Stocking Hats
Fits Child (Adult – L Adult) Finished Width 18 (20-22) inches; length 8 (9-10) inches.
Made on a plastic midgauge knitting machine; LK 150 and Brother KX 350 were used for the samples.
Approximately 2-3 oz knitting worsted weight yarn, with number 4 on the ball band. This is a good project to use up scraps left from other projects
Yarn needle
Gauge 4.5 sts, 6 rows = 1”
There is a lot of variation in the finished fabric when using this weight of yarn, so this pattern should be considered just a starting point. You may find that the child size fits an adult as a short beanie-style in one yarn, yet is too tight for adults when using a different one. These knit so quickly, just knit one and see how you like it.
There are also a couple of points to consider. Hanging the hem on the first row of a stripe or color change shows less. Notice how much more the “dent” shows where the hem joins on the pink/wine colored hat. On the tan hat, the hem joins at the bottom of the first cream stripe and is much less visible. If you are making a solid color hat, there is no choice, but if you are making stripes, try to plan for the hem row. Turning the stitch dial up as far as possible when knitting the joining row also helps make the “dent” a little less visible. I only went up three numbers on the pink striped hat, because I knitted it on the LK 150, and it only goes to 9 on the stitch dial; the tan hat was made on the KX 350, and that dial goes up to 10. It did make a difference.
Pink striped hat has a 2 ¼” deep hem. Tan hat has a 3” deep hem.
T 5, or 1 number lower than main tension. Cast on 80 (84-88) stitches with waste yarn and ravel cord.
Reset row counter to 000.
With MC, K even to RC 28 for shorter hem, RC 36 for deeper hem. Remove cast on comb and weights, and hang the hem. Reset row counter to 000. Turn stitch dial up as high as it will go and knit 1 row.
T6. For hat with shorter hem, knit to RC 34 (40-46). For hat with deeper hem, knit to RC 30 (36-42).
Transfer every other stitch to its neighboring needle. Knit 2 rows. Clip yarn, leaving a long tail. You should leave enough to sew the hat seam later. Thread the yarn tail into the yarn needle, and take the remaining stitches off onto the threaded needle.
Remove the waste yarn.
Gather the top tightly and fasten securely, but do not cut the yarn yet. Sew the seam. Do not sew through both thicknesses of the hem; instead, continue around the bottom and back up to where the hem joins the rest of the hat.
Add pompoms, tassels, or Icord ties to the top if desired