So often, when it comes to winter hats, our poor ears get left out in the cold. In toasty, soft Plenty, our Garter Ear Flap Hat makes sure those little listeners get the love they deserve!

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho

After you cast on and join in the round, you work some simple short rows to shape the ear flaps. Since it’s garter stitch, you can skip the step of picking up the wraps and get right to the fun of decreasing to a gentle peak.

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho

At the summit, top it all off with a winsome little tassel!

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho

The plush depth of garter stitch always adds a little warmth to a fabric, but in our soft and springy Plenty, your ears will be downright toasty!

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho

This 100% extra fine merino is as un-scratchy as wool gets, and it has a tidy, high twist that wards off pills… extra important for a hat that’s going to get as much use as this one!

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho

With over twenty colors of Plenty to choose from, surely there’s one to make you grin from ear to ear!

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho

Originally designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoGarterEarFlapHat, and #PurlSohoPlenty. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho
  • 1 (1, 1, 2, 2, 3) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Plenty, 100% extra fine merino. Each skein is 139 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 80 (100, 135, 165, 215, 260) total yards required. We used Mint Blue, Reed Gray, and Fresh Fig.
  • US 8 (5 mm), 12-inch (for Baby size) or 16-inch circular needles
  • US 7 (4.5 mm), 12-inch (for Baby size) or 16-inch circular needles
  • A set of US 7 double pointed needles
  • Removable stitch markers, including one unique

GAUGE

17 stitches and 32 rows/rounds = 4 inches in garter stitch with smaller needles

SIZES

Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large)

  • Finished Circumference: 14 (16, 17¾, 19¾, 21¾, 23½) inches, comfortably stretching 1–2 inches
  • Finished Height: 7¼ (8, 9, 10, 11½, 12¾) inches, from bottom of ear flap to top of hat (not including tassel)

SAMPLES: The Mint Blue hat is the Baby size; the Reed Gray hat is the Kid size; and the Fresh Fig hat is the Adult Medium size.

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION

You will start this Hat at the bottom rolled edge, working a few rounds of stockinette stitch, which, in the round, means knitting every stitch. Next, you will work the Ear Flaps in garter stitch, first the Left one, then the Right (pay close attention to the stitch marker instructions here!). You will work in short rows to shape each one, turning the work partway through each round. Because you’re not working in the round for these sections, you will work garter stitch by knitting every stitch. Next, you will work the Body of the Hat, again, in the round, and now, because you’re working in the round, to continue in garter stitch, you’ll alternate knitting 1 round with purling 1 round. Finally, you will work some decreases on your knit rounds in order to shape the Crown. A little Tassel finished things off!

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

SHORT ROWS: WRP-T (WRAP AND TURN)

NOTE: For our complete Short Rows tutorial, please click here. Because this pattern is in garter stitch, you’ll only follow the “Wrap And Turn On The Knit Side” section of the tutorial. For the same reason, you won’t need to later pick up the wraps. Simply ignore them when you come to them and work the wrapped stitch normally.

On both sides: Keeping the yarn in back, slip the next stitch purlwise from the left needle to the right needle. Bring the yarn forward as if to purl. Return the stitch from the right needle back to the left needle. Turn the work.

S2KP (SLIP SLIP KNIT PASS)

NOTE: For more help with this decrease, check out our Slip Slip Knit Pass tutorial.

Slip two stitches together knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over knit stitch and off needle. [2 stitches decreased]

PATTERN

UPDATE November 2023: A previous version of this pattern used multiple stitch markers to work the short rows for the ear flaps, but some customers found this more complicated than necessary. We heard you and have made a few improvements to the Ear Flap instructions for clarity. If you would like to use the previous version, please click here and scroll down to find the original pattern.

BEGIN

With larger needles, cast on 60 (68, 76, 84, 92, 100) stitches. 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.

Knit 2 rounds even.

Change to smaller needles.

Next Round: K3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 6), place marker (pm) for Left Ear Flap, k54 (60, 68, 76, 82, 88) for Front, pm for Right Ear Flap, k3 (4, 4, 4, 5, 6).

SHAPE LEFT EAR FLAP

NOTE: For this portion of the pattern, you will be working in Short Rows, back and forth, turning the work part way through each round, rather than continuing to the end of the needle. See Special Instructions for more help with Wrap + Turns.

Short Row 1 (right side): Knit to first (Left Ear Flap) marker, slip marker (sm), k9 (10, 11, 13, 14, 15), wrp-t.

Short Row 2 (wrong side): K2, wrp-t.

Short Row 3: Knit to wrapped stitch, knit wrapped stitch (no need to knit wrap, see Special Instructions), wrp-t.

Repeat Short Row 3 eleven (13, 15, 17, 19, 21) more times, until you have wrapped the stitch next to the Left Ear Flap marker, ending with a wrong-side row. [7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) garter ridges total]

SHAPE RIGHT EAR FLAP

NOTE: For this portion of the pattern, you will again be working in Short Rows.

Short Row 1 (right side): Knit to 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) stitches before Right Ear Flap marker, wrp-t.

Short Row 2 (wrong side): K2, wrp-t.

Short Row 3: Knit to wrapped stitch, knit wrapped stitch (again, no need to knit the wrap), wrp-t.

Repeat Short Row 3 ten (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) more times, until you have wrapped the stitch next to the Right Ear Flap marker, ending with a right-side row.

Repeat Short Row 3 one more time. [7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) garter ridges total]

Partial Row (right side): Knit to end of round.

WORK BODY OF HAT

Now working in the round…

Round 1: Purl to end of round, removing all stitch markers except end-of-round marker.

Round 2: Knit to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 4 (4¼, 4¾, 5¼, 6¼, 7) inches from the rolled edge at the center of an Ear Flap, or until approximately 3¼ (3¾, 4¼, 4¾, 5¼, 5¾) inches shy of desired finished height, ending with Round 2.

CROWN

NOTE: Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.

Set-Up Round: P7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12), k1, place removable stitch marker on previous stitch, [p14 (16, 18, 20, 22, 24), k1, place removable marker on previous stitch] 3 times, purl to end of round.

Round 1 (Decrease Round): [Knit to one stitch before next marked stitch, remove marker, s2kp (see Special Instructions), place removable stitch marker on resulting stitch] 4 times, knit to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 2: [Purl to marked stitch, k1] 4 times, purl to end of round.

Round 3: Knit to end of round.

Round 4: Repeat Round 2.

Repeat Rounds 1–4 five (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) more times. [12 stitches remain]

Next Round: Repeat Round 1. [4 stitches remain]

Next Round: Knit to end of round.

FINISHING

Cut yarn leaving a 24-inch tail, thread onto tapestry needle, and pull through remaining stitches. Make a Tiny Attached Tassel by following the instructions found here.

Weave in the ends and gently wet block.

Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho
Garter Ear Flap Hat in Plenty | Purl Soho