How To Knit A Hat With Straight Needles?

Do you know, How To Knit A Hat With Straight Needles? Do you dream of knitting an easy hat? This tutorial tells you all about how to make your hat with the yarn of your choice.

Protecting the head from the cold is the primary function of the hat. You should not forget that it is also an element of the dressing room to coordinate with all the clothing. The shape, the color, the patterns, the thread are all criteria to take into account to create your hat.

How To Knit A Hat With Straight Needles

Here is our step by step guide to give you most easiest way for knitting your first hat like a professional.

What Shape To Choose?

Depending on the shape of your face and also your tastes, you have the choice between three forms of a hat.

The right cup is worn with or without a pompom. It is knitted to obtain a space on the top of the head, without falling. Opt for reasonably large or sufficiently twisted wool and knit a little tight or make a fancy stitch that tightens the thread, like twists. Mohair is not suitable for this type of hat.

The over sized beanie has a straight shape falling backward (also known as loose) or to the side. The knitting should be flexible, even soft, to obtain a good effect. Avoid knitting twists or cross-stitch stitches, but jersey and double-stitch stitches are fine. You can add a small pompom.

Finally, the round bob or cap completely covers the head. It has the advantage of being very quick to make and usually requires only one ball of wool. You can knit a geometric pattern or a fancy stitch, but only a short distance.

How To Calculate The Size Of The Hat?

The hat should hold in place and not drop over the eyes at the slightest movement or over-tighten the head. The natural elasticity of the knit is used to adapt the hat to the shape of the head.

To determine the size of your hat, measure your head circumference and subtract 6 cm, you get the width of your hat. For example, if your head measurement is 56 cm, the width of your knitting should be 50 cm. The flexibility of the mesh will compensate for the 6 cm less.

This measure is also valid for children, but note that from 14 years, the head size reaches its final size.

Hat With Or Without Cuff

A backhand is an option, not an obligation. It reinforces the knitting of a double thickness at the place of the ears to keep them warm! Loose forms rarely have a cuff; on the other hand, straight forms, especially with a tassel, most often have a cuff.

Use the cuff to highlight the face with a row of ribs or crossed stitches. You can simulate a cuff on a round beanie, by knitting a few rows of ribs.

Thanks to its wide ribbing and its elongated shape, the beanie hat can be worn without a cuff, like a loose beanie, or with a cuff by folding the ribbed border.

Which Border To Choose For A Hat?

The edge of the hat that is different from the cuff, is a decorative element that highlights the face. We can choose to give it a lot of importance by playing on the volume of the mesh or on the contrary to make it very discreet.

If your hat is loose and made with a fine thread, do not give too much importance to the border, the general shape will do the rest. In contrast, take care of the edge of a straight cap; this is the starting point for the pattern that you will knit to the point.

The ribbing or garter stitch border is a comfortable classic to make. It is enough to knit 4 to 6 rows to obtain a decorative border. You have different possibilities of ribs, 1/1, or 2/2 being the most common.

Beware of ribs that do not tighten, like ribs upside down or English ribs, they will not fulfill their function and will form an overly flexible border, which will tend to widen.

If you are looking for a decorative stitch, opt for the rice stitch ribs (ideal if the rest of your hat is also knitted with rice stitch) or the spiral ribs.

Four rows knitted in garter stitch are enough for the border of the Kiruna beanie; the body is knitted in jacquard.

A decorative border composed of a significant twist admirably highlights the face.

The Knitting Pattern

The easiest way to knit a hat is to use straight knitting needles and start with the head circumference. The assembly is done by an invisible seam, placed at the back of the hat.

• For a straight beanie without cuff, the decreases start between 10 and 15 cm in total height. You must add the value of the cuff (between 5 and 8 cm) for a cap with folded edges.
• The decreases consist of reducing approximately 90% of the stitches on a few rows corresponding to about 3 to 4 cm at most. The stitches should not be cast off, but harmoniously reduced over the entire row. Decreases are generally done by knitting two stitches together (no over lock).
• To close the top of the hat, join the last stitches, passing a thread through and pull.

Are you ready to knit your first hat? Follow our simple tutorial and make your idea come to life.

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