ends, if you weave them in following the stitches in the fabric (kind of like duplicate stitch, though it would be a bit different for twined knitting), they will be as invisible as possible!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you! That looks like it’ll work great.
I’m starting the decreases for Style 2 hat. I’m using a MC and a CC and am not sure which color to use after a decrease stitch. Sometimes it seems like there will be two of the same color next to each other. Does that seem right?
You’re very welcome, Ellen! Yes, when working the Decrease Rounds for Style 2, there will be some points when there will be 2 stitches of the same color next to each other. The trick is to keep working “in pattern,” which means knitting each Yarn 1 stitch with the Yarn 1 working yarn and each Yarn 2 stitch with Yarn 2.
All the best,
Lili
That’s great to know! Thank you again!
Are Rounds 4 & 5 of the crown both decrease rows? Round 1 is just twined knitting all stitches and Round 2 is called Decrease Round. Round 5 say it’s a decrease round, but it references Round 1.
Hi Ellen,
Only Round 5 is a decrease round, though I can see where the confusion comes from! For Round 4, you will refer back to the initial instructions for Round 2 of the Twined Knitting Stitch, which don’t include any decreases. Round 2 (Decrease Round) also refers back to these, just with some added decrease stitches. Round 5 (Decrease Round) functions in a similar way, referring back to Round 1 of the Twined Knitting Stitch, but adding in a few decrease stitches ([k2tog, knit to next marker, sm] 3 times). Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Yes, I just read Round 2 and assumed it was Round 2 decrease round.
Thanks again!
I’m about to start knitting these cute hats (one for me and one for my daughter) and I’ve chosen your Super Soft Merino for this project. Do I still use size US 7 needles or should I use a different size?
Thank you
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for reaching out about this! Because Super Soft Merino is far thicker than Linen Quill Worsted, you will definitely need to use larger needles. We recommend using sizes US 11 or 13 with this yarn! You’ll also need to modify the pattern to make sure that the hats come out the correct sizes. The easiest way to do this is to just choose a different size that works with the new, larger, gauge.
Here’s how to figure out which size to make: First, make a gauge swatch in pattern with your intended yarn and needles. Once you know how many stitches you’re getting per inch, multiply that number by the finished circumference for your original size. Then, compare the resulting number to the stitch counts of each size (66 (78, 90, 102, 108, 114) stitches). The size that comes closest is the one you should make!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you so much for your detailed answer! It sounds pretty straightforward so I’ll be casting on soon.
These hats are adorable!
I would love to make a huge pile for Christmas gifts with my stash of bulky yarn – do you think a bulky weight yarn would work for the hat, if I changed the needle size? And if so, what size needle would you recommend?
Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Kel,
These hats are a bit tricky to modify for different yarn weights, but it is possible! The easiest way to do this would be to just choose a different size that works with the new, larger, gauge.
Here’s how to figure out which size to make: First, make a gauge swatch in pattern with the yarn and needles you want to use. (Bulky yarn typically works well on US sizes 10, 11, or 13 needles, but that’s up to you!) Once you know how many stitches you’re getting per inch, multiply that number by the finished circumference for your original size. Then, compare the resulting number to the stitch counts of each size (66 (78, 90, 102, 108, 114) stitches). The size that comes closest is the one you should make!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, is it possible to do this hat on 3.5 needles?
What would the count be for casting on and also for the crown of the head?
Thank you!
Hi Kath,
Thank you for writing in! To modify this pattern, you will want to first start with a gauge swatch using the needles and yarn you intend to knit the hat with.
Once you know how many stitches you’re getting per inch, multiply that number by the finished circumference for your original size. Then, compare the resulting number to the stitch counts of each size (66 (78, 90, 102, 108, 114) stitches). The size that comes closest is the one you should make!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella