Easy Hat Pattern: Part 3

I've just finished up knitting the brim of my hat and thought I should show you how to do the basket-weave pattern, which will be the major pattern in the hat.  It's basically very similar to a wide rib stitch, except that it switches the knits for purls and vice versa every 4 rows.

You should have 8 rows of 2x2 rib.  We're going to switch to the 5 mm needles as we knit our first row.  I always forget to switch needles and have found it useful to immediately put away the needles I'm not going to be using anymore.  Otherwise, 6 rows in, I'll find out I've been using two 5 mm needles and three 4.5 mm ones!

Here is the pattern:

Row 9: Using the 5 mm needles *K4, p4 repeat from * to end
Rows 10-12: Repeat row 9
Row 13: *P4, k4 repeat from * to end
Rows 14-16: Repeat row 13

Here is the pattern written out in long form:


Using a 5 mm needles, at the beginning of the next (9th) row, Knit 4 stitches.  Bring the yarn to the front and purl 4 stitches.  Continue knitting 4 then purling 4 until the end of the row.  NOTE: each time a 4.5 mm needles is freed of its stitches, put it away and grab a 5 mm needle instead.  Keep knitting in the knit 4 then purl 4 pattern until you have completed 4 rows.  You should have squares of knitting that are 4 stitches across and 4 up.

On the next (13th) row, purl 4 stitches.  Bring the yarn to the back and knit 4 stitches.  Continue knitting in the purl 4 then knit 4 pattern until you have completed 4 rows.  Then you will return to the knit 4, purl 4 pattern and repeat these 8 rows.

Here are the Videos:

The first four rows of basket-weave:

And the second four rows of basket-weave:

Keep going in basket-weave until you have 3 or 4 repeats of the 8 row pattern depending on how big your head is and how big you want your hat.  When I first started knitting, I knit quite a few hats that were comically small.  I kept thinking that the hats would be too big so I would start decreasing and they would end up not even hitting the tops of my ears.  So keep knitting until your hat is at a comfortable ear level and leaves a gap of only a few inches on the top of your head.  

Coming soon.... Decreasing!

Basketweave hat: Part 2

If we have all the supplies ready to go it's time to cast on.

Here is the pattern for the rim of the hat:

CO 96 stitches on 4.5 mm needles. 

Evenly distribute over 4 needles and join.

Row 1: S1, k1, p2, *k2, p2 repeat from * to end of row.

Row 2:  *K2, P2 repeat from * to end of row.

repeat this row 6 more times or until you have about 1".

Here is the pattern written out for a more detailed explanation of what to do:

Use the 4.5 mm needles to start and cast on 96 stitches.  Spread them out over 4 of the needles so that you have 24 stitches on each needle.  Make sure that no stitches are twisted around the needle (all stitches should be pointing the same way).  Hold the first needle and the last needle together so that the 4 needles make a square.  Using the 5th needle, slip the first stitch onto the new needle without knitting it.  Knit the next stitch.  Bring the yarn to the front and then purl two stitches.  Continue knitting 2 stitches and then purling 2 stitches until you finish the row.  The second row starts with 2 knit stitches, so you are knitting the stitch that you slipped at the beginning of the last row.  Pull this stitch very tight after you knit it.  Follow the knit 2, purl 2 pattern until you have completed 8 rows total.  

Here are the videos if they help:

Casting on:

Joining and knitting:

Easy Hat Pattern: Part 1

I would love to share this easy hat pattern.  A few years ago I knit it for my sister in law and she wore it until it got a huge hole in it that I couldn't fix.  So this last Christmas my brother asked me to knit her a new one.  I never wrote down the pattern so I'll be writing it as I knit it.

Here is what you need:

Mission falls 1824 wool, or another yarn that is worsted weight (18 stitches per 4"). It should have the same specs as this on the label. You'll need two balls, about 100 grams.  

You will also need a set of 4.5mm double pointed needles and a set of 5mm needles.  I use sets of 5 so that 4 needles have stitches on them and one is the knitter.  

The hat will eventually look like this:  

I am going to be writing the pattern as I knit it so keep coming back to find out what to do next!