Box Hat
With its bright color-blocks and unusual crown shaping, our Box Hat pattern is actually a little bit outside the box… Perfect for knitters who love smart design and fun color play! It’s also the ideal way to meet Partridge Superwash, a newly updated machine-washable version of one of our all-time most beloved yarns.
The Box Hat is all simple knitting, starting with 2×2 ribbing for that generous cuff (so plush in Partridge Superwash!) and then shifting to stockinette and a new color… Two things to look forward to! You shape the top of the hat with 4 sets of decreases, the corners of the eponymous box, and finish up by closing the flat-top crown with Kitchener Stitch (yes, we have a great tutorial for that!).
You end up with a nice chunky-weight hat that is warm, soft, and cushiony without being oversized… In other words, perfect. It’s the kind of pattern you’ll want to knit for absolutely everyone, so the free pattern has sizes for babies, kids, and adults.
All this in new Partridge Superwash! Like the original Partridge, this new version is an incredibly sumptuous, densely spun single-ply yarn with a super satisfying soft and pliable feeling. What’s new? Most significantly, it is now made with 100% superwash wool (hello, washing machine!). It’s also a tiny bit thicker, falling into the chunky-weight yarn category, and has a fresh new palette of over two dozen gently heathered colors from Coquina Pink to Mint Ice!
For two different looks (and some bonus fun), wear your Box Hat with the flat peak front to back for a classic-ski-hat vibe, or spin it side-to-side for a sweet form fit.
Playful to style, easy to knit, and still as soft and plump as a partridge… Pick up two cheerful colors of Partridge Superwash, one skein each, and cast on for a hat that ticks all the boxes!
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!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gianna Mueller. See even more of Gianna’s work on her Instagram!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- Purl Soho’s Partridge Superwash, 100% superwash wool yarn. Each skein of this chunky/bulky-weight yarn is 109 yards/ 100 grams.
- Color A: 1 skein; approximately 45 (60, 75, 80, 85) total yards required
- Color B: 1 skein; approximately 40 (55, 60, 70, 80) total yards required
- US 8 (5 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you are making OR US 8 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
- If using short circular needles: A set of US 8 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
We knit the following sizes and colors…
- Baby: Color A, Willow Gray + Color B, Coquina Pink
- Kid: Color A, Lemon Tree + Color B, Pink Camellia
- Adult Small/Medium: Color A, White Peppercorn + Color B, Super Pink
- Adult Medium/Large: Color A, Mint Ice + Color B, Golden Moss
GAUGE
16 stitches and 23 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
16 stitches and 26 rounds = 4 inches in 2×2 rib, stretched
SIZES
Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small/Medium, Adult Medium/Large)
To fit actual head circumference of 14–17 (16–19, 18–20, 19–22, 21–24) inches
- Finished Circumference: 14 (16, 18, 19, 21) inches
- Finished Height: 9¾ (10, 11¼, 12, 13) inches, uncuffed
Sample: Hat worn here is the Adult Small/Medium size.
For help choosing a hat size, check out our complete guide on How to Knit the Right Hat Size!
PATTERN
BRIM
With Color A and using a basic Long Tail Cast On, cast 56 (64, 72, 76, 84) stitches onto circular knitting needles.
Place unique stitch marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 3½ (4, 4½, 5, 5) inches from cast-on edge.
BODY
Knit every round until piece measures 4½ (5, 5½, 6, 6) inches from cast-on edge.
Cut Color A.
With Color B, continue knitting every round until piece measures 7 (7½, 8, 8½, 8½) inches from cast-on edge.
CROWN
NOTE: Change to double pointed needles when necessary.
Set-Up Round: K6 (8, 10, 11, 13), place marker (pm), k16, pm, k12 (16, 20, 22, 26), pm, k16, pm, knit to end of round. [5 total stitch markers, including unique end-of-round marker]
Decrease Round: *Knit to two stitches before next marker, knit 2 together, slip marker (sm), k16, sm, slip slip knit (ssk), repeat from * one more time, knit to end of round. [4 stitches decreased]
Next Round: Knit to end of round.
Repeat last two rounds 4 (6, 8, 9, 12) more times. [36 stitches remain]
Divide remaining stitches onto two needles.
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail.
Hold needles parallel to each other, with wrong sides facing each other. With the long tail threaded onto a tapestry needle, work Kitchener Stitch to close the Crown.
Weave in ends and gently wet block.
Learn About Partridge Superwash + All Our Beautiful Yarns
This pattern gets its squishy, sumptuous feel and gorgeous stitch definition from Partridge Superwash, our single-ply chunky/bulky-weight yarn made with 100% superwash wool. This machine-washable version is an update to our original Partridge. Still birds of a feather, the new yarn is a tiny bit thicker (although their gauges overlap at 3.75 stitches to the inch!), a touch toothier, and in a fresh, new palette. Cast on with Partridge Superwash and fall in love with this plump-as-a-partridge yarn!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of Partridge Superwash knitting patterns and cast on!
More Chunky/Bulky-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of chunky/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 Fiber
- Shop superwash wool yarns
- Shop machine-washable yarns
- Shop wool yarns
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 can’t wait to try this pattern it looks lovely
Hi,
Just finished the box hat. Had to do the crown shaping twice, love frogging…not…I didn’t have the issue with the # of decreases, but making sure I did the mirror images of the deaceases…(first world problems) I cant wait to get this hat to the woman undergoing chemo who is currently loosing her hair. It’s still cold here in Maryland, and this hat will be like a nice cozy hug from me to her!
I could not located where to just leave a comment, so I simply replied to the first comment!
I need more patterns please
Hi Susan,
We’re so glad that you’re a fan of our patterns! We publish new patterns pretty regularly, and I’d recommend signing up for our newsletter (if you aren’t already) so you can hear about our latest designs!
All the best,
Lili
I’m super excited to try this pattern.
I’d like to knit the Boxhat for each of 3 granddaughters who work in NYC and Philadelphia. It’s COLD there! Still have an unopened Morning Easy Baby Blanket kit. It’s not the same gauge, but is there any way to convert so I could use it for hats?
Hi Sheri,
You can totally modify this pattern to work with Morning! My first thought is to double the yarn. I’d recommend making a gauge swatch holding two strands of Morning at once to see if you can achieve the gauge of the pattern. If so, then you can follow the pattern as written!
Or, if that doesn’t work, or if you prefer knitting with just one strand, then you can adjust the cast-on number so that the hats come to the correct size at a smaller gauge. To figure out your new cast-on number, you will also want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern with just one strand. 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 knitting and cast on the nearest multiple of 4 stitches. Then you can follow the pattern essentially as written!
The only other change you’ll need to make is to the Set-Up Round of the CROWN. Here’s how to work that round for any multiple of 4 stitches:
Set-Up Round: K((cast-on – 32) / 4), pm (place marker), k16, pm, k((cast – on – 32) / 2), pm, k16, pm, knit to end of round. [5 total stitch markers, including unique end-of-round marker]
I hope this helps give you some options for using Morning for this pattern!
All the best,
Lili
So sorry to bother you about DPN question. It’s not preference, right? It’s how many stitches you need on each needle. I’m concerned about missing yarn sale if I wait until tomorrow for your reply so I’m going ahead and ordering the larger size. Thanks!
Hi Zulma,
That is true, but you can actually make pretty much any stitch count work on either length! Most DPN sets come with 5 total needles, so you can either use 4 needles or all 5 needles depending on how many stitches you need to distribute. And if you’re running out of space for the stitches with all 5 needles, that’s a sign that you should be on circular needles anyway at that point!
All the best,
Lili
Is there an error in the crown shaping? The number of stitches decreased doesn’t match (I count 1 k2tog and 2 ssk’s, which would be a total of 3 stitches decreased, not 4).
Hi Sunny,
I just took a look over this part of the pattern and can confirm that it’s correct as written! You repeat the entire segment within the square brackets 2 times, so you will be repeating both the k2tog and the ssk.
All the best,
Lili
I have also looked at this pattern 20 times now and only see 3 decreases. As an experienced knitter, perhaps there’s an issue with parenthesis? Any chance we can get a wee bit of clarity?
Hi Carol,
The key here is to look at the placement of the square brackets! The opening bracket is located at the very beginning of the round, and the closing bracket is located right after the ssk and before “2 times.” That means that the entire bracketed segment is to be worked 2 times. I hope this helps clear up the confusion!
All the best,
Lili
Love this hat!! Thank you!!
It’s been a while since I knitted a hat. After seeing your box hat, I will be ordering yarn and making at least 3 hats. Granddaughter, daughter and one for me!! I have been a PURL SOHO customer since my 20’s. I am now 80 years old, retired, still play the piano, avid reader. Thank you PURL SOHO for the lovely knitting suggestions you have offered all these years♥️
I’m confused by the decrease round.
Am I supposed to repeat from Beginning the decrease?
I’m making small/medium.
Hi Shakedra,
Thanks for writing in, and that’s totally correct! You repeat the instructions within the square brackets 2 times. That means beginning from the beginning of the instructions again when you repeat them. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Question: what length DPN should you use? 6 or 8?
Hi Debra,
Thanks for writing in! You can use either length; this choice generally depends on the preference of the knitter, or what tools you currently have available!
All the best,
Lili
Will give it a try fir my daughter
The way that the decrease round is written is very confusing. Not clear at all. It looks like SSk is completed twice in the same place . Not that the 2 together and 1 ssk is repeated twice.
Hi Rita,
I’m so sorry that this row has been confusing! The key here is to look at the placement of the square brackets. The opening bracket is located at the very beginning of the round, and the closing bracket is located right after the ssk and before “2 times.” That means that the entire bracketed segment is to be worked 2 times! I hope this helps clear up the confusion, but you can also read more about brackets in our How To Read A Knitting Pattern tutorial and on our Knitting Abbreviations + Terms page.
All the best,
Lili
Hi, for the last part, the pattern reads: Hold needles parallel to each other, with wrong sides facing each other.
I’m not understanding how this works. What are the wrong sides?
Hi Shirley,
Thanks for writing in! The wrong side of this project is the inside of the hat, where the purl bumps are. To graft the top together, you’ll just need to make sure the inside of the hat is indeed on the inside, which is where it already is, so you can basically just keep the hat in the same position you’ve been knitting it in!
All the best,
Lili
Can you confirm that my set-up round is correct? I cast on 64 stitches so I have the following:
8k, sm, 16k, sm, 16k, sm, 16k, sm, 8k
I too find the decrease round confusing, so I want to make sure I have it set up correctly.
Thank you for your help.
Hi Joy,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, that’s the correct number of stitches between each marker for the Toddler size!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you very much.
I wanted to add for those confused by the decrease round like I was, I ended up typing out the decrease pattern row by row and the math worked out. Now I can finish the hat and use what I typed out as a checklist.
i 2nd doing this. i never complain about anything, i teach knitting (beginner through “advanced intermediate”). for my class that knows what they’re doing, the last project is they a find a pattern they can make in a reasonable amount of time & i’m basically there for support. student picked this hat, understandably it’s super cute. within 24 hours i was making the hat trying to see why they were SERIOUSLY struggling. the decrease instructions were confusing to me, the 20+ year experience teacher. i rewrote the decrease pattern out for us, step by step, line by line. i wish PS would just take the L on this & edit the pattern. i have certainly made design communication mistakes through my career & you fix it & move on. telling people it repeats in a section they’re struggling to get started with isn’t it. i’m with joy. before making this hat (or at least before the setup round) •write the pattern out for yourself•
the hat when finished is really great, & allows for a lot of color blocking (especially in the adult sizes).
We are so sorry for the unclear instructions on the decrease section of this pattern and can absolutely see where everyone is coming from now!
I’ve passed along these notes (along with the other related comments) to the design team and we’ve come up with an edit for the Decrease Round that we’re hoping will fix the confusion. Going forward, we’re writing that out so it includes asterisks instead of brackets which should more clearly mark exactly what needs to be repeated in this round.
Please let us know if you think that helps or not! We’re more than happy to revisit if necessary and we appreciate you championing for all the other knitters in the meantime!
All the best,
Lili
Could I use magic loop to knit the decrease rounds?
Hi Shirley,
Yes, absolutely! Magic loop is always a great alternative to DPNs for knitting small circumferences in the round.
All the best,
Lili
Hello,
I have knit two adult small/medium hats using the Knit a Box Hat pattern with Partridge Superwash yarn. My question relates to the Crown decrease rounds which I don’t think I am decreasing correctly.
The pattern calls for:
Knit to two stitches before next marker, K2tog, slip marker. I assume this is the first marker after the start of round marker. This is first decrease.
Then knit 16 stitches, slip marker, slip slip knit. This would be 2nd decrease.
Then slip slip stitch (SSK) 2 times, knit to end of round.
I assume that I knit to each of the next two markers, slip marker, then slip slip knit. This would be the 3rd and 4th decreases.
The decrease pattern is different in the back of the hat vs the front.
See pics below.
FRONT
IMG_7881.jpegIMG_7882.jpeg
BACK
Is this correct?
Thanks for helping !
Hi Betsy,
It looks like you’re working too many ssk’s, which would definitely cause the front to look different than the back! On the Decrease Round, you should be working a k2tog before the first marker, a ssk after the second marker, a k2tog before the third marker, and a ssk after the fourth marker. That’ll make sure everything looks the same on both sides!
All the best,
Lili
I initially had the same problem with the way the decrease rows were written. I am glad you will make a correction.
I found the instructions for the Box Hat problematic for another reason. In the instructions for the crown you write “Repeat the last two rounds 12 more times (for the large hat). Yet I had to knit 24 rows to get to the 36 stitches to complete the hat. It seems it meant repeat the “last two rounds” 12 times each. How did I get this wrong? The hat turned out fine. Just like in the picture!
Also I did not like the feel of the Partridge super wash and will not purchase it again. It was hard to work with.
Hi Harriet,
Thanks for writing in! It actually sounds like you worked the correct number of rounds! Since the instructions say to work the last two rounds 12 more times, that’s 24 more rounds in total! Here’s the line in question, for quick reference:
Repeat last two rounds 4 (6, 8, 9, 12) more times. [36 stitches remain]
And I’m so sorry that you didn’t enjoy working with Partridge Superwash! While we love knitting with this yarn, we can certainly understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’m more than happy to recommend some other yarns you can use instead–just let me know!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks for your reply Lili. What other yarns do you recommend?
Harriet
Till would be another lovely choice for this pattern! This yarn is made from 100% Andean highland wool (non-superwash), and it’s spun with many plies, so it has a more wooly and more buoyant texture than Partridge Superwash. It’s one of my favorite yarns to knit with!
All the best,
Lili
I love this hat but I am having trouble with the decreases. I know there are 4, but it’s the stitches themselves.
K2tog is just what it says, but SSK is confusing. Should I slip the stitches as if to knit or purl?
Thanks, Jane
Hi Jane,
Thanks for writing in! There are a few ways to work an ssk. We like to slip the first stitch knitwise and the second purlwise, but many knitters like to slip both knitwise. You can check our ssk tutorial for a visualization of the method we recommend!
All the best,
Lili